Ross County supporters react to the permanent appointment of ‘local hero’ Don Cowie as the Staggies permanent manager
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Ross County supporters have expressed their happiness at the permanent appointment of Don Cowie as manager.
The 41-year-old had been in interim charge since the departure of Derek Adams in February, but club chairman Roy MacGregor confirmed after the Staggies secured Premiership football for next season that Cowie was the man to lead the club forward on a permanent basis.
He can already look back on highlights in the dug out to go with his playing career, including a first-ever win for County over Rangers in Dingwall in April.
After the drama of last season’s play-off final against Partick Thistle, though, perhaps the biggest sign of progress is how Cowie’s side eased to victory over Raith Rovers in what would end up being the joint-most one-sided aggregate score in Premiership play-off history.
Having already had plenty to celebrate under Cowie’s stewardship, then, County supporters are feeling very positive about the Strathpeffer native’s permanent appointment.
“He’s a County man through and through,” supporters’ liaison officer, and spokesman for the Ross County Supporters’ Club, Shaun Campbell said.
“He knows the club and the town, and what it means to the County fans because he is one as well. We can relate to him in a way – he will be going through everything that we’re going through.
“We’re quite a unique club being up in the Highlands, we are a very community and family-based club, and Don gets that. He has been through the SPFL journey, and even when he was away I’m sure he was following our results.
“I’m sure he was going through the ringer as much as we all were over the last few weeks, but his composure on the sidelines doesn’t show the nerves.
“The boys feed off of that. They were calm in both legs of the play-off, so that definitely goes on to the pitch.
“It’s a no-brainer really to appoint him after what he’s done, and winning over the two legs so comfortably.
“Hopefully it’s only onwards and upwards going into what will be another big season. We can all take a bit of confidence away from the last two games, and hope that he can get more out of the squad.
“We seem to be a unit together – fans, players, management, the club staff, everyone seems to be going in the right direction. If we can go into the new season all together as one, I think we could be quite dangerous.”
Ross Morren, host of the County Corner podcast, added: “I’m very happy for him, and I think all County fans are.
“We all wanted to see Don as Ross County manager at some point in the club’s future, whenever that might have been.
“He has had to step up at a really tough moment, where ideally he would have been left with a seamless transition with a squad and success on the park that he could have inherited, but that wasn’t the case.
“He had to come in when we were fighting at the bottom of the table, but the performances under him have improved week in and week out.
“He has clearly got the players on side, they have always spoken really highly of him, so that’s a good sign. They have spoken about how they want him to get the job permanently, so they will be happy too.
“The situation has proven that he can cope with the tough, pressurised moments. In the big games we’ve had, he is always really calm and composed on the touchline, so he conducts himself really well.
“He’s a local hero, and I think it’s something that we’ve always wanted to see. The fact that he’s had such a successful start, we want him to continue, and it would be great to see him strengthen next season.”
