The 2009–10 season was Falkirk's fifth consecutive season in the Scottish Premier League. Falkirk also competed in the League Cup, Scottish Cup and the Europa League. Falkirk finished the season in twelfth place and were relegated to the Scottish First Division after five years in the SPL.

Summary Falkirk finished as runners-up in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final and qualified for the UEFA Europa League. They entered the second qualifying round of the competition, losing 2–1 on aggregate, after extra-time, to Vaduz, becoming the first British club to lose a European tie to a club from Liechtenstein. Falkirk were relegated to the Scottish First Division for the first time since 2005 after a 0–0 draw with Kilmarnock on the final day of the season. Kilmarnock were also at threat of being relegated and the winner of the match at Rugby Park would have remained in the SPL. Falkirk also reached the third round of the League Cup, the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.

Management Falkirk began the season under the management of Eddie May who had been appointed in June 2009 after several years of coaching in the youth set-up at the club. On 11 February 2010, May stepped down from his position, with the club sitting bottom of the SPL. He was succeeded by Steven Pressley, player-coach at the club and was appointed until the end of the season.

Results

Scottish Premier League RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersMatch Report115 August 2009RangersIbrox Stadium1–450,239Finnigan 24'Match Report222 August 2009HibernianFalkirk Stadium1–36,059Flynn 25'Match Report329 August 2009Dundee UnitedTannadice Park1–26,979Finnbogason 75'Match Report414 September 2009AberdeenFalkirk Stadium0–04,724Match Report519 September 2009Hamilton AcademicalNew Douglas Park0–02,640Match Report626 September 2009KilmarnockFalkirk Stadium0–05,394Match Report73 October 2009MotherwellFir Park0–14,337Match Report817 October 2009St MirrenFalkirk Stadium1–35,084McLean 55'Match Report924 October 2009Heart of MidlothianTynecastle Stadium0–014,127Match Report1031 October 2009St JohnstoneMcDiarmid Park1–34,423Finnigan 49'Match Report118 November 2009CelticFalkirk Stadium3–36,795Arfield 61' (Pen), Moutinho 64', Stewart 83'Match Report1221 November 2009Hamilton AcademicalFalkirk Stadium2–05,628Mitchell 64', Bullen 79' Match Report1328 November 2009HibernianEaster Road0–213,305Match Report145 December 2009RangersFalkirk Stadium1–36,903Moutinho 41'Match Report1512 December 2009St MirrenNew St Mirren Park1–14,033Finnigan 88'Match Report1619 December 2009KilmarnockRugby Park2–14,472Finnigan 3', Flynn 58'Match Report1726 December 2009Heart of MidlothianFalkirk Stadium0–16,082Match Report1816 January 2010CelticCeltic Park1–150,000Finnigan 19'Match Report1924 January 2010Dundee UnitedFalkirk Stadium1–44,378Moutinho 90+1'Match Report2027 January 2010MotherwellFalkirk Stadium0–04,321Match Report2130 January 2010RangersIbrox Stadium0–345,907Match Report222 February 2010AberdeenPittodrie1–07,741Healy 31'Match Report2310 February 2010KilmarnockFalkirk Stadium0–17,049Match Report2413 February 2010Heart of MidlothianTynecastle Stadium2–314,078Kucharski 45+2' (o.g.), Moutinho 83'Match Report2520 February 2010AberdeenFalkirk Stadium3–14,643Moutinho 13', Barr 42', Showunmi 70'Match Report2627 February 2010Dundee UnitedTannadice Park0–36,352Match Report277 March 2010CelticFalkirk Stadium0–26,792Match Report2813 March 2010St JohnstoneFalkirk Stadium1–25,895Twaddle 27'Match Report2920 March 2010Hamilton AcademicalNew Douglas Park2–22,461Arfield 26', Flynn 59'Match Report3023 March 2010St JohnstoneMcDiarmid Park1–13,107Flynn 19'Match Report3127 March 2010HibernianFalkirk Stadium1–35,460Stewart 19'Match Report323 April 2010MotherwellFir Park1–04,628Flynn 27'Match Report3310 April 2010St MirrenFalkirk Stadium2–15,671Moutinho 45+2', Higdon (o.g.) 67'Match Report3417 April 2010AberdeenPittodrie0–110,461Match Report3524 April 2010Hamilton AcademicalFalkirk Stadium0–15,118Match Report361 May 2010St MirrenFalkirk Stadium1–15,919Arfield 45' (Pen)Match Report375 May 2010St JohnstoneFalkirk Stadium0–05,502Match Report388 May 2010KilmarnockRugby Park0–010,662Match Report

Scottish League Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersMatch ReportThird round23 September 2009CelticFalkirk Stadium0–45,669Match Report

Scottish Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersMatch ReportFourth round18 January 2010KilmarnockRugby Park0–13,378 Match Report

UEFA Europa League

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersMatch ReportSecond qualifying round16 July 2009 VaduzFalkirk Stadium1–05,763Flynn 50'Match ReportSecond qualifying round23 July 2009 VaduzRheinpark Stadion2–0 (a.e.t)1,842Match Report

Squad statistics Player statistics

|colspan="12"|Players who left the club during the 2009–10 season

Team statistics League table

Transfers

Players in PlayerFromFee Brian McLean MotherwellFree Marc Twaddle Partick ThistleUndisclosed Ryan Flynn LiverpoolLoan Alex MacDonald BurnleyLoan Danijel Marčeta Partizan BelgradeLoan Vítor Lima Ethnikos PiraeusFree Josh Wagenaar Yeovil TownFree Kjartan Finnbogason SandefjordLoan Ryan Flynn LiverpoolFree Pedro Moutinho MarítimoFree Pelé West Bromwich AlbionFree Toufik Zerara Al DhafraFree Jack Compton Weston-super-MareUndisclosed Colin Healy Ipswich TownLoan Enoch Showunmi Leeds UnitedFree

Players out PlayerToFee Michael Higdon St MirrenFree Dean Holden Shrewsbury TownFree Patrick Cregg HibernianFree Kevin McBride HibernianFree Paul McLean Brechin CityFree Mark Staunton East FifeFree Jay Lang ClydeFree Jamie Barclay East StirlingshireLoan Dermot McCaffrey ArbroathLoan Steve Lovell Partick ThistleFree Paul Sludden East FifeLoan Kevin Moffat Free AgentFree James Bloom Alloa AthleticLoan Chris Mitchell Ayr UnitedLoan Jackie McNamara Partick ThistleLoan

References