| Full name | Ross County Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Staggies | ||
| Founded | 1929 | ||
| Ground | Victoria Park (Capacity: 6,310 (2,800 seated) |
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| Chairman | Roy MacGregor | ||
| Manager | Derek Adams | ||
| League | Scottish First Division | ||
| 2010–11 | Scottish First Division, 8th | ||
| Website | Club home page | ||
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| Current season | |||
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. 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 Second Division, Third Division (once each) and Challenge Cup twice. In 2010, they produced a remarkable run to reach the Scottish Cup Final. Nicknamed The Staggies, County's home colours are dark blue and white. They are currently managed by Derek Adams.
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Founded in 1929, Ross County initially played in the Highland Football League where 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 SFL teams on eight occasions. The most notable was on 8 January 1994, when they won 4–0 at Forfar Athletic. This result may have gone a long way towards their election to the Scottish Football League three days later.
At the beginning of season 1994–95 the Scottish League underwent a revamp, and, following a vote on January 11, 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 Caley Thistle, of Inverness, amassed 68.
Since joining the Scottish League, the club have progressed well. In 1998–99 they were Champions of the Third Division and thereby won promotion to the Second Division. As always with a promotion, there were doubts over the ability of the club to cope but cope they did, attaining 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 several successful seasons the Staggies were relegated back to the Second Division in 2006–07. Ross County won the Second Division in 2007–08, and were promoted to the First Division. Ross County finished the season 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 the 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.[1] Former Partick Thistle manager Dick Campbell was announced as his replacement in May 2007.[2] 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.
In November 2010 Derek Adams left to become Colin Calderwood's assistant at Hibernian.[3] Former Celtic player Willie McStay was appointed as his replacement in November 2010.[4] Although McStay's tenure was short – lasting only 9 games.[5] Jimmy Calderwood was then appointed until the end of the 2010/2011 season.[6] In May 2011 it was announced that Derek Adams was to return as manager.[7]
Ross County won their first ever nationwide trophy when they won the Scottish Challenge Cup in November 2006 on penalties with youngster Jason Crooks scoring the deciding spot kick on his competitive debut.[8]
Two years later County reached the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup again. They played Airdrie United at McDiarmid Park on the 16th November 2008 and were favourites to regain the title won in 2006. Unlike two years previously, County lost in a penalty shootout where four penalties were missed. County also reached the Challenge Cup final in 2011 in which they beat Queen Of The South 2–0.
On 23 March 2010 they reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup for the first time by defeating SPL club Hibernian 2–1 in a replay at Victoria Park.[9]
Following this their quarter-final, they played Celtic on Saturday 10 April 2010. Described as the biggest match in their history, they produced a magnificent performance at Hampden Park to win 2–0 and reach the final of the Scottish Cup for the first time in their history.[10] Some 7000+ fans travelled all the way down the A9 to Glasgow that day to witness the club's greatest victory in their short SFL history.
In the 2010 Scottish Cup Final on 15 May 2010, County lost 0–3 to Dundee United at Hampden Park.[11] On that day, 17,000+ fans had made their way down from Ross-shire to enjoy the spectacle.
The club has also shown their ambition by appointing top managers such as Neale Cooper and Alex Smith and attracting players such as Mark Hateley, John Hewitt, Brian Irvine and former Celtic player David Hannah.
Their main rivals are fellow Highlanders, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who they contest the Highland derby with. Despite the rivalry between the two clubs, Inverness Caledonian 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. Both Stuart Golabek and Andy Barrowman had two spells at County.
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.
Ross County's mascot, due to their affiliation with the stag badge of the Seaforth Highlanders, is a stag named Rosco, a play on the clubs name.
As of 16 June 2011 Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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