Peter Houston wants to be a Falkirk boss until the end

Peter Houston wants to finish his managerial career with Falkirk.

The Bairns boss revealed his desire as he looked ahead to leading his players into Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final against Inverness Caley Thistle.

“Staying on until the end with Falkirk is something I would like to do,” he said.

“If this is to be my last club, I won’t be disappointed in any way trust me, I won’t. I don’t have any delusions of grandeur now.

“I am going to be 57 years old in July and the fact is football management is becoming more and more a young man’s job these days.”

Houston is, as he explains, speaking from experience.

“When I went out of a job at Dundee United, I thought I might have picked up something else,” he said.

“But then Kilmarnock went for Allan Johnston, 41, and Aberdeen chose Derek McInnes, who is 43.

“So before I got the call from Falkirk Director of Football Alex Smith that led to me coming here, I was working for Celtic scouting European games.

“I was quite happy. I had no hassle to deal with and was on decent money.

“If it had been another club of a similar ilk who had come in for me, I would probably have said no and stayed where I was.

“Because it was Falkirk, though, and because of the relationship I have with the supporters going all the way back to the guys in the Houstie Hardcore when I was a player here and the people at this club I said yes.”

Saturday’s Final will rekindle happy memories of the 2010 showpiece when, after years as Craig Levein’s assistant, Houston led Dundee United to glory.

“On the night, the coaches, wives and families went up to the Hilton on the River Tay and Craig came and joined us,” he said.

“He and a couple of the others stayed up talking until three or four in the morning, but by midnight I was knackered.

“I had had a few glasses of champagne plus some bottles of beer but I think it was all the adrenaline that had been pumping through me which took its toll.”

While beating Inverness would, he says, equal that moment, the Falkirk manager’s real goal is to take the club back up to the top flight.

“That is the most important thing for me that would be huge for me,” he said.

“It is where we deserve to be and it would be a great achievement from a personal point of view if I was the one to do it.

“And after that I’d be happy to let young ones take over from me.

“I’ve got two great coaches here. I really do believe Alan Maybury is a manager in the making while James McDonagh is a first-class coach at putting sessions on.

“But for the moment I am happy to still be here and, as I say, would happily finish my time as a manager here.”