Falkirk manager Peter Houston is thrilled to have signed a new two-year contract at the club – but concedes ‘we’ve not achieved anything yet’.
Houston and his backroom team of Alan Maybury and James McDonaugh have inked fresh terms that will tie the trio to the club until the end of the 2017/18 season.
Just three days after Houston collected the Ladbrokes Championship Manager of the Month award for December, the new deals are a reward for propelling the Bairns into midst of a title push.
Ahead of Sunday’s eagerly-anticipated visit of Hibs, second place Falkirk are only three points adrift of leaders Rangers.
However, Houston, who also also guided the Bairns to last season’s Scottish Cup final where they were beaten 2-1 by Inverness, admits ending the club’s six-year absence from the top-flight remains his top priority.
He sad: “My contract was up at the end of the season and one of the things I said all along was that wasn’t in a rush to get out of here.
“I’m pleased that the directors think the club is going in the right direction.
“We have improved from my first six months, I knew it would take some time.
“We got to a cup final and we’ve kicked off this season exceptionally well.
“But we’ve not done anything yet, one of my aims when I came in here was to try and get this football club back into the top league.
“I also think it’s been the most difficult two years to try and get this club back up because in another season we’d be winning the league this year, comfortably with the run of form we’re putting together.
“But we’re having to face two of Scotland’s biggest clubs, Hibs and Rangers, with huge resources, bigger budgets, bigger amount of players, bigger crowds – everything. But we’ve stood up well against them.
“I set my target to try and get 60 points to get to the play-offs and we’re well on target.
“We’ve got some fantastic young players coming through and the future is bright but we have to keep working very, very hard to keep it that way.”
Houston insists coaches Maybury and McDonaugh have also made a significant contribution behind the scenes.
He added: “James and Alan are a big part of our success so far. They’re thrilled to stay as well.
“It’s me that gets the Manager of the Month but they have a massive part to play as well, although it’s me that gets the stick when things aren’t going right too.
“We work along the same wave length on how football should be played and how training should be structured.
“These two guys work all the hours under the sun for this club.”
Chairman Doug Henderson said: “I’m delighted to tie up Peter and his team on longer deals.
“There’s no doubt that the club has moved forward under Peter’s management, with a strong performance in reaching the Scottish Cup Final last season and in our current position as second in the Championship promotion race.
“As a club, we will continue to invest in our team and in our facilities as we push for a return to the Premiership and we believe this will be achieved under Peter’s management.”
