Falkirk have decided to reduce their youth academy funding in an attempt to win promotion back to the Scottish Premiership.

The Bairns, who have been playing in the Championship since being relegated in 2010, will no longer put money into the Forth Valley Football Academy (FVFA).

The FVFA was the first professional multi-sport programme in Scotland, with League Two side Stenhousemuir also contributing.

Falkirk will end their connection with the programme at the end of the month and will continue to review their involvement in the SPFL development league until the end of the season.

Chairwoman Margaret Lang said the decision has been made because if they do not focus on the first team they will never make progress, especially based on this season's results so far.

"Over the past ten years our business model has become more and more reliant on player sales, finishing higher than top four in the Scottish Championship and a strong run in cup competitions," she said.

"Since the successful run to the Scottish Cup final in 2015 the club has made losses over the past two years at an operational level, even after player transfer income has been taken into account.

"This is likely to continue in the current year given how we have performed in the season so far."

She added: "Ultimately, this model is unsustainable. If we carry on doing what we have always done, we will remain as we are presently.

"We recognise an absolute need to change the way we do things. We want to be a Premiership football club and to achieve this our first team needs to be our absolute focus.

"As a result of this, the decision has been taken to prioritise the use of available resources in our first team."

The club have been working on a strategic review called Towards the Premiership and have been speaking to English clubs to develop their understanding of the options that are available to them.

Lang said Falkirk are failing to develop enough players to generate the cash needed to proceed.

"Currently, there is limited recruitment structure at the club," she said.

"This must change. We want to ensure we have the recruitment structure in place to identify the best possible individuals who can help us not only reach the Premiership but to stay there and allow the club to grow to its fullest potential.

"When we communicate with our fans, while there is support for youth development, the feedback we are often given is that, understandably, your sole wish is to have a successful team and one that competes at the highest level of Scottish football."

She added: "As a board and management team, that is now our absolute focus.

"The allocation of finance from youth development to the first team and its recruitment network, we believe, is the best way for this club to move forward and achieve its full potential."