From the Kop to the Kelpies: The Alex Totten Story

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It is the fifth in their history, and the fourth that he has been involved with. He was there as a young boy, taken by his grandfather and uncle, when Falkirk last won the cup in 1957. He managed the side in 1997, and he was a working for the club in a business role when they made the final again in 2009.

As part of South Korea’s long-term bid to host the 2002 World Cup, they want to show FIFA they can put on a show. Fast forward eleven days and Gordon Smith’s comments on the radio during Falkirk’s 1997 Scottish Cup semi-final tie against Celtic couldn’t have been more wrong. Okay, Graeme is not a big name and Celtic and Rangers often go for big name managers,” said Totten. “But everybody is due a chance. That is all you can ask as a manager. Fair play to him if he can take it. They had just been relegated when I joined. I’d just come off a bad end to my spell at Rangers and didn’t really know what to do. I had been about to sign for Nottingham Forrest when the manager Willie Cunningham, who was my manager at Dunfermline, phoned and persuaded me to go to Falkirk. I didn’t fancy the Second Division, but he told me ‘You won’t be there long’’. It suited my wife as she wasn’t keen on going to England at that time!” Totten recalls the club’s negotiations with Soviet Union international Sergei Baltacha and Geoff Brown’s delight when he demanded a club car. Preferably a Lada!When asked if he ever thought about replicating Alex’s iconic Scottish Cup Final look from 1997, when he walked out wearing a kilt, Fergie had only one answer!

Listening to Totten is a pleasurable amble into the past, to encounters with any number of friends, like Ferguson, or Walter Smith, or Craig Brown, who Totten has invited along to Saturday's Scottish Cup final. The repeated depletion of the side and the exodus of star players continued, and Alex must have been frustrated in trying to keep the playing side of the club motivated. Relegation seemed inevitable until the last – minute liquidation of Airdrieonians saved the club from the drop. The Board felt that changes were needed, and Alex moved into a Director of Football role after the arrival of Ian McCall. His role in more recent years was in income generation and he was responsible for significant fund-raising through sponsorships, major annual events, and partnerships. He is content with his place in the fabric of the club, and despite a friendship with Houston (they will fly out to Portugal for a golfing trip after the final), he keeps a clear distance from the football department. Yet Totten is central to Falkirk and their latest cup final appearance. Brown and his board identified Totten as the man to spearhead the on-field transformation of a club which was on its uppers before they breathed new life into it. We went into the second game against Rio XI not wanting to progress. We just didn’t want to be there. We wanted to be on our holidays. The second game was important in the section and we didn’t want to win it. I remember Robert scored a goal and the camera panned on to him.

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In July 1971 Totten transferred to Dumfries side Queen of the South and became a first team regular for the first time his career in the lower division. The last transfer of his playing days came in July 1973 with a move to Alloa Athletic where he wound down his on-field career and became manager in 1980. We cover every morsel of information regarding your favourite club in the form of articles, videos and podcasts.

Sibbald joined the Falkirk Academy when he was just eight years old – and has gone on to make more than 150 top-team appearances for the Championship side. In October 1991, though, we were the best of enemies.
St Johnstone v Rangers at McDiarmid Park and there was no quarter asked, nor given. At the time we were in the bottom four and Rangers were second-top. But David Holmes took over and Graeme Souness came in. When I was there everybody, whether it was Davie Cooper or Ally McCoist, was on the same basic wage. But when Graeme came it changed and it became every man for himself. Terry Butcher and Chris Woods were two of his first signings. Going through on the Wednesday, we had nothing to lose, just keep things tight. You’ve always got a chance in a one off situation.”

I’m still involved at Falkirk in the commercial department so I see the players every day, and we always have a laugh and a joke.