The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Cup insight let Wilson know that County had what it took to go up
Bobby Wilson always had the belief Ross County could hold their own in the Scottish League.
It was Wilson who set the ball rolling on their journey and in January 1994 he was in charge of the Staggies when they made the leap from the Highland League into the Third Division, overseeing a thirdplaced finish in their maiden campaign.
An emphatic Scottish Cup win over Forfar Athletic had put the wheels in motion for County’s rise as they joined the newly-formed Caley Thistle in entering the senior ranks.
Wilson said: “We were quite confident playing against these teams, because we had played against them in the Scottish Cup.
“We went down to Queen of the South and beat them 6-2, and then we played Forfar.
“You needed a seconder to get into the league and the Forfar chairman, David MacGregor, did that after we beat them 4-0 down there.
“We had a lot of work to do because we knew Caley Thistle were going to be the first team to get in, with Jock Macdonald’s contacts.
“Gala Fairydean were also challenging to get in, but we were quietly confident.
“The chairman Hector MacLennan and Donnie MacBean, the secretary, did a lot of scouting about and talking to people and I used my contacts from down south.
“It was a big thing for us to get in there at that time. It’s maybe not so much now, because teams can get in every season now through the play-offs.
“A lot of teams like Forfar, Brechin and Montrose have been in the league for years, but ourselves and Caley Thistle have sprung right up in such a short space of time, We have both gone on to win national trophies, which is fantastic.”
Today marks 25 years to the day since County played their first Scottish League fixture away at Cowdenbeath, with the Dingwall men running out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Billy Herd and Jamie MacPherson.
The occasion was all the more poignant for former Dundee right back Wilson, who said: “The good thing was we played Cowdenbeath, which was where I started my career back in 1960.
“It was a big occasion. There was nothing that really happened on the day to say I remember that, it was just a game where we went and got the job done.
“Once we started playing Caley Thistle, that was more exciting. There were around 6,000 at the games in those days. It took us a wee while to get a victory against them.
“We just missed out on promotion in that first season.”
Although Wilson parted ways with County following the end of the club’s second season in the league in 1996, the 76-year-old still regularly attends the Staggies’ fixtures and was joined on the park by members of the club’s first football league side in a half-time tribute in the opening day 3-0 victory over Hamilton Accies.
Wilson is proud of his role in the club’s journey, adding: “It’s good to be part of the history.
“I think all the boys who were there last week were chuffed to bits.
“The likes of Billy Ferries and Gordon Connelly were still there after I left and they took the club forward.
“They went full-time, which pushed them on to get promotion, although it took a few years.”