Falkirk surprise with rise to third, behind Celtic and Rangers

The top of the Scottish Premiership remained unchanged as the international break approached. Celtic lead the table, four points ahead of Rangers. Rangers have played one game more.

Aberdeen have dropped to 11th, so Stephen Robinson's future is being assessed. Kilmarnock are at the bottom of the table.

Falkirk's rise, however, has surprised many people. The team under John McGlynn has won five matches in a row. In this run they beat champions Celtic and ended Hearts' 19-month unbeaten run at Tynecastle Park. Going into the last international break, the team was 11th and had won only one of its first six matches of the season.

There was a major overhaul over the summer. Their top scorer, Barney Stewart, moved to West Brom for a record fee, Calvin Miller joined Hearts, and Dylan Tait went to Dundee United. The club brought in 17 new players. Jacob Murrell, who came from DC United, filled the gap left by Stewart. Murrell scored seven goals in 11 league games and was named Premiership Player of the Month for October.

Falkirk's winning run of this length is the first since 1995. When the league resumes, their first opponents will be St Johnstone. Rangers are keeping their unbeaten run going, while there is debate over whether Celtic can hold on to the title. Martin O'Neill, meanwhile, assessed his future at the last international break after three consecutive defeats in all competitions.