John McGlynn on plastic pitches, Falkirk previously being the 'stadium of fright' and Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers' message

John McGlynn has revealed that Celtic manager and friend Brendan Rodgers got in touch with him to congratulate Falkirk on sealing the League One title.

Bairns boss McGlynn, 62, previously worked alongside the Hoops gaffer when he was part of the Premiership champions’ recruitment team during the Northern Irishman’s first spell at the club.

And now having also managed to seal an invincible league campaign, just as Celtic did in the top-flight back in 2016-17, he admits that he is in an elite club – joking that can die happy.

“He got in touch when we won the league a couple of weeks back and was very complimentary,” McGlynn said. “I’m led to believe there’s only three other managers, so it’s a nice club to be in.

“They can put me six feet under now! I’ve done what I was here to do! “It is nice to be part of history and that’s what we’ve preached to the boys — it will never be forgotten.

“In 30 years, when I am six feet under, they will be having reunions and celebrations. Falkirk will be using the anniversaries to raise some money! We are just delighted it will be remembered forever and we’ll be immortal.”

The former Raith Rovers gaffer, who has been at the Bairns’ helm for just over two years, hopes that one day he can see his Falkirk side face up against Rodgers’ Celtic in the top-flight.

But he fears that current talk around banning plastic pitches in the Premiership would all-but halt any hopes of the Bairns being able to afford a double promotion.

The cost of changing the recently-placed artificial surface at Westfield could cost upwards of £1 million.

“It’s probably impossible,” McGlynn admitted. “You look at teams like Raith Rovers or Hamilton, they might not get up if they don’t put a grass pitch down.

"Or what happens if they go up this season and they change the rule once they are in the Premiership. Do they get expelled?

“I’m not going to look too far ahead. I’m just looking to the first match in August. But we are fortunate we have a good pitch, especially when you consider some of the grass surfaces this season.

“We are trying to put the case forward. I understand the likes of Celtic and Rangers are going to push for these things, and fair play to Killie for going back to grass, but they’ve a very wealthy financial backer.”

Looking back on the title-winning record-breaking unbeaten League One campaign, and his time at Falkirk so far, McGlynn admitted that making the move to the then in disarray Bairns was a “gamble” that he had to take.

The gaffer recently picked up the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year award for leading Falkirk back to the second tier in style.

“The potential of the club is huge, absolutely huge. But it was a huge gamble to go there,” he said. “They were in a bad way, they finished sixth in the league before we went there.

“They couldn’t win two games in a row, never mind win a league. So it was a huge gamble, because when I went to watch games the fans were not very patient.

“It could be like the Stadium of Fright. The players got very nervous, they didn’t want the ball and when that happens you’ve no chance.

“So you have to come in with a new broom and try to eliminate the negativity, be positive and try to get players in.”