SATURDAY May 15 2010 was a special day for Peter Houston.

The perennial No.2 had stepped into Craig Levein's shoes at Dundee United and won the Scottish Cup. At 51, Houston had emerged from the coaching shadows to be a significant figure in Scottish football.

That might well have been it. Twelve days short of his next Scottish Cup final appearance, this time leading Falkirk, Houston admits to being surprised at getting a second shot at it. His career might easily have spun off in another direction.

"I'll never forget that day in 2010 with Dundee United," he says. "It still thrills me to this day just thinking about it. But did I think, in the years since, I'd be getting the chance to do it again at Hampden Park? No, I did not."

At 56, Houston is in his prime as a football manager, with a wealth of knowledge and experience. So it is a little strange that - no disrespect to Falkirk - he is plying his trade at a relatively small club, albeit one that admirably knows how to cut its own cloth.

"I'm surprised to be where I am," says Houston. "Everyone knows that management in Scottish football is a younger man's game now. I might be wrong but, after Dick Campbell at Forfar and Paul Hegarty at Montrose, I think I'm the third oldest manager in the league, at 56. And I've seen a whole host of older guys with a wealth of experience be unable to get back into football, so maybe I'm fortunate."

His career-path has taken various twists along the way, starting with a dire night at Ibrox in December, 2009, when Rangers put seven past a Dundee United team that Houston had just newly taken charge of. Then came Scottish Cup glory in 2010, seeming disenchantment at Tannadice, and then in 2013 an interlude as Celtic's chief scout of emerging foreign talent.

"Everyone remembers that night at Ibrox," says Houston of his baptism of fire as a No.1. "I took advice from Craig Levein, who had just left to manage Scotland. He said to me, 'rule yourself out for the Dundee United job, take the pressure off yourself.' So that's what I did. Of course, in my first game in charge, losing 7-1 to Rangers, it looked easy for me to do that. My team collapsed that night.

"But I quickly won three games on the bounce with United, we began our charge towards the Scottish Cup and I thought, 'this is settling down, this is good.' I began to play with two wingers - Craig Conway and Danny Swanson - and it all clicked. We hit our best form, and the rest is history."

After his Scottish Cup triumph in 2010, things eventually lost their appeal for Houston at Tannadice. Severe budget cuts kicked in right across Scottish football, and especially at Dundee United, where Houston was perceived as not getting on with his new club chairman, Stephen Thompson.

"People have spoken of my relationship with Stephen Thompson, but there was no massive fall-out, there was nothing nasty there. Stephen and I didn't always see eye to eye, that was true, but you can overstay your welcome at a club. It was time for a change for me.

"I'd been seven and a half years at Dundee United. Yes, there were cuts going on at the club, but my decision had nothing to do with money. In fact, United still offered me a handsome and fantastic wage package. When Falkirk reached this year's cup final, one of the first people I heard from saying 'well done' was Stephen Thompson. We've all moved on. You can have disagreements in football but life is too short to hold any grudges."

Funnily enough, the rumour has also persisted that Houston and Craig Levein, for so long a double-act, also fell out in the time since they both quit the Scotland job. Houston happily puts that one to bed.

"It is nonsense," he says. "Craig and I were always close in football terms, but not so much socially. We didn't really do things like go out for dinner together with our wives. There has been nothing cynical about it at all. In football terms we were close - Craig took me to Leicester City, to Dundee United, and then to the Scotland job. But, after Scotland, I think Craig needed time on his own, and he has gone down a different road back at Hearts. He also texted me after our cup semi-final win, and we happily keep in touch."

It is an open secret that Houston is happy back at Falkirk, a club he once played for, many coaching stints ago. He was much admired and loved at the old, rowdy Brockville.

"I was happy working at Celtic, travelling all over Europe, looking at some great young players. At that stage in my career, had any other club come in for me, I think I'd have stayed at Celtic.

"But I had been a Falkirk player, and I only left the club in 1996 because I felt I needed to go and learn more about coaching, when I went to work under Jim Jefferies at Hearts. Even back then, though, I thought, 'one day I'll come back here to Falkirk.' I feel a lot of affection for this club."

It would be quite a feat for Houston to lead Falkirk to a Scottish Cup triumph in 12 days' time, especially as the club won't have played a competitive match for four weeks.

"That is the unknown bit about it," he says. "Four weeks away from playing competitive football is quite a long time, and it is maybe something for the SPFL and SFA to look at in future. Because of the play-offs, our league fixtures had to finish a month before the cup final. Maybe last summer someone felt there would be no Championship teams in the cup final, yet in recent years we've seen a few lower league teams - Ross County, Queen of the South, Gretna - contest a Scottish Cup final.

"I'm very interested to see how Hibs play against Rangers on Wednesday night. They've had three weeks away from football before returning. I believe and I hope Falkirk will be fine on cup final day, and I don't want to make any excuses. But nothing beats competitive football to keep you ready."