Tony Begg on Falkirk's academy prospects, Stenhousemuir cup win and praise for John McGlynn

Falkirk’s head of youth development Tony Begg at Ochilview Park (Photo: Michael Gillen)

Falkirk’s head of youth development Tony Begg believes the pathway for young players to reach John McGlynn’s first team is slowly coming to fruition.

The respected ex-Motherwell and Hibs youth coach, who joined the Bairns in the summer of 2022, runs the club’s development programme, and was alongside the first team management team of McGlynn and Paul Smith during Tuesday night’s Stirlingshire Cup group stage outing.

A Falkirk side featuring a mix of first-teamers, modern apprentices and under-18s defeated a strong Stenhousemuir team 5-3 at Ochilview Park. Alfredo Agyeman netted a brace with goals from Scott Honeyman, Barney Stewart and Liam Carmichael sealing the three points.

And the Bairns’ youngsters who played in the tie impressed Begg – who is tasked with getting under-16 and under-18 players through a pathway that eventually leads to first team football.

Liam Carmichael, left, is congratulated by Falkirk team-mate Barney Stewart after the young midfielder sealed the three points against Stenhousemuir (Photo: Michael Gillen)

"This was a step up in opposition for the younger ones,” he said. “Stenhousemuir are a team that are doing well in League One. That is a big difference from playing against reserves.

“The modern apprentices (Owen Hayward, Logan Sinclair, Flynn McCafferty, Caelan McCrone, Rhys Walker and Scott Honeyman) train with the first team.

“And some of the under-18s will get the chance to come in to help with numbers.

“The two full-backs tonight, Gavin McGregor and Frankie Aitchison, both grew into the match and are good examples of players benefitting from mixing with the first team.

Stenhousemuir's Corey O'Donnell battles for possession up against Falkirk youngster Adam O'Connor - who was one of many under-18 players invovled in the tie (Photo: Michael Gillen)

“Cammy McNab came on at centre-half and Liam Carmichael, who is a midfielder, came on and scored with a great finish. Adam O’Connor got 25 minutes.

“All of them acquitted themselves well and being able to play alongside the likes of Sean Mackie, Michael McKenna and Callumn Morrison is fantastic.”

Manager McGlynn took the team for the tie, and Begg hailed the 62-year-old for his genuine interest in bringing through younger players.

He revealed: “He knows all the players and we try to get them to play in the same sort of style as the first team so that when you do get nights like tonight, the environment isn’t alien to them.

“It is brilliant. The manager comes to just about every home under-18 game. To have a manager and assistant manager so invested in the young players is fantastic.

"At this club, you can see a pathway. You don’t get that at some places. Since I joined the club at the same sort of time as the management team, we’ve had six first team debuts over the past couple of seasons.”

Begg has now been in post for two years, and he reckons that real progress is being made as the club targets a return to a full academy set-up in 2026.

The famed Falkirk academy of old – which brought through talented assets such as Scott Arfield, Jay Fulton, Stephen Kingsley – was axed late 2017 but the current Bairns’ hierarchy hope to reinstate the club’s academy, which was a fabric of the club.

"Caelan McCrone made his debut against Buckie Thistle and Flynn McCafferty has been on the bench with him so far this season,” Begg said.

“If a young player does well, he (McGlynn) isn’t afraid to put them in and give them a chance. We’ve got an under-16 and under-18s currently and the modern apprentices are bridging that gap to the first team.

“We are growing things slowly and organically. By 2026, the aim - which isn’t set in stone – is to be back to a full academy.

"Only having two age groups is difficult. Rome wasn’t built in a day but we are making real progress.

“What tonight showed was that we have boys who can make the step up.”