Ross County F.C.

Ross County

Full name	Ross County Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Staggies
Founded	1929 (1929)
Ground	Global Energy Stadium, Dingwall, Ross-shire
Ground Capacity	6,541[1]
Chairman	Roy MacGregor
Manager	Jim McIntyre
League	Scottish Premiership
2015–16	Scottish Premiership, 6th
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours

Ross County Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Dingwall, Highland. They play all of their home matches at the Global Energy Stadium in Dingwall. The club currently play in the Scottish Premiership after winning promotion as champions of the First Division in the 2011–12 season. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the Highland Football League, a competition they won three times. They have also won the Scottish First Division, Second Division, Third Division (once each) and Challenge Cup twice. In 2010, they reached the Scottish Cup Final and in 2016, they won the Scottish League Cup. Nicknamed The Staggies, County's home colours are dark blue and white.

History

The club were formed in 1929 after the previous local clubs from the North Caledonian Football League, Dingwall Victoria United (the 'Dingwall Victors') and Dingwall Thistle (the 'Dingwall Jags') successfully applied for Highland Football League membership. The club was subsequently renamed Ross County. Playing in the Highland League from 1929, they won the championship on three occasions, first in 1967, then in 1991 and 1992. They also gained a reputation for their good performances in the early rounds of the Scottish Cup, upsetting league teams on eight occasions. The most notable of these upsets came on 8 January 1994, when they won 4–0 at Forfar Athletic, and were elected to the Scottish Football League three days later.

At the beginning of season 1994–95 the Scottish League underwent changes in its structure, and, following a vote on 11 January 1994, County were allocated one of the two vacancies in the new 10-club Division Three. County gathered 57 votes, while the proposed merger to form Inverness Caledonian Thistle amassed 68.

In 1998–99 they were Champions of the Third Division and thereby won promotion to the Second Division, where they finished in third place. This resulted in promotion to the First Division followed thanks to a reorganisation of the League, with the Premier League being expanded from ten clubs to twelve. After seven seasons in the First Division Ross County were relegated back to the Second Division in 2006–07. They won the Second Division in 2007–08, and were promoted back to the First Division. Ross County finished their first season back in the First Division in 8th place.

Their manager for a very short spell until October 2005, was former Inverness and Hearts manager John Robertson. He left the club on 24 October 2005, due to differences of opinion on a number of fundamental issues with the chairman. Gardner Spiers, a former Aberdeen coach, was appointed caretaker manager, but he too left in April 2006 after being told he would not be considered for appointment on a permanent basis. Director of Football George Adams took temporary charge before former Motherwell player Scott Leitch was appointed on 18 April 2006. Leitch, after winning the Challenge Cup but suffering relegation, stood down at the end of the 2006–07 season, almost exactly one year after his appointment.^[2] Former Partick Thistle manager Dick Campbell was announced as his replacement in May 2007.^[3] However, after a good run of results to start their Division 2 campaign, Campbell and the Ross County board decided to part company on 2 October 2007. Derek Adams (son of George Adams) took over as caretaker, and was confirmed as permanent manager a month later, after the side's good form continued.

Chart of table positions of Ross County since joining the League.

In November 2010 Derek Adams left to become Colin Calderwood's assistant at Hibernian.^[4] Former Celtic player Willie McStay was appointed as his replacement in November 2010.^[5] McStay's tenure was short – lasting only 9 games.^[6] Jimmy Calderwood was then appointed until the end of the 2010–11 season.^[7] In May 2011 it was announced that Derek Adams was to return as manager.^[8]

Ross County won their first ever nationwide trophy when they won the Scottish Challenge Cup in November 2006 on penalties with Jason Crooks scoring the deciding spot kick on his competitive debut.^[9]

Two years later County again reached the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup. They played Airdrie United at McDiarmid Park. Unlike two years previously, County lost in a penalty shootout where four penalties were missed. Ross County also reached the Challenge Cup final on April 2011 in which they beat Queen Of The South 2–0.

On 23 March 2010 they defeated Scottish Premier League club Hibernian 2–1 in a Scottish Cup quarter-final replay at home at Victoria Park.^[10] In the semi-final, they played Celtic on Saturday 10 April 2010. Described as the biggest match in their history, they won 2–0 at Hampden Park and reached the final of the Scottish Cup for the first time in their history.^[11] More than 7,000 Ross County fans travelled to Glasgow to watch the game.

In the 2010 Scottish Cup Final on 15 May 2010, County lost 0–3 to Dundee United at Hampden Park.^[12] The match was watched by more than 17,000 Ross County fans.

Ross County secured promotion to the Scottish Premier League on 10 April 2012 when their nearest rival to the title Dundee failed to beat Queen of the South. Due to the 3 events, April 10 is fondly known as Ross County Day. During this push to promotion, Ross County embarked on a 40-game undefeated run in league football, which continued into the Scottish Premier League. The run was ended by St Johnstone on 22 September 2012.^[13] The Staggies parted company with George and Derek Adams on the 28 August 2014 following a poor start to the 2014–15 campaign.

On 13 March 2016, Ross County won their first ever major trophy when they beat Hibernian 2–1 in the final of the 2015–16 Scottish League Cup.^[14][15]

Players, managers, and rivalries

Matchday at Victoria Park

Managers of Ross County have included Neale Cooper and Alex Smith and they have had players such as Mark Hateley, John Hewitt, Brian Irvine and former Celtic player David Hannah.

Their main rivals are fellow Highlanders, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, with whom they contest the Highland derby. However, County have only finished above their rivals twice in their 19 seasons in the league. Due to the geographical proximity of the clubs and despite the rivalry, Inverness CT have signed many former Ross County players over the years, including Barry Wilson, Stuart Golabek, Roy McBain, Graham Bayne, Richard Hastings, Steven Hislop, John Rankin, Andrew Barrowman, Lionel Djebi-Zadi and Don Cowie. Many former Inverness CT players have also "crossed the bridge" in the opposite direction, most notably Iain Vigurs, Grant Munro, Michael Fraser and Ross Tokely in recent years. Both Stuart Golabek and Andy Barrowman had two spells at County each, with the former also having two spells at ICT.

Nickname

The Club's nickname is the Staggies, taken from their badge which is a Caberfeidh, or Stag’s Head. This in turn was taken from the regimental badge of the Seaforth Highlanders, the regiment in which many locals had fought and died during the Great War.

Mascot

Ross County's mascot, due to their affiliation with the stag crest of the Seaforth Highlanders, is a stag named Rosco, a play on the club's name.

Club records

• First league goal scored: William D Herd 1994 v Cowdenbeath
• Record attendance: 8,000 approx v Rangers (Scottish Cup 28 February 1966)
• Record win: 11–0 v St Cuthbert Wanderers (1993 Scottish Cup first round)

Honours

League

• First Division (second tier)
  • Winners (1): 2011–12
• Second Division (third tier)
  • Winners (1): 2007–08
• Third Division (fourth tier)
  • Winners (1): 1998–99
• Highland Football League
  • Winners (3): 1966–67, 1990–91, 1991–92
  • Runners-up (2): 1967–68, 1972–73
• North Caledonian Football League
  • Winners (2): 1965–66, 1996–97

Cup

• Scottish Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2009–10
• Scottish League Cup:
  • Winners (1): 2015–16
• Challenge Cup
  • Winners (2): 2006–07, 2010–11
  • Runners-up (2): 2004–05, 2008–09
• Qualifying Cup (North)
  • Winners (1): 1993–94
  • Runners-up (5): 1933–34, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1973–74
• North of Scotland Cup
  • Winners (5): 1929–30, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1991–92, 2006–07
• Highland League Cup
  • Winners (7): 1949–50, 1968–69, 1978–79, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1994–95

Players

Current squad

As of 1 October 2016^[16][17]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Scott Fox 2 DF Marcus Fraser 3 DF Erik Čikoš 4 DF Christopher Routis 5 DF Jay McEveley 7 MF Michael Gardyne 8 MF Martin Woods 9 FW Ryan Dow 10 FW Liam Boyce 11 FW Craig Curran 12 MF Tim Chow

No. Position Player 15 DF Andrew Davies 16 MF Tony Dingwall 17 MF Jonathan Franks 18 MF Ian McShane 22 MF Chris Burke 23 FW Alex Schalk 28 DF Kenny van der Weg 31 GK Aaron McCarey 43 DF Paul Quinn (captain) 53 FW Greg Morrison

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 20 DF Scott Boyd (on loan to Kilmarnock) FW Kyle MacLeod (on loan to Elgin City)

Development Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player GK Mark Foden GK Ross Munro DF David Brownlie DF Matthew Hall DF Christopher McLaughlin DF Sam Morrison DF Reghan Tumilty

No. Position Player MF Davis Keillor-Dunn MF Dylan Dykes MF Ross MacIver MF Tom MacLennan MF Blair Malcolm FW Russell Dingwall FW James Wallace

Managers

• John Buchanan (1985–1987)
• Robert Wilson (1987–1996)
• Neale Cooper (1 July 1996 – 11 November 2002)
• Alex Smith (27 November 2002 – 11 June 2005)
• John Robertson (21 June 2005 – 24 October 2005)
• Gardner Speirs (caretaker) (24 October 2005 – 3 June 2006)
• Scott Leitch (1 July 2006 – 17 June 2007)
• Dick Campbell (2007)
• Derek Adams (caretaker) (2 October 2007 – 21 November 2007)
• Derek Adams (21 November 2007 – 11 November 2010)
• Craig Brewster (caretaker) (11 November 2010 – 25 November 2010)
• Willie McStay (25 November 2010 – 12 February 2011)
• George Adams (caretaker) (12 February 2011 – 17 February 2011)
• Jimmy Calderwood (17 February 2011 – 15 May 2011)
• Derek Adams (19 May 2011 – 28 August 2014)
• Steven Ferguson (caretaker) (28 August 2014 – 9 September 2014)
• Jim McIntyre (9 September 2014 – Present)

Coaching staff

Club officials

References

External links

• Official site
• Unofficial Ross County fan forum