Victoria Park: Ross County
From Ross County FC
When the census was conducted in 2011 Dingwall had a population of 5,491, meaning that Victoria Park could fit every person who lived in the local region into it with about a thousand seats left empty. Luckily for Ross County Football Club they actually draw their supporters from throughout the local area, meaning that about 60,000 could support The Staggies at any given moment. For a time Victoria Park, currently known as The Global Energy Stadium thanks to sponsorship, was the most Northern stadium in the Scottish Football League System.
The name change from Victoria Park to The Global Energy Stadium occurred in 2012 at the same point at which renovations to the ground were completed. These were necessary in order for the ground to comply with Scottish Premier League criteria at the time. In many ways, though, Ross County actually got lucky. Just a few years before they gained promotion to the SPL stadiums needed to have at least 10,000 seats, but this was reduced to 6,000 just before Ross County’s promotion.
Stats
| Victoria Park Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1929 |
| Capacity | 6541 |
| Average Attendance | 4273 |
| Record Attendance | 8000 (Ross County v Rangers (1966)) |
| Pitch Size | 101 x 68 (6868) |
| Nickname | Viccy Park |
| Former Name | Victoria Park |
| Owner | Ross County F.C. |
| Sponsor | Global Energy |
| Clubs Hosted | Ross County F.C. |
| First Fixture | Unknown |
| Ross County Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1929 |
| Nickname | The Staggies |
| Club Mascot | Rosco |
| Rivals | Inverness Caledonian Thistle |
| Kit | Dark Blue White Stripes (Home) / Yellow (Away) |
| Training Ground | Highland Football Academy |
| Shirt Sponsor | RSE |
| Team Owner | Roy MacGregor |
| Record Goalscorer | Michael Gardyne (65) |
| Record Appearances | Michael Gardyne (336) |
Victoria Park Photos
Victoria Park Seating Plan and Where to Sit
Victoria Park is a nice enough stadium with four different stands on each side of the pitch. The away fans are housed in the Northern most stand, imaginatively called The Away Stand (or the Academy End). The stand to the South of stadium is called The Jailend Stand, thanks to the jail that used to be situated behind it and nothing to do with the supporters who sat there. Along one side of the pitch is The East Stand, though it doesn’t run along the entire length of the playing surface. The West Stand is generally considered to be the main stand of the ground.
Ross County Ticket Prices
If you’d like to see Ross County play the football then how much you’ll pay for the privilege depends on your age, where you’d like to sit and who it is that The Staggies are playing. We’ve laid out the basics below:
- Adults: £22.00 – £28.00
- Concessions: £12.00 – £15.00
If the opposition is one of the ‘premium teams’, however, then you’ll see a £2 increase to ticket prices across the board. Premium teams include Aberdeen, Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
How To Get Ross County Tickets
It’s pretty unusual for Ross County to sell out their ground, so tickets are normally available on match day from the ticket office. Otherwise you can but them online or over the phone, should you be so inclined.
Where to Buy
Getting To Victoria Park
Dingwall is in the Highlands of Scotland, so it is a bit of a trek even from within elsewhere in Scotland let alone anywhere else. Here are some of the methods you might choose to get to the ground:
Train – A train journey from London to Dingwall can take anywhere from eight and a half to nine and a half hours, with a change at Inverness as well as possibly Glasgow or Edinburgh. Once you’re there you’ll only have a 500 metre journey from the train station to the ground.
Bus – It will take you five minutes to walk from the centre of town to the stadium, so there aren’t really any buses that will be quicker.
Car – If you’re heading to Dingwall from England then you’ll want to take the M6 to the A74(M), which itself becomes the M74. Get onto M73 at Junction 4 then go onto the M8 and the M9. After that simply follow the A9 to Dingwall and follow signs for the stadium.
By Air – Inverness Airport is the closest to the ground as it’s just under fifteen miles away, so that’s where you’ll be heading if you’re flying in to see Ross County play.
Taxi – A taxi from the centre of town will take you two minutes and cost about £5. Not really worth it, to be honest.
Parking Near Victoria Park
There is parking at the stadium for about £3, with a number of free on-street options available in the town centre.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Victoria Park Hotels
Dingwall is only a small town, but there are a couple of nice guest houses that might interest you. There’s also Inverness not far away, if you don’t mind travelling:
The Royal Guest House - £55+
Tulloch Castle Hotel - £65+
Mercure Inverness Hotel - £75+
Pubs and Bars Near Victoria Park
Dingwall doesn’t offer the bright, shiny lights of Glasgow or Edinburgh or even Inverness, but it does promise a friendly atmosphere… if you can find a pub that is. Here are some of the best and only pre-match pint locations:
The Mallard
The Caledonian Bars
The Royal British Legion
Facilities
The facilities at Victoria Park are about what you’d expect from a Scottish top-flight club’s stadium. The Away Stand is the most recently built and so features all of the usual mod-cons. Want to grab a drink or bite to eat at half-time? You can do, no problem. There are toilets, too. How posh.
Prices
- Programme: £3
- Pie: £2.1
- Cup of tea: £1.6
Hospitality
There are three main hospitality options at the home of Ross County. The MacLean Suite promises a two course hot and cold buffet, half-time refreshments, priority seating in The West Stand and a pay bar facility should you fancy a mid-match pint. The Victoria Suite is a slightly different affair with a 3 course waitress service lunch, prime seating, complimentary bar and pre/post match analysis. The MacGregor Executive Box, meanwhile, has a three-course hot and cold buffet, half-time refreshments and a complimentary bar that is open before and after the game.
Private Hire
A number of The Global Energy Stadium’s rooms and suites are available for private hire for conferencing and personal use. They can host anything from an intimate meeting for up to 16 in the wood paneled Clubroom up to parties and conferences for up to 120 in the MacLean Suite. If you’re interested in finding out more then your best bet is to contact the club directly.
Stadium Tours & Museum
Ross County don’t offer tours of their ground at the moment, nor is there an onsite museum. If either of those things change then we’ll be sure to let you know.
About Ross County
Ross County Football Club didn’t exist prior to 1929. Instead, the town of Dingwall was served by two different teams. There was Dingwall Victoria United, better known as the Dingwall Victors, and Dingwall Thistle, or the Dingwall Jags. They had both been plying their trade in the North Caledonian Football League but wanted to have a crack at gaining Highland Football League membership. There was only one place up for grabs in the Highland League so they joined forces to become Ross County in order to make their application to join. It was successful and they became members of the Highland League in 1929.
They went on to win the Highland League championship three times, initially in 1967 and then they won two titles back-to-back in 1991 and 1992. In January of 1994 they upset Forfar Athletic in the Scottish Cup and were elected to the Scottish Football League just three days later. A successful week for the then-barely known club from the Highlands. Since 1994 the club has made steady progress through the Scottish Football League system, culminating in a climb to the top-flight in 2012. The club enjoyed a brilliant year in 2016 when it won its first major trophy in the form of the Scottish League Cup.
Victoria Park History
In 1966 a reported 8,000 people turned up to watch Ross County play a Scottish Cup game against Rangers. The money raised from the game allowed the club to build a new stand at the Jail End of the stadium. The Jail End takes its name from the fact that the old County Jail and the Sheriff Court were behind it. In recent years the jail itself has been turned into housing, but that hasn’t stopped fans giving the stand its unusual name.
When Ross County were promoted to the Scottish Premier League in 2012 there was a bit of a problem. SPL rules meant that numerous changes had to be carried out to the ground in order to ensure it met the criteria set-out for teams in the Scottish top-flight. Renovations followed, with the Jail End getting seats installed and a completely new North Stand being built. Under-soil heating was also added to the ground and more car parking was made available around the stadium.
Future Developments
Having undergone a reasonably significant overhaul in 2012 it is unlikely that the ground will undergo any major work in the foreseeable future.