Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell has revealed the Staggies have turned to drone technology in order to help them attract new players to Dingwall.
During the lockdown period County were unable to invite prospective new signings to the Highlands to offer them a tour of Victoria Park, due to travelling restrictions imposed by the government.
That tradition has been replaced by a 90-second video clip which has been put together by club staff using drone footage, which showcases the facilities at the ground.
Kettlewell has made four signings, bringing in Stephen Kelly, Connor Randall, Alex Iacovitti and Regan Charles-Cook, and the Staggies boss says technology has provided the club with a crucial recruitment tool.
Kettlewell said: “We have to be creative in how we sell the football club, the facilities we have here, and hopefully the culture is one people can see themselves fitting into.
“It’s something we have used. We have put together a minute-and-a-half video of drone footage of the football club which we have pitched out.
“It’s to try and familiarise people with what we have here. It’s difficult, as we normally get people up to see Dingwall and the football club, but through Covid we have not been able to do that.
“We have looked for other means of showcasing the club to its full capacity, and fortunately we have been able to do that.
“It has actually been a great tool for us, because people recognise what they are coming to as opposed to just seeing the football club for the first time.”
Kettlewell says County must do all in their power to gain an advantage over some of their Premiership rivals, who are often in the market for the same targets.
Kettlewell added: “What I’ve noticed over the last couple of years is the likes of Hamilton, Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, St Mirren and ourselves have all been vying for the same players.
“We will be looking at the same sort of bracket in terms of what we pay out, so it’s just trying to steal a march.
“These other clubs will be saying the exact same thing, we know how it works.
“We might encounter players that want to play in Glasgow, in which case the likes of St Mirren and Kilmarnock is a fit for them.”
County yesterday discovered they will host Motherwell in their opening Premiership fixture of the new campaign, with the televised match taking place on Monday, August 3 with a 7.45pm kick-off.
