Barney Stewart looks back on the Falkirk “kit washing” joke that followed him—while chasing end-of-season awards after a rapid climb to SPFL success.
Barney Stewart says he still remembers the moment he became the punchline at Falkirk for a rookie faux pas: asking whether he should take his kit home to wash it.
The 22-year-old forward, now preparing for the end-of-season awards, has come a long way from those early, awkward days of trying to work out where he fit.. His rise has been fast—moving from university football at Heriot-Watt, where training and matches ran on a familiar rhythm, into the intensity and spotlight of the Premiership.
Stewart’s path into the senior game has been shaped by loans and learning curves.. Signed by Falkirk in 2024, he was sent back on loan to his East of Scotland League side before being recalled during the run-in to last season’s Championship triumph.. That early taste taught him the demands of playing every week at a level where the margins are thinner, and then came another step: a start-of-season loan to Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline in the second tier.
Now Stewart is back in John McGlynn’s starting line-up and is closing out the campaign with a different kind of pressure—one that comes with expectations, crowded stands, and a goal count that has forced teams to plan around him.. He has been nominated for the PFA Scotland young player of the year prize, with the result due on Sunday night, after a season that saw him score 18 goals across the run for the Pars and Falkirk.
What he remembers most from his earliest professional days is how quickly football can change when you go from being a known quantity in your own bubble to being judged under bright lights.. Stewart describes going from seeing a small circle of fans to suddenly playing in front of crowds where every touch matters, and he admits imposter syndrome didn’t vanish overnight.
“There’s been moments when I’ve struggled to shake off the imposter syndrome,” Stewart said, linking that feeling to the early phase of stepping up.. But he also credits the group around him for helping him settle.. As Falkirk moved through the moments that define a season—wins, nerve tests, and the eventual lift of winning the league—he says the sense of belonging became easier to feel.
# The early “lecture” that still makes him laugh
At Falkirk, he walked in and—according to Stewart—was asked for his kit by the kitman.. His response was simple but, in hindsight, naive: he wondered if he should go away and wash it.. Stewart says the moment turned into “a stick” that he had to endure for a while, before he realised he was there on merit rather than as a player who would be “loaned out” and treated as temporary.
That early humour, he suggests, helped underline how much the step up required him to adapt—practically and mentally.. The culture of senior squads, the routines, and even the unspoken expectations in a dressing room all come at you quickly, especially when you’re still learning how to manage your confidence.
# Goals, awards, and the slow adjustment to SPFL life
At university, he says he’d likely average two to three goals a game, with around 50 goals across roughly 35 appearances.. But, as he points out with a grin, many opponents then were essentially living on a different schedule—less about the structured life of professional defenders.. The Premiership is different: centre-backs are sharper, more disciplined, and far more prepared.
Stewart also picked up March’s Premiership player of the month award, adding another layer to a season that already includes the young player nomination.. Still, he remains cautious about how he measures progress.. He describes being nervous when he first came on as a younger player, especially in front of larger crowds, and he implies the breakthrough wasn’t instant—it was gradual.
# Balancing football with a degree
There’s also been talk of a possible role in Scotland’s senior picture, including speculation after he was tipped as an outside bet for a surprise World Cup place.. Stewart pushes that thought aside.. He says he isn’t even thinking about it, partly because there are “so many good strikers” who have missed out, and partly because his immediate focus is where he already earns his place—on the pitch.
# Why Stewart’s story matters beyond the award night
A small joke about taking a kit home may sound trivial, yet it reflects a bigger adjustment: the transition from being comfortable in your own system to finding your place in one that runs on professionalism.. As he waits for the outcome of the PFA Scotland young player award, Stewart’s story is a reminder that development isn’t only about talent.. It’s also about dealing with embarrassment, learning what you didn’t know you needed to learn, and then turning that mental settling period into consistency.