New fans prove Ross County are on right track, says chief executive Steven Ferguson
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Steven Ferguson believes the influx of new fans at Ross County last season bodes well for the club's future.
Everyone involved at the Staggies were full of praise for the supporters across the 2021/22 campaign, crediting them with spurring the players on to perform.
One notable feature of crowds in Dingwall were the number of young fans that were attending matches, and County's chief executive officer says that is what clubs across the country want to see.
“The most overwhelming thing this season has probably been the uptake of new season ticket holders and their ages,” Ferguson explained.
“A big portion of our season ticket sales this year has been new supporters who haven’t purchased one before or in a number of years. That has been coupled with a younger fanbase buying season tickets.
“These are the key markers that I think a lot of the clubs in Scotland want to see – more new fans coming in and also younger fans coming into the club.
"As the club for the Highlands it shows that we are doing something right in bringing that new generation of supporter to the stadium and not just on a one-off.
“I think a lot of that is down to the great work we are doing in schools every week. We have given each of the schools we work with free tickets, in total we have given away over 1,341 tickets in the final few weeks of the season to schools, and they are getting the bug when they come to the matches.
“As a real community club, this is what we always strive to do and have done here successfully for many years.”
Receiving particular praise from Malky Mackay and players during last season was the young team behind the Jailend goal who certainly made their voices heard.
Ferguson echoed those sentiments, and said that the club will do what they can to help that section continue to grow.
“Last season we saw the real passion from a group of our young supporters who want to come and make Ross County their club,” he said.
“Over recent years it has been hard for young people, but to be in a place now where they want to drop the games consoles and travel with the club right across the country is a massive step forward for Ross County.
“I think we will always reflect on that day at Pittodrie when we clinched top six, when you look at the crowd that day, I think a lot of it was spurred on by the noise, commitment and desire our young group were showing over the months previous both at home and away.
“The important thing for us now is to keep these young people on board and grow from within. Earlier this season there was a group of about 10 or 12 of them and now they have expanded into that whole section of the Jailend.
"Into the bargain you now have people of all ages in that area of the ground and it’s become quite inter-generational.
“Its great for the players, its great for the club and its great for our young guys who have now made a real emotional attachment to their club and want to help push us on.
“Our job now is to make sure that we continue to support them and keep giving them the energy to build that area of the stadium.”
