Bobby Wilson believes an emphatic Scottish Cup triumph over Forfar Athletic was a clinching factor in Ross County being voted into the Scottish Football League.
Today marks 30 years since the Staggies, along with Caley Thistle, were voted into the Scottish league setup by the 38 member clubs at the time.
County went on a rapid rise after Wilson took charge in 1987, at a point when they were fresh from finishing bottom of the Highland League.
Wilson, who was previously in charge at Raith Rovers, Keith and Lossiemouth, steered County to back-to-back league titles in 1991 and 1992.
After County applied for a place in a newly-restructured Scottish league, the Staggies were handed a Scottish Cup second round tie away to Forfar Athletic – just four days before the vote was scheduled to take place.
The Staggies stepped up to the mark, triumphing 4-0 against their Second Division opponents courtesy of a Brian Grant hat-trick and a Barry Wilson strike.
By that point Wilson, a former League Cup winner as a player with Dundee, was already under way in his efforts to convince his network of contacts across Scottish football that the Staggies meant business.
Wilson says his side’s hefty triumph at Station Park proved they were befitting of a place in the league.
He said: “I had been talking to a lot of my friends from when I was with Dundee, and I used that to make contact with people I got on with at other league clubs.
“I must admit, I think the Forfar game definitely sealed it. If people were on a knife-edge, it maybe convinced them to vote for us.
“I’m still convinced the Forfar chairman David McGregor was a big factor in that after that game.
“It was a great day. We saw the amount of supporters who were down at the Forfar game – it was an exciting time.”
McLean came to County’s rescue
County’s triumphant day in Angus was not without its obstacles with Wilson having inspected the pitch prior to the match only to conclude County’s players did not have suitable footwear required to play on the hard surface.
A late SOS call to Dundee United chairman Jim McLean solved the issue – and it did not put County off their stride.
Wilson added: “When we left Dingwall it was perfect, but halfway down the road the weather turned.
“One of our directors, Davie Rowan, came to the hotel in Dundee where we were having our pre-match, and took me up to Forfar.
“We saw the pitch was playable, but we didn’t have the studs. It was actually Davie who said I should contact Jim. I had played with Jim at Dundee when he was a coach.
“He said it was no bother, he told us to go down to the stadium and speak to the kitman. We had to get all the sizes of the guys but he sorted us out.”
Staggies came through all-important vote
Following the handsome victory, County’s attention quickly turned towards the decisive day at the Royal Scottish Automobile Club in Glasgow’s Blythswood Square.
County were up against Caley Thistle, Elgin City, Gala Fairydean and Gretna – with two places up for grabs.
Each of the 12 Premier League clubs were granted four votes each, while the same number of Division One clubs were given two votes. The remaining 14 Division Two clubs had a vote each.
Although Caley Thistle topped the pile with 68 votes, County’s haul of 57 votes saw them comfortably claim the second available place.
County have not looked back since, having risen to the top-flight in 2012 where they have spent 11 of the last 12 seasons.
The Highlanders also claimed the League Cup in 2016, when Jim McIntyre guided them to victory over Hibernian in the final at Hampden Park.
Wilson says the impressive delivery of County’s case by chairman Hector MacLennan put the Staggies well on course for a successful outcome.
The 80-year-old added: “I was down with Hector and Donnie MacBean, who both did a lot as well.
“Everybody from the other clubs had videos and sheets saying they would do this and that – but we had absolutely nothing.
“Hector just went up and spoke off the cuff. He just reeled off the progress we had made with the facilities, and the new stand we had.
“In 1987 we were bottom of the Highland League, but we had shown we were on the rise, and making progress.
“He just sold it.
“We knew Caley Thistle would get one of the votes, as Jock McDonald was pushing for them.
“We were going for the second vote. Usually it would have been a separate vote altogether, but we didn’t need it because we had enough votes to get it over the line from the first one.”
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