It was extra in mischievous jest than real expectation final November when Neil Lennon floated the concept Falkirk may permit him to discipline loanee Barney Stewart in Dunfermline’s Scottish Cup marketing campaign.
The striker had simply scored 4 targets within the first 4 beginning appearances of his spell at East Finish Park and Lennon already knew he was coping with a particular expertise wealthy in potential.
Sadly for the Dunfermline supervisor, his Falkirk counterpart John McGlynn had lengthy since reached the identical conclusion and was by no means going to permit Stewart to develop into cup-tied.
McGlynn’s perception in a participant he plucked from the obscurity of seventh-tier soccer at Heriot-Watt College has been vindicated to such an extent that Stewart is now arguably the best entrance man within the Premiership and is even being touted for a spot in Scotland’s World Cup squad.
The 22-year-old’s run of six targets in his final 5 outings for the Bairns has helped seal their excellent high six standing of their first high flight season in 16 years.
Striker Barney Stewart has scored six targets in his final 5 video games for Falkirk
Barney Stewart heads residence in Falkirk’s 5-1 win over Kilmarnock again in February
Stewart is more likely to be a key determine as they bid to complete it in model by qualifying for Europe for under the second time of their historical past, both by means of their ultimate league place or by successful the Scottish Cup.
Destiny has decided that Falkirk will face their fiercest rivals Dunfermline in subsequent Saturday’s semi-final at Hampden, pitting Stewart in opposition to a supervisor and group of gamers who considerably helped speed up his improvement when he was in Fife.
It was an important step on what has been a extremely unorthodox soccer journey. Born in London to Scottish dad and mom, Stewart confirmed pure sporting aptitude from a younger age nevertheless it was first seen in tennis, the place he was a extremely ranked youth participant in Middlesex, and Gaelic soccer to which he was launched by an Irish college good friend.
Stewart additionally performed rugby for Ealing Trailfinders, but soccer was his old flame as he grew up as a passionate Chelsea fan and all the time harboured notions of enjoying professionally sooner or later.
Falkirk boss John McGlynn signed Stewart from Heriot-Watt College
From age 14 to 16, he skilled with Queen’s Park Rangers, nevertheless it wasn’t till he turned his consideration to his educational future that his uncommon pathway within the sport started to emerge.
The center of three siblings, Stewart’s elder brother Logan was a maths scholar at Oxford College, whereas the youthful Toby is at present taking legislation at Cambridge.
Stewart’s sporting ardour, nevertheless, lured him again to dad Peter and mum Paula’s residence metropolis of Edinburgh the place he determined a Bachelor of Science diploma in Sport and Train at Heriot-Watt was the one for him.
His cousin was already on the College and was assistant supervisor of the soccer squad who compete in each the East of Scotland League and the British Universities and Faculties Sport league.
Stewart performed in a pleasant match in opposition to Penicuik and did sufficient to persuade Heriot-Watt’s head coach Banji Koya he could possibly be a mainstay of his aspect. Koya already had a observe document of serving to college footballers progress into the senior ranks.
Anton Dowds, at present with Ayr United, credited Koya for incomes him a transfer from Heriot-Watt to East Fife in 2018, whereas the college’s soccer scholarship programme additionally has a proper tie-up with Montrose who’ve signed a number of of their gamers.
After a primary yr at Heriot-Watt when Stewart admitted his enjoyment of scholar life away from the soccer pitch prevented him from knuckling down on it as a lot as Koya wished, he began to flourish.
As his 6ft 2ins body crammed out, the targets flowed and senior golf equipment started sniffing round when Stewart turned the primary participant since Dowds to attain over 40 targets in a season for Heriot-Watt. In October 2024, Falkirk took the plunge and handed Stewart a full-time contract whereas initially loaning him again to Heriot-Watt.
‘Barney is a participant we’ve been holding our eye on for a wee whereas,’ mentioned Falkirk boss McGlynn on the time. ‘There’s numerous uncooked materials there and he’s positively one for the long run’.
It remained unclear, definitely in Stewart’s thoughts, whether or not that potential can be realised and the way shortly he may progress. He has since admitted to one thing of a disaster of confidence throughout his early months of coaching with a Falkirk squad who had been pushing for the Championship title, even describing himself as ‘a headless rooster’.
Affectionately nicknamed ‘Uni boy’ by his new team-mates, he made his Falkirk debut as a late substitute in a goalless draw at residence to Queen’s Park in January 2025.
Stewart’s first senior aim got here in a 3-0 win at Airdrie two months later however whereas he made 17 appearances in whole as Falkirk made it again to again promotions, solely 4 of them had been within the beginning line-up.
Dunfermline boss Neil Lennon praised Stewart’s predatory instincts
Decided to be prepared for the problem of Premiership soccer, Stewart undertook additional coaching periods with Falkirk assistant supervisor Paul Smith in the summertime of 2025. Research of a unique form additionally noticed him devour YouTube movies of his hanging idols equivalent to Diego Costa and Fernando Torres as he tried to tackle as a lot data as potential.
His hopes of hitting the bottom operating this season had been dealt a significant blow, nevertheless, when he suffered a stress fracture foot damage which required surgical procedure in August. On his return to health, it was determined a mortgage spell within the Championship would finest serve his improvement.
Stewart was fully oblivious of the historic enmity between Falkirk and Dunfermline supporters however his non permanent swap throughout the Kincardine Bridge divide proved fruitful for all involved.
He shortly endeared himself to Pars followers who had reservations about having a Bairn of their midst. Stewart scored eight targets in his 12 appearances for Dunfermline, his first in a Fife derby win at residence to Raith Rovers in October and his final in opposition to the identical opponents at Stark’s Park on December 27.
‘He is a superb penalty field participant,’ noticed Dunfermline supervisor Lennon. ‘He is without doubt one of the finest within the league in terms of that. He scores from all forms of finishes too.’
It was a interval which additionally noticed Stewart referred to as as much as the Scotland under-21 squad for the primary time and he was fast to pay tribute to Lennon’s affect.
Stewart was a prolific scorer on mortgage at Dunfermline within the first half of the season
‘Dunfermline took a danger taking me simply off the again of my damage and the very fact I hadn’t actually confirmed myself within the Championship but,’ he mentioned. ‘I actually appreciated Neil Lennon placing religion in me. He’s just like John McGlynn within the sense that he pushes you, sees the very best in you and expects issues from you.’
Dunfermline would have beloved to increase the mortgage however McGlynn knew Stewart was now able to make an influence for Falkirk within the second half of the season.
He made his high flight debut in a 1-0 win over Aberdeen on January 3 after which actually introduced himself on the massive stage three weeks later with a shocking hat-trick within the 4-1 demolition of Hibs on the Falkirk Stadium. Stewart hit double figures for Falkirk with the opener of their 3-2 win at Motherwell final Saturday which confirmed their high six place.
He’ll look to proceed his scorching streak in opposition to Rangers this afternoon and it could be no shock if his targets have an effect on the title race as we head into the cut up. You get the sense that Barney Stewart’s story of the surprising is simply simply beginning.
