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Supporters of Ross County in the Highland capital of Inverness had travelled through to Dingwall to support the team during these first five seasons in the Scottish League and prior to this in the Highland League. A few mates ran a bus to Ross County’s first five seasons in the Scottish League but there was no formal club formed until 1999.
2005/2006 Season Fixtures 2005/06 HERE. Our supporters club sponsored Ross County captain Jim Lauchlan for this season. Details of the sponsorship can be found by clicking here. County opened the season brightly with an unbeaten home record, which took the club to the top of the First Division for a number of weeks. It was an exciting start to the season under the new management team in the league though there were first round exits from the two early season cup competitions. We were match ball sponsors for the home match with Brechin City on 17 September and were awarded an autographed football from Ross County stalwart Mark McCulloch. Our supporters club put on buses to St Johnstone, Dundee and Clyde and after a quarter of the season we were sitting proudly on top of the pile! However the season changed drastically over a two-week period in October when we were knocked off top spot, the chairman revealed Ross County FC were in deep financial crisis and then manager John Robertson resigned due to the financial constraints connected with the job. The supporters have rallied behind the club at this difficult time and have attended meetings to try and help the clubs financial position and ensure Ross County FC survive long term. Save Our Staggies has been born and is actively fundraising to ensure the club survives financially. This fundraising included our Inverness Supporters Club making a donation of £500 from our club funds to the football club. (See link to Ross-shire Journal on 25.11.05).
2004/2005 Season Ross County had welcomed former manager Neale Cooper and former player Hugh Robertson to Dingwall when we met Hartlepool in a pre season friendly in July, which was attended by a large number of members. Our first competitive match saw a home win against St Mirren at home on the last day of July in the first round of the Bells Challenge Cup, a trophy we were to have some success in this season! New County striker Alex Burke opened the season well with seven goals in four games, which had us all delighted.
Though we lost the final 2-1, we enjoyed the “jump” when David Winters scored the opening goal! The final had a great atmosphere and our membership enjoyed the 208 Pub in Perth both pre and post match. There was a friendly atmosphere here with all the Falkirk supporters mixing with us! The following Saturday we returned to Perth to meet St Johnstone at our third away bus of the season. An entertaining 1-1 draw ensued but we felt aggrevied at playing twelve men that day! Many of our membership attended the Kenny Gilbert Testimonial Match against Rangers in mid November where it was pleasing to see so many former players back playing at Victoria Park. The wee man got a great send off after sadly injury cut his career short. The following few weeks were very disappointing with a poor run of results and just two points out of nine in home games. We approached Christmas with just one home win in the league all season. However after Christmas we were flying and had great performances against Partick Thistle, Raith Rovers and a 4-0 home win over St Johnstone at New Year to make it a very happy new year for us supporters! This meant we jumped up the table with the tight First Divison meaning a run of results boosts league positions quickly.Eight of our members attended hospitality at Ross County on 3 January against St Johnstone and committee members Kenny Smith and Peter Black presented Jim Lauchlan with his Man of the Match award. After a bright start to the New Year the good form fizzled out except for a fine cup win over Airdrie United. We had two exciting games against Clyde in the Fourth Round of the Scottish Cup but lost the replay after extra time in an exciting cup game in Cumbernauld. However our league form was poor with bad result after bad result causing much frustration to the supporters. Bad luck in games against the league leaders Falkirk and Clyde meant we continued to lose to these sides despite performing well. However it was bad results and poor performances that proved frustrating against our fellow relegation threatened sides which worry us most as the season end comes into view. March saw an important home win over Raith Rovers and a vital away draw with Partick Thistle. Our shutout record improved over the final weeks and some encouraging results proved to make us safe with three games of the season left. We had a successful Player of the Year Buffet Dance in the Chieftain Hotel, Inverness with the team and directors of Ross County present. There was speeches, presentations and the band Age Concern played through into the small hours. We also raised £350 for the Baby Care Unit at Raigmore Hospital through a raffle and small auction. A couple of members also attended Ross County FC’s Annual Dinner at the Drumossie Hotel, Inverness where we enjoyed a night with football pundit Ron Atkinson.The season finished with us placed sixth in a very tight table. We all had ultimate respect for defender Mark McCulloch who played every minute of every game this season – the ultimate proffesional!
2003/2004 Season At our summer AGM Stewart Maclennan stepped down as secretary having held the post since the clubs formation in 1999. As a former Ross County player of the 1950’s and life long supporter he was made an Honary Life Member of Ross County Football Club, which the whole supporters club were very proud off. Stewart was also made an Honary Life Member of the Inverness Supporters Club for all his hard work starting and running the club over the years. A new committee was formed and saw the way forward as holding more regular meetings to improve communication. The Supporters Club also bought a Box Bonanza Draw Ticket to support RCFC in their plans to employ another community coach. On the pitch things were much improved with the team going top of the First Division on the opening day of the season and regained top spot again in mid September and even beat Raith Rovers in Kirkcaldy 7-1 for their record Scottish League Score.The supporters club ran buses to the Bells Cup win at Cowdenbeath in early August and to our friends at Clyde in October though we returned depressed after a last minute own goal meant we returned home with a share of the spoils!
New Year started well with a 1-0 home win over Inverness CT and the following week on 10 January was the biggest match in Ross County’s 75 Year History. We drew Celtic at Parkhead in the Scottish Cup Third Round. Celtic were the run away Premier League Winners and the previous season were the UEFA Cup Runners Up. Two Inverness Supporters Club buses went down to Glasgow and the team put up a proud display losing 2-0 and everyone admitting County deserved at least a draw. It was also the loudest Ross County support in history as the Staggies outsang Celtic and had a fantastic day out.  Our
supporters club purchased a large club flag with emblems to put up at matches
and this was unfurled before the Ayr United home game in January. Some members
also attended a Meet the Management Evening with Alex Smith, Jimmy Bone and
former Rangers manager Walter Smith in Dingwall. Ross County opened
their Youth Academy and members were given a tour of the facilities, which
ensured Ross County was only the second Scottish team ever to open such
facilities.
Our championship challenge slowly fizzled out with too many draws letting us down. However with being no where near the relegation zone this season was a success on the field. The club had our first away overnight trip to Ayr United on 10 April. Members enjoyed a night out in Ayr after a 2-1 victory and a great weekend was had by all, making friends with Ayr United supporters along the way. The following week was our final away bus of the season to a hard fought 1-1 draw in Perth against St Johnstone. We held our first Player of the Year Buffet Dance on 24 April after a home game with Clyde. The Royal British Legion Club, Inverness hosted the event where we presented our awards and danced the night away to Schiehallion. Some members attended the Kenny Gilbert Testimonial Dinner in Dingwall before the end of the season where we finished in a healthy sixth place. 2002/2003 Season The club took the bold decision to withdraw from the Association of Ross County Supporters Club. The club was wound up and reformed under the name “Inverness Independent Ross County Supporters Club” and was responsible for its own destiny. The club started selling fleeces to members, which again proved popular within the membership. The club made two away visits to Perth for St Johnstone games enjoying a buffet beforehand. We also travelled to Cumbernauld to see Clyde and towards the end of the season Alloa Athletic in a vital relegation battle. Unfortunately every away bus saw the team defeated but it was a tough season on the park with Neale Cooper resigning half way through and the experienced Alex Smith appointed as the new manager and club members experienced many lows as the season went on. However the team won their final home game 4-1 against Ayr United to secure their First Division Status. Victoria Park went wild with delight and relief that day as the team finished eighth in the First Division Table! However our best trip that season was the short journey to Caledonian Stadium to see us beat our local rivals Inverness CT 5-1 on a cold Tuesday night – one of the best nights ever! After that last game of the season against Ayr United club members Dougie Anderson, Susan Forbes and Nicky Power presented goalkeeper Tony Bullock with our Player of the Year award on the Victoria Park pitch.
2001/2002 Season The clubs membership had risen to 35 paid up members and we were now producing and selling polo shirts with the supporter’s logo and our clubs name on them. They proved so popular to buy and after blue tops sold out, white coloured tops were also produced and sold out. The shortest away trip that season with the exception of our near Highland rivals Inverness CT was to Perth to visit St Johnstone and we twice put on buses to this venue. At the Player of the Year Dance Treasurer Dougie Anderson presented Ross County goalkeeper Tony Bullock with his player of the year award. All the supporters present celebrated Ross County FC’s highest ever league finish with fourth place in the Scottish First Division.
2000/2001 Season The season started with an away trip to Ayr United and then the short trip from the Tarry Ile Bar to Caledonian Stadium to meet our Highland Rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle for the first time in three years. An Alex Bone penalty ensured a 1-0 victory for Ross County and how the supporters wished we had further than a mile and a half to travel during the victorious celebrations on the bus afterwards! Buses to home games were now going over the Black Isle to pick up in Beauly and Conon Bridge and definitely the busiest bus of the season was for the visit of the mighty Rangers on 18 February for a satellite televised Scottish Cup Game. Though Ross County came out with a lot of credit Rangers won 3-2 to send us home disappointed. At the Player of the Year Dance in the Ross County Social Club treasurer Dougie Anderson presented once again defensive lynchpin Ian Maxwell with the player of the year award from the Inverness fans. Ross County had finished their first season in this higher league and a respectable sixth position.
1999/2000 Season That first season of their being an Inverness Supporters Club saw the team promoted after finishing third in the Scottish Second Division. The club was raising money by obtaining commission on the sale of Ross County Lottery Tickets, which had the club on a firm financial footing. Buses to home games were proving popular and after picking up in Inverness we picked up a squad in North Kessock to travel to Victoria Park in Dingwall. The club ran buses to four games that season at Firhill Stadium, Glasgow to see the team play both Hamilton Accies and Partick Thistle who ground shared at the time. Also they headed to a cup tie in Dumbarton only to see the game postponed due to adverse weather but continued on their journey down the A9 and took in old Highland League foes Huntly who were playing Falkirk in the Scottish Cup. At the season end as the club travelled to Firhill Stadium to play Hamilton Accies four members dressed as Elvis and led the singing as the team celebrated being promoted. At the Player of the Year Dance in May 2000 in the Ross County Social Club secretary Stewart Maclennan presented Ian Maxwell with the Inverness Supporters Clubs Player of the Year trophy.
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Ross County Football Club
were admitted to the Scottish League Third Division in Season 1994/95 after
having spent many years in the Highland League.
