Ross County Football Club is a professionalfootball club based inDingwall, Scotland. The club currently play in theScottish Premiership, being promoted after winning theScottish Championship in the2018–19 season.

Ross County

Full name	Ross County Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Staggies
Founded	1929; 96 years ago (1929)
Ground	Victoria Park,Dingwall
Capacity	6,541[1]
Chairman	Roy MacGregor
CEO	Steven Ferguson
Manager	Don Cowie
League	Scottish Premiership
2023–24	Scottish Premiership, 11th of 12
Website	www.rosscountyfootballclub.co.uk
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Prior to the 1994–95 season Ross County played in theHighland Football League, a competition they won three times. They have also won theScottish First Division,Scottish Championship,Second Division,Third Division (once each) and theChallenge Cup on three occasions. In 2010, they reached theScottish Cup Final, and in 2016 they won theScottish League Cup. The club's nickname isThe Staggies, and its colours are dark blue, red and white.

The club was formed in 1929 in what was thenRoss and Cromarty after the previous local club from theNorth of Scotland Junior League Dingwall Victoria United (the 'Dingwall Vics') successfully applied forHighland Football League membership. The club was subsequently renamed Ross County. Playing in theHighland 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 theScottish Cup, upsetting league teams on eight occasions. The most notable of these upsets came on 8 January 1994, when they won 4–0 atForfar Athletic, and were elected to the Scottish Football League three days later.

At the beginning of season 1994–95 theScottish Football League was restructured into four tiers, and, following a vote on 11 January 1994, County were allocated one of the two vacancies in the new 10-clubDivision Three. County gathered 57 votes. They were joined by a new club created as a result of a merger of two teams to formInverness Caledonian Thistle, who amassed 68 votes.

In 1998–99, Ross County were crowned 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 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 formerInverness andHearts managerJohn 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 formerAberdeen coach, was appointedcaretaker 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 formerMotherwell playerScott Leitch was appointed on 18 April 2006. Ross County won their first ever nationwide trophy when they won theScottish Challenge Cup in November 2006 on penalties with Jason Crooks scoring the deciding spot kick on his competitive debut.^[2] 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.^[3] FormerPartick Thistle managerDick Campbell was announced as his replacement in May 2007.^[4] 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. County again reached the final of theScottish Challenge Cup in 2008. They playedAirdrie United atMcDiarmid Park. Unlike two years previously, County lost in a penalty shootout where four penalties were missed. Ross County also reached theChallenge Cup final in April 2011 in which they beatQueen of the South 2–0.

In November 2010 Derek Adams left to becomeColin Calderwood's assistant atHibernian.^[5] FormerCeltic playerWillie McStay was appointed as his replacement in November 2010.^[6] McStay's tenure was short – lasting only 9 games.^[7]Jimmy Calderwood was then appointed until the end of the 2010–11 season.^[8] In May 2011, it was announced that Derek Adams was to return as manager.^[9]

On 23 March 2010, they defeatedScottish Premier League clubHibernian 2–1 in aScottish Cup quarter-final replay at home at Victoria Park.^[10] In the semi-final, they playedCeltic on Saturday 10 April 2010. In one of the biggest upsets in cup history, Ross County won 2–0 atHampden Park and reached the final of theScottish Cup for the first time in their history.^[11] More than 7,000 Ross County fans travelled toGlasgow to watch the game.

In the2010 Scottish Cup Final on 15 May 2010, County lost 0–3 toDundee United atHampden Park.^[12] The match was watched by more than 17,000 Ross County fans.

Ross County secured promotion to the Scottish Premier League for the first time on 10 April 2012 when their nearest rival to the titleDundee failed to beatQueen of the South. 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 bySt Johnstone on 22 September 2012.^[13] The Staggies parted company with George andDerek Adams on 28 August 2014 following a poor start to the2014–15 campaign. Jim McIntyre was appointed manager on 9 September 2014, with Billy Dodds as his assistant.^[14]

On 13 March 2016, Ross County won their first ever major trophy when they beatHibernian 2–1 in thefinal of the2015–16 Scottish League Cup.^[15][16] The team's fortunes declined after this success, and they were relegated at the end of the2017–18 season.^[17]

The club secured an immediate return to the Scottish Premiership after a 4–0 win at home to Queen of the South on 26 April 2019 saw them lift the2018–19 Scottish Championship.^[18]

Their main rivals are fellow Highlanders,Inverness Caledonian Thistle, with whom they contest theHighland derby. This, unlike many rivalries, is generally friendly as both sets of fans live and work together given their close geographic locations. Due to the geographical proximity of the clubs and despite the rivalry, Inverness CT have signed many former Ross County players over the years, includingBilly Mckay,Barry Wilson,Stuart Golabek,Roy McBain,Graham Bayne,Richard Hastings, Steven Hislop,John Rankin,Andrew Barrowman,Lionel Djebi-Zadi andDon Cowie. Many former Inverness CT players have also "crossed thebridge" in the opposite direction, most notablyGrant Munro,Michael Fraser,Ross Tokely andColl Donaldson in recent years. Both Stuart Golabek and Andy Barrowman had two spells at County each, with the former also having two spells at ICT. A notable player isIain Vigurs, who is one of (if not the first) few player(s) to cross the bridge more than twice, having spent two spells with both County and Caley Thistle.

The club's nickname is theStaggies, taken from their badge which is a Caberfeidh, or Stag's Head. This in turn was taken from the regimental badge of theSeaforth Highlanders, the regiment in which many locals had fought and died during theGreat War.

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.

As of 13 February 2025^[19]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

• First league goal scored: William D Herd 1994 vCowdenbeath^[20]
• Record all-time attendance: 8,000 approx vRangers (Scottish Cup 28 February 1966)
• Record league attendance: 6,590 vCeltic (Scottish Premiership 18 November 2017)
• Record win: 11–0 vSt Cuthbert Wanderers (1993–94 Scottish Cup first round)
• Record defeat: 0–7 vKilmarnock (1961–62 Scottish Cup third round)
• Club record signing: £100,000 –Ross Draper fromInverness Caledonian Thistle, 9 August 2017^[21]
• Club record sale: Undisclosed (>£300,000) –Liam Boyce toBurton Albion, 20 June 2017^[22]

• First Division/Championship (second tier)
  • Winners (2):2011–12,2018–19
• 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
• North Caledonian Football League
  • Winners (2): 1965–66, 1996–97 (Reserves)

• Scottish League Cup:
  • Winners (1):2015–16
• Scottish Cup:
  • Runners-Up (1):2009–10
• Challenge Cup
  • Winners (3):2006–07,2010–11,2018–19
  • Runners-up (2):2004–05,2008–09
• Qualifying Cup (North)
  • Winners (2):1973–74,1993–94
  • Runners-up (4):1933–34,1965–66,1969–70,1972–73
• North of Scotland Cup
  • Winners (6): 1929–30, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1991–92, 2006–07, 2018–19
• Highland League Cup
  • Winners (4): 1949–50, 1968–69, 1978–79, 1991–92

• SPFL Development League (Under-20)
  • Winners (1):2016–17

• Official website