Latest news with #StevenFerguson
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
County 'fell short' and will suffer 'financial hit'
Chief executive Steven Ferguson admits Ross County "fell short" this season and concedes the Highland club will take a "financial hit" as a result. County finished the season with a dismal run of 11 matches without a win, culminating in a dramatic play-off decider where a rampant Livingston side came back to win 5-3 on aggregate and snatch the final Premiership slot from their grip. It is a result which ends the Dingwall side's six-year stay in Scotland's top flight. "There's no excuses from anybody at Ross County – we fell short," said Ferguson. "But it's a collective we. It doesn't just fall on the manager, it doesn't just fall on the players, we need to look at the whole club and everybody that's involved and we need to take responsibility for it and we will do that." Martindale's belief rewarded as Livingston roar back to Premiership in play-off Visit our Ross County page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views Get Ross County news notifications in the BBC Sport app Ferguson insists "it's very early" when asked about manager Don Cowie's future, but that he "is in all the discussions we're having just now". "First and foremost we'll need to look at the playing squad and guys that are out of contract will need to be spoken to so they know exactly where they stand," he added. In March, County were one of several contenders vying for a final top-six berth, a battle that quickly turned into a slide towards the Championship. "We have underachieved this season and that's not something that happens too often," Ferguson said. "In my time at Ross County we've always managed to get to where we want to be. "We'll look at it, honestly appraise it, see how we can pick the bones out of it and move forward." As jubilant Livingston supporters engulfed the Dingwall pitch, there was no hiding the sorrow on the faces of their dejected hosts. The hurt was visible on local boy Cowie's face as he watched the elated visitors celebrate on their turf, a pain according to Ferguson that will be felt throughout the club and wider community. "We aren't a big staff up here," he said. "Everybody feels it and it has a ripple effect. "What we need to realise as well is that it's not just on the pitch. "To not have any representation for this area has a real knock-on effect for everybody, not just the supporters, but the local business and the revenue that comes into the Highlands because of Premiership football." And like most clubs who suffer demotion, Ferguson said County will pay the price, although he hinted chairman Roy MacGregor will provide funds in an attempt to bounce straight back up. "There will be a financial hit, you can't hide the financial hit from dropping out of the Premiership," he said, explaining they will look to minimise the "pain regarding people's livelihoods". "To be successful in the Championship there needs to be investment. You also need to be really smart about how you go about your business as it's an extremely difficult league with clubs that deserve a lot of respect, big fan bases and city clubs in there as well." Ferguson has been here before, of course. He was part of the management duo that achieved that very task in 2019, when he and Stuart Kettlewell navigated County back to the Premiership in one season. Something they are obviously hoping to replicate again. "That goes without saying," he said. "The clubs in the Championship are big clubs and they are clubs with ambition and we'll need to match and better that if we want to be successful. That's something we'll need to work out how we do. "At the moment it's obviously really raw, Monday's result, and we'll need to let the dust settle. "We need to be really honest about what happened this season and we need to find a solution and find how we can do it better." Stephen: Got what we deserved and saw it coming weeks ago. Martyn: Abysmal form, overreliance on loan players. Aside from Josh Nisbet, Ronan Hale and Jordan White there was a lack of fight across the team in our most important game of the season. We deserved to be relegated unfortunately. Sadly we'll need to cash in on Hale as well. If Don Cowie goes, hard to see who would want the job. Eilidh: No less than we deserve. Our defence is shocking. It's the fact we were 2-0 up which makes it painful. It's a loss for Highland football in general. Rick: Being 2-0 up before half an hour, then losing 4-2 at home tells you all you need to know about County. We've been circling the drain for months. Dozens of 'must-win' games prior to this loss. Nothing more than we deserve. Sean: Hope County do not follow in footsteps of ICT. Looks like they will have to improve drastically to bounce back up but a harder league to do that. Don Cowie is just too nice, they need a manager who says what it is. Ronny: For the best part of three months, we have been rancid. Three relegation play-offs in a row suggests there's something broken in the football side of things. This has to be the worst one yet, given we were in the hunt for the top six until the final game before the split. Hale aside, we have been so, so poor from back to front and it's finally caught up with us. Alistair: I thoroughly disagree with Don Cowie. He most definitely is not the right man for the job. I do not have any belief in him as manager at all and it appears neither do the players. He must surely be sacked now after this. He should have gone weeks ago. There is no place for schoolboy kick and rush football at this level. Livingston, well done. You thoroughly deserve to be promoted. County could not lay a glove on you.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
County 'fell short' and will suffer 'financial hit'
Chief executive Steven Ferguson admits Ross County "fell short" this season and concedes the Highland club will take a "financial hit" as a finished the season with a dismal run of 11 matches without a win, culminating in a dramatic play-off decider where a rampant Livingston side came back to win 5-3 on aggregate and snatch the final Premiership slot from their is a result which ends the Dingwall side's six-year stay in Scotland's top flight."There's no excuses from anybody at Ross County – we fell short," said Ferguson."But it's a collective we. It doesn't just fall on the manager, it doesn't just fall on the players, we need to look at the whole club and everybody that's involved and we need to take responsibility for it and we will do that." Ferguson insists "it's very early" when asked about manager Don Cowie's future, but that he "is in all the discussions we're having just now"."First and foremost we'll need to look at the playing squad and guys that are out of contract will need to be spoken to so they know exactly where they stand," he March, County were one of several contenders vying for a final top-six berth, a battle that quickly turned into a slide towards the Championship."We have underachieved this season and that's not something that happens too often," Ferguson said. "In my time at Ross County we've always managed to get to where we want to be."We'll look at it, honestly appraise it, see how we can pick the bones out of it and move forward." 'There needs to be smart investment' As jubilant Livingston supporters engulfed the Dingwall pitch, there was no hiding the sorrow on the faces of their dejected hosts. The hurt was visible on local boy Cowie's face as he watched the elated visitors celebrate on their turf, a pain according to Ferguson that will be felt throughout the club and wider community."We aren't a big staff up here," he said. "Everybody feels it and it has a ripple effect."What we need to realise as well is that it's not just on the pitch."To not have any representation for this area has a real knock-on effect for everybody, not just the supporters, but the local business and the revenue that comes into the Highlands because of Premiership football."And like most clubs who suffer demotion, Ferguson said County will pay the price, although he hinted chairman Roy MacGregor will provide funds in an attempt to bounce straight back up."There will be a financial hit, you can't hide the financial hit from dropping out of the Premiership," he said, explaining they will look to minimise the "pain regarding people's livelihoods"."To be successful in the Championship there needs to be investment. You also need to be really smart about how you go about your business as it's an extremely difficult league with clubs that deserve a lot of respect, big fan bases and city clubs in there as well."Ferguson has been here before, of course. He was part of the management duo that achieved that very task in 2019, when he and Stuart Kettlewell navigated County back to the Premiership in one season. Something they are obviously hoping to replicate again."That goes without saying," he said. "The clubs in the Championship are big clubs and they are clubs with ambition and we'll need to match and better that if we want to be successful. That's something we'll need to work out how we do."At the moment it's obviously really raw, Monday's result, and we'll need to let the dust settle. "We need to be really honest about what happened this season and we need to find a solution and find how we can do it better." 'No less than abysmal County deserved' - fan reaction to relegation Stephen: Got what we deserved and saw it coming weeks Abysmal form, overreliance on loan players. Aside from Josh Nisbet, Ronan Hale and Jordan White there was a lack of fight across the team in our most important game of the season. We deserved to be relegated unfortunately. Sadly we'll need to cash in on Hale as well. If Don Cowie goes, hard to see who would want the No less than we deserve. Our defence is shocking. It's the fact we were 2-0 up which makes it painful. It's a loss for Highland football in Being 2-0 up before half an hour, then losing 4-2 at home tells you all you need to know about County. We've been circling the drain for months. Dozens of 'must-win' games prior to this loss. Nothing more than we Hope County do not follow in footsteps of ICT. Looks like they will have to improve drastically to bounce back up but a harder league to do that. Don Cowie is just too nice, they need a manager who says what it For the best part of three months, we have been rancid. Three relegation play-offs in a row suggests there's something broken in the football side of things. This has to be the worst one yet, given we were in the hunt for the top six until the final game before the split. Hale aside, we have been so, so poor from back to front and it's finally caught up with I thoroughly disagree with Don Cowie. He most definitely is not the right man for the job. I do not have any belief in him as manager at all and it appears neither do the players. He must surely be sacked now after this. He should have gone weeks ago. There is no place for schoolboy kick and rush football at this level. Livingston, well done. You thoroughly deserve to be promoted. County could not lay a glove on you.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
West Lothian football club issue lifetime ban for 'mindless idiot' after 'incident'
A West Lothian football fan has been issued a lifetime ban after an alleged spitting incident. The incident happened during Livingston FC's match against Ross County on Thursday evening. The fan, who has been branded a 'mindless idiot', appeared to be caught on TV cameras spitting at the Ross County coach. Livingston FC have urged authorities to extend the ban country-wide, reports the Daily Record. They have also identified the individual and passed the supporters' details on to police. READ MORE: 'Our Edinburgh scheme has a reputation for being tough - but it's misunderstood' READ MORE: Edinburgh Half Marathon underway in windy conditions as city centre awash with runners Ahead of the second leg on Monday evening, chief executive Dave Black issued a lengthy statement, slamming the 'abhorrent' actions of an individual they hope won't be setting foot inside a football stadium again. It read: 'We're absolutely appalled by the actions of one mindless idiot in the home end at last night's Premiership play-off game with Ross County. 'Football is undoubtedly an emotional sport and fans are more often than not the most passionate of all in their support for their teams. The highs and lows of a last minute goal, depending on what side you're on, is always going to provoke a burst of joy at one end, and an incredible disappointment at the other. "That's the nature of the game and that passion is why we all keep coming back week-after-week. However, what we witnessed in the ground last night, which was subsequently beamed all over the country and beyond on live TV, was abhorrent, shameful and tainted what was a hard fought, well balanced game between two teams battling it out for a place in the top flight. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox 'We all know that there's likely to be the odd bit of goading or verbals from opposition fans, such has been the case for as long as the game has been played, and you'll be hard pushed to find anyone in the game from managers to coaches to players who wouldn't expect that. What no-one should expect, or experience though, is someone approaching them from the stand and spitting in their face. "The absolute lowest of the low and an utter embarrassment for the person involved. I spoke with Steven Ferguson, CEO of Ross County, last night immediately after the incident, overnight via text and again this morning on the phone, as well as calling County assistant manager Carl Tremarco earlier today to offer an apology on behalf of the club for the disgusting way in which he was treated. "I know, and both Steven and Carl echoed the sentiment, that the action is absolutely not a reflection of the football club or our supporters and is entirely at the door of the culprit. Our thanks to a number of our own supporters who were quick to get in touch and help identify the individual, all of whom were as ashamed by what they saw as we were. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. "This has allowed us to identify the person involved and we've passed the details on to the police who will be investigating with a view of taking this further. We'll also be issuing a lifetime ban to the individual and will speak with the relevant authorities required to ask for that ban to be country-wide too." The statement continued: "Thank you to our own safety and security team, as well as the stewards around the incident who all moved quickly to help de-escalate the situation, and credit to Carl and the rest of the coaching staff for managing to stay as restrained as possible despite what had happened. "Again, on behalf of Livingston Football Club, our sincere apologies to Carl and all at Ross County for the behaviour of the individual – regardless of being outwith our control, we're disgusted that an opposition club would have that happen to them in our stadium."
Edinburgh Live
5 days ago
- Sport
- Edinburgh Live
West Lothian football club issue lifetime ban for 'mindless idiot' after 'incident'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A West Lothian football fan has been issued a lifetime ban after an alleged spitting incident. The incident happened during Livingston FC's match against Ross County on Thursday evening. The fan, who has been branded a 'mindless idiot', appeared to be caught on TV cameras spitting at the Ross County coach. Livingston FC have urged authorities to extend the ban country-wide, reports the Daily Record. They have also identified the individual and passed the supporters' details on to police. Ahead of the second leg on Monday evening, chief executive Dave Black issued a lengthy statement, slamming the 'abhorrent' actions of an individual they hope won't be setting foot inside a football stadium again. It read: 'We're absolutely appalled by the actions of one mindless idiot in the home end at last night's Premiership play-off game with Ross County. 'Football is undoubtedly an emotional sport and fans are more often than not the most passionate of all in their support for their teams. The highs and lows of a last minute goal, depending on what side you're on, is always going to provoke a burst of joy at one end, and an incredible disappointment at the other. "That's the nature of the game and that passion is why we all keep coming back week-after-week. However, what we witnessed in the ground last night, which was subsequently beamed all over the country and beyond on live TV, was abhorrent, shameful and tainted what was a hard fought, well balanced game between two teams battling it out for a place in the top flight. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox 'We all know that there's likely to be the odd bit of goading or verbals from opposition fans, such has been the case for as long as the game has been played, and you'll be hard pushed to find anyone in the game from managers to coaches to players who wouldn't expect that. What no-one should expect, or experience though, is someone approaching them from the stand and spitting in their face. "The absolute lowest of the low and an utter embarrassment for the person involved. I spoke with Steven Ferguson, CEO of Ross County, last night immediately after the incident, overnight via text and again this morning on the phone, as well as calling County assistant manager Carl Tremarco earlier today to offer an apology on behalf of the club for the disgusting way in which he was treated. "I know, and both Steven and Carl echoed the sentiment, that the action is absolutely not a reflection of the football club or our supporters and is entirely at the door of the culprit. Our thanks to a number of our own supporters who were quick to get in touch and help identify the individual, all of whom were as ashamed by what they saw as we were. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. "This has allowed us to identify the person involved and we've passed the details on to the police who will be investigating with a view of taking this further. We'll also be issuing a lifetime ban to the individual and will speak with the relevant authorities required to ask for that ban to be country-wide too." The statement continued: "Thank you to our own safety and security team, as well as the stewards around the incident who all moved quickly to help de-escalate the situation, and credit to Carl and the rest of the coaching staff for managing to stay as restrained as possible despite what had happened. "Again, on behalf of Livingston Football Club, our sincere apologies to Carl and all at Ross County for the behaviour of the individual – regardless of being outwith our control, we're disgusted that an opposition club would have that happen to them in our stadium."
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
County claim Livingston fan spat in coach's face
Ross County say a confrontation at the end of their Scottish Premiership play-off at Livingston was sparked by a home fan spitting at one of their coaching staff. Top-flight County scored a 96th-minute penalty to earn a draw in the first leg in West Lothian, which was followed by an irate Livingston fan gesturing and shouting immediately behind the visitors dugout. A fracas ensued, with County manager Don Cowie saying his assistant Carl Tremarco was spat at amid the row. "One of their fans overstepped the mark by spitting on our assistant manager's face. There is no place for that," Cowie told BBC Scotland. Stoppage-time penalty gives County draw at Livingston "When it happens, our staff members want to protect each other because it's a disgusting thing to happen. I wanted to calm the situation down. "Livingston have been first class, they have CCTV here so they'll identify who it was and take action." County's chief executive Steven Ferguson echoed his manager's comments, adding that the Highland club are "not going to accept that". Livingston manager David Martindale did not witness the incident but said it would be "disgusting if true". "I'm sure the club will get to the bottom of that," he added. "It's vile. Disgusting. Really, really disappointing." The game ended 1-1 after Ronan Hale's late penalty cancelled out Danny Wilson's opener, with the sides meeting in the return leg in Dingwall on Monday to decide which of the two will be in the top flight next season.
