Preview Ross County

County have been in the league since season 1994-95 but this is their first league match against Dunfermline Athletic

Saturday`s First Division match against Ross County, the most Northerly League Club in the country, is only the second between them in competitive action. The sole previous meeting was in the Scottish Cup on 25th January 1997 when County were knocked out 4-0 courtesy of goals from Harry Curran, Hamish French and a Andy Smith brace.

A hard fought campaign in a highly competitive First Division saw Ross County relegated in Season 2006-07 with a points tally of 37, enough to avoid the drop in any other league. Undeterred by this set back and confident in the knowledge that their youth programme was working, County bounced back at the first time of asking, winning the 2007-08 Second Division with a month to spare.

For Dunfermline this will be their fourth home league match of the season having managed a win, a draw and a defeat so far.  County will travel to their fourth away match of the league campaign; so far on the road they have won at Partick Thistle drawn at Clyde but lost to Livingston and Queen of the South.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Dundee): Paul Gallacher; Calum Woods, Scott Wilson (c), Greg Shields, Austin McCann; Simon Wiles (Scott Thomson HT), Nick Phinn, Stephen Glass (Steven Bell 26), Alex Burke; Andy Kirk, Graham Bayne.
SUBS: Ryan Thomson, Jordan White, Callum Reidford

ROSS COUNTY (v St Johnstone): Tony Bullock; Mark McCulloch, Alex Keddie, Andy Dowie, Scott Boyd, Paul Lawson (Martin Scott 55), Richie Hart (Dyron Daal 84), Richard Brittain, Sean Higgins, Steven Craig, Scott Morrison (Adam Strachan 55)
SUBS: Derek Soutar, Steven Watt 

Former Pars Mark McCulloch (33) and Scott Morrison (24) started the last game.  Another familiar face to look out for on the bench is ex Pars striker, Ross Jack who is the Assistant to Derek Adams.

Referee for this match will be Chris Boyle.  This will be his first ever visit to East End Park on league duty. He has officiated twice before and on both occasions the Pars ended up with ten men. Chris Boyle sent Tam McManus off at Inverness and next time showed Sol Bamba red at Livingston.

The History

In 1929 a group of officials from the amateur side Dingwall Victors were disbanded and from their ashes arose a new team - Ross County FC.  Based in Dingwall they were the only Highland League team from Ross and Cromarty.

As a nod to their predecessors, the home ground established in Dingwall was given the name Victoria Park, while for a badge they chose the Caberfeidh or Stag`s Head from the regimental badge of the Seaforth Highlanders - the regiment in which many locals had fought and died during the Great War. The badge decided the team`s nickname, and to this day they are affectionately known as the Staggies. The first game played by Ross County was against a Highland League select and was watched by over 1,200 spectators - ample demonstration that the newly formed club had the support necessary to become a force in the League.

In their first season Ross County lifted the North of Scotland Cup, and over the years gained a reputation for playing attractive and high quality football as they lifted several further trophies both before and after the Second World War.

It was not until Season 1966/67 that the club succeeded in winning the Highland League Championship. The next League success was not to come until 1990/91, but the team then successfully repeated the trick the following season. It was these back to back successes which gave the club`s then Chairman Hector MacLennan the confidence to apply for membership of the Scottish Football League when restructuring saw a requirement for new teams to be admitted for the 1994/95 season.

Thanks to the skills of Hector and Club Secretary Donnie MacBean as well as the countless people who had worked behind the scenes to prepare the bid, Ross County succeeded in gaining admission to the Third Division along with near neighbours Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The club then began a programme of building both on and off the park. A programme of Stadium works saw capacity and seating increased as well as adding additional functionality to the ground by providing rooms for use as Conference venues as well as Matchday Hospitality.

The strengthened team rose to the new challenges presented by the League and in Season 1998-99 they won the Third Division Championship. Although there must have been some doubt as to whether the team could survive in the Second Division, they did more than just survive and the following Season Ross County again benefited from League reconstruction, the expansion of the SPL to 12 teams meaning that the Club won promotion to the First Division even though they had only finished third in the table.

Since their arrival in the First Division, Ross County have worked hard to develop as a club. Having secured survival in the First Division, the work began to develop the team and facilities to a standard where SPL football was an attainable goal. Although under soil heating and increased seating would still be required, the Board of Directors have put plans in place to ensure that when the dream becomes reality, the Club is ready for it.

One time Pars player and subsequently Manager, Dick Campbell, also played with Ross County and became their manager for Season 2007-08. He had gained promotion no fewer than six times in his career and this experience, coupled with the talents of the younger players, should have been exactly what Ross County needed. Unfortunately, this partnership didn`t work and Dick left the Club after only 3 months in charge.