Falkirk Make an Expensive Mistake (1996)
(first published in the match programme for St. Mirren v Aberdeen, 23rd November 2024)
Falkirk v St.Mirren 1996
On Saturday 23rd November 1996, St. Mirren travelled to Brockville to face Falkirk in a First Division league match, with the sides in second and third place respectively. Both had gained 23 points, three points behind leaders St. Johnstone, but they were only one point ahead of a chasing pack of three other sides in a keenly-contested title race. In their previous encounter at Love Street in September, St. Mirren had dominated the match, but Falkirk snatched the points with a disputed last-minute penalty kick.
Issue no. 7 of the 1996/97 Falkirk programme was a 32-page, A5-sized issue, printed blue and black on white glossy paper and with preprinted colour sections on the outer and middle pages. The front cover featured photo action from the Bairns' previous home match against Stirling Albion above the full match details and the £1 price tag.
"The Boss at Brockville" presented Eamonn Bannon's view of recent events and "Brockville Bulletin" provided news on players past and present, alongside the list of Falkirk officials and fixtures for the day. This was followed by more photo action and two pages on the thriving "Junior Bairns" organisation.
"Today's Visitors" highlighted St. Mirren's youth policy and cast a spotlight on the current squad, while "Match Profile" reported on Falkirk's victory over Stirling in great detail, accompanied by more photos. There was then a refreshing look at Falkirk's neighbours Stirling Albion, Stenhousemuir and Alloa Athletic, featured in "Around the Region".
The centre pages listed the two squads and match officials, surrounded by adverts.
"Match Report" covered the previous week's Airdrie v Falkirk clash to the same detail as the report in the first half of the issue, "Bairns Eye View of World Soccer" focussed on Russian football and "First Division Pointers" analysed recent events in the Bell's First Division.
The final piece in a packed programme was entitled "Programme Collecting for Non-Anoraks", penned by "Programme Monthly" Editor John Litster and discussing the category of Big Match programmes.
A crowd of 3,438 saw the home side bring in two trialists for the visit of St. Mirren. One was an anonymous Norwegian forward, while the other was widely recognised as former Dundee United and Falkirk defender John Clark, who had been freed by Dunfermline Athletic earlier in the week.
Clark's first contribution in the first minute of the match was to send a loose pass infield straight to Ricky Gillies, who sized up a shot for the top left corner. Fortunately for Falkirk, goalkeeper Craig Nelson was sharp enough to save. The home side later countered, but the Norwegian trialist failed to connect with a cross from Derek Ferguson.
Saints had much of the ball in the first half, but the home defence restricted them to long range shooting. Towards the end of the half, Gillies and Jim Dick linked up well and the latter attempted to chip Nelson, but the ;keeper pulled off another fantastic save to tip the ball over the bar.
John Clark nets in the last minute
Without their trialist forward for the second half, Falkirk looked a different side and gained more pressure, but Saints still had the better chances, most notably when Gillies was one on one with the goalkeeper, but Nelson triumphed again.
As Tony Fitzpatrick had predicted, the game was decided by a set piece, and indeed, one that shouldn't have occurred. Heading into the final minute with the game still goalless, play moved towards the St. Mirren goal. The stand-side linesman took a tumble and, on getting back to his feet, joked about the incident with the St. Mirren bench. The Paisley contingent didn't see the funny side of it and urged him to pay attention to the game. The same official then mistakenly gave a throw-in to the home side. Substitute Andy Gray hurled one of his specials into the box for Kevin James to nod on and the ball found its way to Clark, who poked in the winning goal.
By the Tuesday after the game, reports began to emerge that Clark had been ineligible to play. The League management committee investigated and, on 19th December, decreed that Falkirk had indeed contravened the rule stating that a player could not return to a club within twelve months of leaving it, without prior permission. Clark had left Falkirk for Dunfermline on February 3rd - less than ten months previously.
The punishment was severe. The Brockville side were fined £25,000 and for the first time in League history, instead of deducting points, the match was declared void and ordered to be replayed. The situation was even worse for Eamonn Bannon, who was then sacked from his first, and only, managerial position for not knowing the rules and for attracting such an extreme punishment on the Club, who were already financially challenged.
The replayed match took place on January 8th 1997, the sides playing out a 1-1 draw. A new programme was issued for the match.