A decade has passed since Ross County announced their arrival to the Scottish top-flight scene.
The Staggies were promoted to the then Scottish Premier League for the first time in 2012, when Derek Adams led them to the First Division title.
It came just 18 years after County became a Scottish league club, having stepped up from the Highland League.
Their first task in the 2012-13 season was a difficult one, after being handed a home match against a high-flying Motherwell side.
The Steelmen had finished third the previous season, which was enough to book a place in the Champions League qualifiers after second-placed Rangers were not granted a UEFA licence to play European football.
Well arrived in Dingwall between the two legs of a qualifying tie against Greek outfit Panathinaikos.
Anticipation rife ahead of maiden top-flight campaign
The Staggies, who were fresh from upgrading Victoria Park to prepare for their step up, were keen to mark the occasion.
A crowd of 4,828 watched as a pipe band assembled for the presentation of the First Division title flag, which was unfurled by chairman Roy MacGregor and long-serving secretary Donnie MacBean.
The match did not live up to its billing, with the two sides playing out a 0-0 draw in a game bereft of any clear cut goalscoring chances.
It went down as a creditable point for the Staggies however, having approached the campaign fresh from an outstanding 34-match unbeaten run in the First Division.
Paul Lawson recalls the anticipation surrounding the Dingwall club during the summer.
Lawson said: “There was a lot of excitement coming off the back of the previous season, not only winning the championship but the way we did it with the unbeaten run we went on.
“For a lot of boys in that team it was almost justification to be back at the level we felt we were good enough to compete at.
“I picked up an injury during pre-season in Holland so I was a bit worried going into the Motherwell game, but fortunately enough I got back a couple of days prior to that and was in the team for the game.
“If memory serves me right the less said about the game the better. It was a bit of a boring 0-0.
“With everything surrounding it, it was the first time the club had played at that level.
“A couple of years previously we had the run in the Scottish Cup, but to actually get the club into the top-flight we were just looking to enjoy it.
“We had the belief in ourselves we could hold our own – and it showed.”
Fraser’s injury return thwarted Malin’s big opportunity
Goalkeeper Michael Fraser was also an injury doubt for the match following the pre-season trip to Holland, in what he considers to be a sliding doors moment for Joe Malin – who was on the bench that day.
Fraser said: “I remember that game well because I nearly never made it.
“We went to Holland two weeks before the game, and I smashed into Stuart Kettlewell in a training game on the first day and dislocated my finger.
“A dislocation is not that bad but I took my glove off and there was my bone sticking out – I thought I had broken it.
“When we came back it was touch and go. After playing every game the season before, I thought ‘here we go.’
“I know that Joe Malin was at one point in the team that week.
“Joe is one of my best mates but I was desperate to play. I went to that first game of the season thinking I might be on the bench.
“It ended up being that he played me which I was delighted with, but it was a hard one on Joe.
“I honestly think if he played he would have stayed in the team, as he’s that good.”
January reinforcements helped Staggies finish fifth
County did not lose any of their opening six matches to take their unbeaten record to 40 games, until they fell to a 2-1 loss to St Johnstone.
With only four wins prior to the winter break, Adams made six January signings which helped County improve after the turn of the year.
They went on to finish fifth, which remains their highest league finish to date.
Lawson added: “For every team that comes up, and certainly with it being our first time there, we probably would have taken finishing 10th.
“Going into the season the first aim is survival. At Christmas time we were maybe sitting around 11th, but the run we went on after the winter break was incredible.
“The new players that came in settled well and added to the squad. We started creeping up the table and making the top-six was brilliant.
“It was a very enjoyable year.”
Fraser had been sceptical about the number of changes made to the squad at the time, however with hindsight he accepts the new arrivals helped the Staggies to progress.
He added: “Most of us had played in the SPL at some point. We had either dropped down or been released, or not quite cracked it somewhere else.
“There was a bit of a point to prove for a lot of us.
“At the time I thought we should have kept the same nucleus of the squad that took us up.
“I thought the team was broken up too soon, but obviously not.
“Now I can appreciate that Derek decided to let guys go and take guys in, which proved to be the right decision.
“I probably think differently now because I’m older and a bit more mature.”
County continuing to enjoy top-flight success
The game against Motherwell was the first of 335 top-flight matches the Staggies have now played, having kicked off their 10th Premiership campaign in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Hearts at Tynecastle.
County have only had one season out of the Premiership during that time, having suffered relegation in 2018. It was a short return to the Championship after winning promotion at the first attempt under the co-management of Stuart Kettlewell and Steven Ferguson.
Lawson has taken much enjoyment in watching the progression of the club in the years that have passed since 2012.
He added: “When you are part of it you see all the hard work that goes in behind the scenes.
“Let’s be honest, they are a small club. People say they punch above their weight at times, but when you see all the work that goes in it’s no more than they deserve.
“They were unfortunate when they got relegated again but Stuart Kettlewell and Steven Ferguson got them back, and full credit to them for that.
“Now they are an established club in the league which is great to see. People will now class them as a Premiership club, whereas when we got there people maybe thought it would be a short stay.
“It has shown, with the investment and the right management, how well they have gone on to do.”
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