Stuart Ross admits the time was right for him and brother Andrew to leave the hot-seats at St Duthus this week – and tips a strong future for the North Caledonian League club.
The highly respected duo resigned from their positions as co-managers on Monday, following hot on the heels of the weekend’s 3-2 defeat by leaders Loch Ness.
Their latest loss saw Saints slide to eighth spot after their first five fixtures and coaches Alan Geegan and Justin Rogers take over until a successor is found.
It is with a heavy heart that the club have accepted the resignations of Stuart Ross and Andrew Ross, who step down from their posts as co-managers with immediate effect.
Club statement ⬇️https://t.co/Bn8CapM5Gv pic.twitter.com/XuOrT3SIXR— St. Duthus Football Club (@StDuthusFC) September 27, 2021
The Ross siblings, who recently took charge of St Duthus for their 100th game, had spent over five years leading the team and secured top four finishes in the last two years as well as winning the Caledonian and Football Times Cup in 2017/18 and 2019/20 respectively.
Ross explained that a further family connection was in mind when they opted to blow the final whistle on a successful time in charge of the club as it sets long-term sights on reaching the Highland League via the pyramid play-offs.
He said: “We set out to reinstate North Caledonian League football to Tain after not having it for many years.
“There is a personal link to it as well. My father, Tommy, sadly passed away in 2017 with dementia. We grew up in Tain and in the 1990s my dad ran the team.
“The pitch the team plays on now is the one my dad fought to get control of for Tain St Duthus, which is Grant Park.
All the goals from yesterday’s game at King George V Park away to Loch Ness. pic.twitter.com/jeO1JY7KSH
— St. Duthus Football Club (@StDuthusFC) September 26, 2021
“My dad had it all laid out and seeded, but football just died away in Tain. They used it the last time they were in the North Caley, but it wasn’t really St Duthus’ park.
“The main idea for myself and Andrew was to complete what dad had started. I think we, along with chairman Niall Harkiss and the committee, is we have set the foundations for the club moving forward.”
Highland League is long-term goal
Ross explained that all the building blocks are in place for their successor to come in and drive the club on.
He added: “We have left a good, young squad for someone else to take the baton on. Hopefully, they can take the club to the next level.
“All the foundations are there and we have ownership of the park on a 25-year lease from Highland Council. We are now aiming towards that sixth tier ultimately and to eventually reach the Highland League.
“Andrew and I just felt we had taken the team as far as we could. We have had many rebuilds and had many good teams. On the back of that, Highland League clubs have come in for players. This was our third straight years of rebuilding and it’s quite hard going. This was maybe a bridge too far.”
Silver linings in wins over Golspie
Ross is delighted they were able to secure two trophies, with victories over rivals Golspie still fresh in the memory.
He said: “The first year we were in operation, we reached a cup final against Orkney, who were well established a few years in the North Caley. We arguably should have won the game, but it set the tone.
MATCH RESULT #NorthCaley
Loch Ness 3 St. Duthus 2
A second half penalty secured the points for the home side this afternoon at Fortrose. pic.twitter.com/URquuVsCAS— St. Duthus Football Club (@StDuthusFC) September 25, 2021
“We had two really good cup finals wins. One was up in Golspie, beating Goslpie in their own backyard in 2017.
“The most memorable was against Golspie in Brora when we were 1-0 down at half-time and we came back to win 3-2. That was a great achievement.
“We had some great games with Golspie that season, but that final stands out. I’ve had messages from a few of the boys this week saying that was the highlight.
“We also reached a fourth final, losing against Orkney in Invergordon in the Jock Mackay Cup final in November 2019.
“We finished second in the league during the pandemic too. It’s been a heck of a journey and we met some great people along the way. We’re glad we’ve done it.”
Ross also admitted the time-wise, it has been a “massive commitment”.
Saints are in league action this Saturday when they travel to third-placed Invergordon, one week before they host Alness United in their bid to climb the division.
