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Return to the 1997-98 IndexLorsports' Home Page
Ross County travel to Glasgow today to play Queen’s Park at Hampden Park. County know that only a win will do if they want to keep their outside chance of promotion going. However, if Arbroath score a win against East Stirling, then the County dream will be over for this season at least.
County assistant manager Jim Kelly is realistic and said, "We have got to concentrate on our own performance and not worry about results elsewhere that are out of our control.
"We’ll be going all out to try to win the game and it’s very important that we finish the season strongly as we prepare for next season.
"We know that Arbroath are in a very strong position but they’ll not have an easy game at east Stirling."
DRM 2 May 1998
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Ross County still have an outside chance of gaining promotion to the Second Division but they have to rely on Queen’s Park, whom they beat 4-0 on Saturday, beating Arbroath at Gayfield next Saturday.
County’s hero against Queen’s Park, Steve Ferguson, still believes that County can do it.
He said, "This result keeps us in with a shout until the last game of the season. We thought we had blown it, so if we can get promoted you might say that it is an unexpected bonus for us now.
"The boss has been really positive with the team in recent weeks as we have been requiring a victory each time we have taken the field to keep in touch with Arbroath."
DRM 4 May 1998
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Kenny Gilbert believes that the season is ending too soon for Ross County, and that the rich vein of form that has been struck in recent weeks may not be enough to secure promotion for County from Division Three.
The position that County find themselves in as they enter their final game of the season is a simple one. They must beat East Stirling and hope that Arbroath lose to Queen’s Park at home. Only then will County be promoted on goal difference. Ross County were favourites for promotion at the start of the season but a run of poor results in the third quarter of the season has left them adrift of the league winners Alloa Athletic and Arbroath in second place.
Kenny Gilbert hopes that his and County’s good run of form will mean that the home fans will turn out in strength to support their home team in this vital match.
He said, "I hope the fans come to the game and hope it will be a historic day for them and the club. I was disappointed that some of them gave me stick despite being voted man of the match against Arbroath. But they are entitled to their say because they pay to watch."
Kenny hopes that there will not be a repeat of last season’s disappointment although the odds are stacked heavily in Arbroath’s favour, they need only a point to clinch the second promotion spot.
He said, "The mood in the County camp is not as good as it has been because we know that we should have had the league sewn up by now. However, Arbroath have slipped up and have given us a slim chance.
"If we win this game it will be five wins on the trot bit I think that the season will finish too soon for us after having such high hopes at the beginning of the season. We do not want a repeat of last season because our game against Montrose on that day was very tense. They all are at this stage of the season.
"Hopefully we can get an early goal against East Stirling and that will settle any nerves we might have and then we can go on to win. Queen’s Park can do us a favour by beating Arbroath who must go all out for the win. If they go for the draw then they might get nervy and no-one ever wins from that attitude."
DRM 8 May 1998
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Ross County will be without suspended Steve Ferguson for today's vital match against East Stirlingshire at Victoria Park today.
It is expected that a large crowd will attend to watch County's final game of the season but they will have half an ear listening out for the result from Gayfield where a sinngle point will be enough to give Arbroath the final promotion spot and consign County to another season in Division Three.
Ross County manager Neale Cooper will concentrate only on his club's performance this afternoon against East Stirlingshire, knowing that only a victory will give the Ross-shire outfit the chance of promotion.
Cooper said: "We must win this game to give ourselves a chance. Just like last season we have to wait for the final score in a game involving Queen's Park to find out our fate."
He added: "We lost out to Forfar on goal difference in that one so, hopefully, this time it will work out in our favour. We're expecting a big crowd, and hope to finish our season on a high note."
East Stirling's manager Hugh McCann (a former manager at Queen's Park) was quick to some hope to his opposite number when he pointed out the Spider's excellent record at Gayfield.
County have added young goalkeeper Gary Stuart to their squad for this important game. This addition to last week's side may be in response to Nicky Walker's announcement that he will be retiring from football at the end of this season.
DRM 9 May 1998
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Ross County 'keeper, Nicky Walker has decided to hang up his boots at the end of the current season.
The 35-year-old is giving up the game to concentrate on working in tha family business, Walkers of Aberlour.
The big 'keeper gained two Scottish caps and was number three goalkeeper behind Andy Goram and Jim Leighton in Euro '96.
Amongst the clubs that Walker has played for include Glasgow Rangers, Hearts, Aberdeen and Partick Thistle so his experience at the back will be missed.
DRM 11 May 1998
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The Ross County board have given their backing to Neale Cooper in spite of the fact that County failed to win promotion albeit by the narrowest of margins, in the two seasons that Cooper has been in charge.
County chairman, Roy McGregor, scothched rumours that Cooper may be sacked when he said, "He (Cooper) is not going anywhere."
For the second consecutive year County suffered on the final day of the season. They won well in front of the largest crowd in the Third Division this season, but the point that Arbroath gained in their draw against Queen's Park was sufficient to secure the remaining promotion spot.
McGregor said, "There will be no knee-jerk reaction at Ross County."
"The board has put no pressure on Neale Cooper at all. To go from being a player to a manager is a big step and after two years he is just at the start of his apprenticeship."
"He has made a lot of mistakes, as he will be the first to admit, but he has also got a lot of things right."
"We will sit down in the next week or so so that we can weigh up the pluses and the minuses and try to find out where we can make improvements."
Meanwhile, Neale Cooper has said that he will make changes for next season. He said, "I'll look at where I can strengthen the team and I hope in the next few weeks I'll know what kind of players I'd like to bring to Ross County."
County finished the season well with five consecutive wins. They will be joined in the Third Division next season by the two relegated sides - Stenhousemuir and Brechin City. Cooper believes that his task next season will be no easier than this one.
DRM 12 May 1998
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Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle will be watching developments at next Thursday's Highland League annual meeting at Elgin very closely.
Restructuring of the Highland League could open the way for the Scottish League clubs to have their reserve teams included in the new set up.
Ross County chairman Roy McGregor could not be reached yesterday, but the Dingwall club is known to harbour ambitions for its reserve side to play in the Highland League. This would provide County with an important stepping stone for their young players as they prepare for senior football.
DRM 19 May 1998
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