Fans in focus as Swanson returns to Ross County
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PETER Swanson has returned to Ross County to help bolster the Scottish Premiership club's relationship with its supporters.
And in a second big appointment, County have also snapped up one of the country’s top policeman, chief superintendent David O’Connor as a director of stakeholder liason.
The Dingwall-based 54-year-old, who was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal 18 months ago, was a key figure is establishing a single Scottish police force.
He hopes to bring his passion as a County supporter to the fore and work with fans, local businesses and the local community to work on a range of issues to take the Scottish Premiership club to a higher level off the pitch, while the coaches led by boss Derek Adams continue the progress on it.
Swanson, meanwhile, aims to place a fresh emphasis on the club’s commercial operations as well as supporting chairman Roy MacGregor’s push to see the club reconnect with both the supporters and the local community.
Swanson, who previously spent 10 years as a County director, is the owner of local glass and renewables firm ERG as well as IT specialists Alchemy.
He explained: “We want Derek (Adams, manager) and George (Adams, director of football) to continue building on the great strides they’ve taken on the football side.
"My task is getting a grip on the commercial operations of the club, and that is also very much in tune with the chairman’s desire to get us back to focusing on being a community club.
"I don’t think we’ve lost contact with the community, but over the past couple of seasons the focus has naturally been on top-flight football and sustaining that, however the community is a big part of Ross County’s DNA and the two sides are inextricably linked.
"If we don’t get the community and commercial side right then we can’t support the football, but on the other hand if the football doesn’t prosper we can’t support the community side of the club.”
He hopes that it won’t be long before fans see the benefits of this new emphasis at the club.
He stressed: “We’re going to be pretty aggressive in upping the match-day experience for fans. We’re looking to bring the pipe bands back, Rossco the Staggie will be back out and at certain games there will even be a little sound stage with live music. We are also doing things like face painting booths for the younger fans.
"We recognise that as a football club we’re competing with a lot of other attractions and forms of entertainment nowadays and when a parent takes their kids to a match that’s a big skelp of their disposable income. Therefore we’ve got to give back that little bit extra to families and fans and do all we can to raise the enjoyment they take from matchdays.
“There is quite a commitment being made but it’s only right – without supporters we’re nothing.”
