He’s been wearing his friend’s number proudly on his back for years. And Scott Arfield is now returning home to Falkirk with memories of late pal Craig Gowans lodged firmly in his heart.
The 36-year-old has gone back where he started his career, re-joining the Bairns on an initial deal until the summer. It was here that he and Gowans first became pals as they both set out with ambitions of fulfilling their dreams of making it as professionals. But in July 2005, Craig’s story ended in a training ground tragedy.
The then 17-year-old was electrocuted in a freak accident when the 20-foot metal poles he was carrying at the club’s Little Kerse training ground in Grangemouth made contact with overhead cables, killing him instantly. This summer will mark the 20th anniversary of the incident, a dark day that still casts a shadow over the club. But Arfield has tried to do his bit to keep Craig’s memory going.
It was in 2013 when he signed for Burnley that he first opted to take the No37 shirt in honour of his friend, who had the same squad number at Falkirk. It’s been draped across his shoulders ever since during spells with Rangers, MLS outfit Charlotte and Bolton Wanderers. And he will proudly sport it again with the Bairns.
Falkirk chiefs had retired the number in the wake of Craig’s passing. But in an exclusive interview with Record Sport, Arfield revealed how he sought out the permission from Gowan’s father John before deciding to continue on with his poignant tribute back where it all began.
He said: “When I went in to sign my contract, the club informed me they were willing to un-retire the number until the summer, which was an amazing gesture. But I didn’t quite know how I felt about it.
“So I phoned Craig’s dad to ask what he thought – and I was so pleased to hear him give me the blessing again. He said, ‘Keep on wearing it, even if you’re staying beyond this season. And wear it with pride’.
“It was an amazing blessing for John and the family to give. So, of course, I’m absolutely honoured to keep the legacy going. That emotional draw was a big part of my decision to come back.
“Craig is always in my thoughts. When I tell people that story, it’s hard hitting, it’s real. It was a tragic moment. But I just want to honour his memory the best way I can for Craig’s mum, dad and his family.”
Arfield is delighted to be back at his first club. But he’s already admitted he’s returning with a sense of duty having been part of the squad that saw the club relegated from the SPL in 2010.
They haven’t been back in the top flight since, with that demotion campaign in which Arfield featured thrusting the club into a grim decade-long downward spiral. It’s only now with boss John McGlynn in charge that the club are at last looking up.
Arfield will make his second debut today against Patrick Thistle hoping to steer the club to a win that will propel them back to the top of the Championship. “I’m excited,” he said. “It’s a nice story for me personally and for the club.
“I was young in my football career when the club was relegated, but I was young in an immature sense as well. The implications of going down didn’t hit me until a few years after.
“At that time, I just didn’t grasp the negative effect it was going to have on the club. It wasn’t until I reached my mid to late-twenties that I realised that the club has never recovered from that season.
“You you think, ‘My goodness, this is unbelievable. How can a club like Falkirk find itself in a situation where they couldn’t get back up to the Premiership?’ So obviously that was in my thinking when I made the decision to come back.
“What an amazing story it would be if we could do it. Obviously, Ayr and Livi are going to make it extremely difficult. I wasn’t privy to what went on behind the scenes over the last 10 years. The only thing I do know is the academy has obviously disappeared.
“There will be reasons for that, mainly the fact that the level of player coming through just didn’t justify how much was getting spent through it. But throughout that time I imagine there was cost cutting and different things going on, so it would have been a really tough time for everyone. Things now, though, are looking much brighter and we’re hoping to take the club back to where it should be.”
Arfield can’t wait to get down to work with McGlynn – a man who reminds him of the boss who gave him his first big break in football aged just 17. He said: “He’s infectious, the personality and that old-school ruthlessness. You just can’t beat it. And I’ve missed that. You don’t get much of that in the modern game.
“John doesn’t beat around the bush. It’s refreshing to be back in an environment like that. I called him old-school in terms of personality but in terms of the football he wants, he’s absolutely modern in his approach. Even in training, it’s all about passing the ball and keeping it. It’s similar to when I was here first time around with John Hughes.
“As a player, Yogi was a centre-half that just kicked and headed balls as far as he could. But when he became a manager, it was completely different. And John also knows exactly what he wants in a team. And he fully believes it can get us out of this Championship. The Falkirk I started out with were a passing team and the one I’m rejoining are exactly the same, which is great.
“That’s all I ever knew when I was there at 15, 16 and training with the first team. All I ever knew was passing and move under Yogi and Brian Rice. It was amazing to come back and still see that.”