Falkirk will make history on Thursday with their first steps into European competition.

Falkirk have waited a long time to make their first foray into Europe but finally the current crop of players earned the right after making the Scottish Cup Final against Rangers who had already qualified for Europe via league standings. The club will be lead into unknown territory with a new management team of Eddie May, Stephen Pressley and wily old campaigner and assistant head coach Alex Smith. Falkirk will welcome Liechtenstein side FC Vaduz for Thursday's first leg of the Europa League second qualifier and Smith is looking forward to the adventure. He said: "It is fantastic history for Falkirk to be making and a privilege to be part of that, and we should be grateful to the previous management team for bringing European football to the club. But it is important we make sure we reach the next stage so that the history of this game really means something special. Falkirk followers have watched clubs their size compete in Europe for the past half century and wondered when it was going to be their turn. Now it has arrived we have to make it count, for their sake and so we do right by the previous management for such a great gift."

Smith has already seen how Vaduz play after in different circumstances: losing 5-0 to Basel; and thrashing 13 past FC Haag while only conceding one last week. The club are managed by German World Cup winner Pierre Littbarski who has all but written off the prospects of his team being the one to make the headlines. His side may have won the cup to earned the right to their place in the Europa Cup but they were relegated from the Swiss top flight last season. Smith said: "They have lost a lot of players because they have gone down and when I saw them against Basel it was obvious they were a group playing together for the first time. But it is important to see past the fact that they are from a country with a population of only 30-odd thousand. They have a tidy stadium, good playing surface and are able to bring in players from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. All that puts a different slant on their resources. We too have had to make a lot of changes in our personnel and, ideally, this tie would be five weeks away. But there are no worries about us not being ready. Falkirk has been going since 1867 without an occasion like the one on Thursday, so everyone can't wait for it."
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