 | |||
| Full name | Ross County Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Staggies | ||
| Founded | 1929; 96 years ago (1929) | ||
| Ground | Victoria Park,Dingwall | ||
| Capacity | 6,541[1] | ||
| Chairman | Roy MacGregor | ||
| CEO | Steven Ferguson | ||
| Manager | Tony Docherty | ||
| League | Scottish Championship | ||
| 2024–25 | Scottish Premiership, 11th of 12 (relegated via play-offs) | ||
| Website | www | ||
 Current season | |||
Ross County Football Club is a professionalfootball club based inDingwall, Scotland. The club currently play in theScottish Championship, being relegated after losing the Scottish Premiership play-offs in the2024–25 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.
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: No information about seasons after 2019. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2025) |
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]
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. The club's mascot, a stag named Rosco, is a play on the club's nickname.
Ross County's 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 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 Inverness. 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 Inverness.
The club's home ground,Victoria Park, has a greater capacity than the population ofDingwall, which was 5,491 at the2011 census. However the County ofRoss and Cromarty, from which the club draws much of its support, has a population of over 60,000. The largest crowd ever to watch a match at Victoria Park was reported as 8,000, for theScottish Cup match between Ross County andRangers in February 1966.[19] The revenue from this match helped to fund construction of the Jail End terrace.[19]
| Period | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1929–1977 | Unknown | None |
| 1977–1982 |  Admiral | |
| 1982–1984 | Litesome | |
| 1984–1985 |  MacLean Sports | |
| 1985–1987 | Umbro | |
| 1987–1990 | Ken's Garage | |
| 1990–1991 | Admiral | |
| 1991–1992 | MacGregor Industrial Supplies | |
| 1992–1993 | RCFC Collection | The Boutique |
| 1993–1994 | Activity | MacGregor Industrial Supplies |
| 1994–1996 | MacGregor Group | |
| 1996–1998 | Victoria Collection | MacLean electrical |
| 1998–2000 | Avec | |
| 2000–2004 |  Xara | Aberdeen Asset Management |
| 2004–2007 | MacLean electrical | |
| 2007–2008 | Crest Teamwear | Roxburgh |
| 2008–2010 |  Adidas | Highnet |
| 2010–2012 | Nike | |
| 2012–2014 |  Diadora | CRC-Evans |
| 2014–2016 | Carbrini | |
| 2016–2018 | Macron | |
| 2018–2020 | McEwan Fraser Legal | |
| 2020–2021 | Ross-Shire Engineering | |
| 2021–present |  Joma |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Tony Docherty |
| Assistant managers | Callum Davidson John Robertson |
| Goalkeeping coach | Scott Thomson |
| Head of recruitment | Greg Strong |
| Chief scout | Stuart Millar |
| Match analyst | Max Campbell |
| Head of performance | Jason Moriarty |
| Physiotherapists | Beth MacIver Fiona Hogg |
| Academy manager | Campbell Money |
| Head of youth & academy operations | Gordon Duff |
| Head of youth scouting | John MacLeod |
| Dates | Name |
|---|---|
| 1929–1930 | Tom Pirie |
| 1985–1987 | John Buchanan |
| 1987–1996 | Robert Wilson |
| 1 July 1996 – 11 November 2002 | Neale Cooper |
| 27 November 2002 – 11 June 2005 | Alex Smith |
| 21 June 2005 – 24 October 2005 | John Robertson |
| 24 October 2005 – 3 June 2006 | Gardner Speirs(caretaker) |
| 1 July 2006 – 30 April 2007 | Scott Leitch |
| 17 May 2007 – 2 October 2007 | Dick Campbell |
| 4 October 2007 – 11 November 2010 19 May 2011 – 28 August 2014 20 November 2023 – 7 February 2024 | Derek Adams |
| 11 November 2010 – 25 November 2010 | Craig Brewster(caretaker) |
| 25 November 2010 – 12 February 2011 | Willie McStay |
| 12 February 2011 – 17 February 2011 | George Adams(caretaker) |
| 17 February 2011 – 15 May 2011 | Jimmy Calderwood |
| 28 August 2014 – 9 September 2014 | Steven Ferguson(caretaker) |
| 9 September 2014 – 25 September 2017 | Jim McIntyre |
| 28 September 2017 – 1 March 2018 |  Owen Coyle |
| 2 March 2018 – 10 June 2020 | Steven FergusonStuart Kettlewell |
| 10 June 2020 – 19 December 2020 | Stuart Kettlewell |
| 21 December 2020 – 24 May 2021 | John Hughes |
| 26 May 2021 – 15 November 2023 | Malky Mackay |
| 8 February 2024 – 24 August 2025 | Don Cowie |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
