Ross Jack
Encyclopedia
Ross Jack (born March 21, 1959 in Avoch
, Scotland
) is a Scottish
former football
player, who is presently the manager
of Elgin City
.
with Ross County
where he made a handful of appearances in the 1974–75 season before joining Everton
, initially as an apprentice before graduating to the professional ranks. He made only a solitary, goalscoring appearance, for Everton and, after a fruitless loan spell at Cardiff City
, he joined Norwich City
for £20,000 in December 1979. He would have to wait almost a year before making his Norwich debut against Ipswich Town
in the League Cup in September 1980. In the 1981–82 season, he scored 10 league goals for Norwich and, with two in the FA Cup
and two more in the Football League Cup
, was the club's leading scorer for the season. In the summer of 1983, a fee of £15,000 secured his transfer to Lincoln City
where he remained for the next two seasons. His last game for Lincoln, and in England, was in May 1985, against Bradford City
, in a game overshadowed by the Bradford City stadium fire, which killed 56 spectators.
In July 1985, he returned to Scotland to join Dundee
. In October 1987, Dunfermline Athletic
's manager Jim Leishman
paid £15,000 to secure Jack's services and he made an instant impression, scoring on his debut in a 3–2 away defeat to Motherwell
. In each of his three seasons at the club, Jack would finish as Dunfermline's leading scorer, his most successful season being the 1989–1990
campaign when he was the second highest goalscorer in the Scottish Premier League, his 16 league goals placing him just one goal behind John Robertson. In July 1991 a fee of £45,000 was sufficient to see Jack move to Kilmarnock
. Following a brief loan sojourn to Sligo Rovers
(January – March 1993), Jack was appointed player-manager of Montrose
in March 1993. His spell would last only six months and in October 1993 he moved on to Ayr United
before retiring from the professional game at the end of the 1993–1994
season.
(SFA), first as the SFA's Highlands and Islands
area community development officer and then as the SFA's North of Scotland Football Development Officer. In October 2001 it was announced that he would leave this role to take up the position of High Performance Football Coach at the Scottish Institute of Sport
, a role he commenced in December 2001 and maintains to this day. On his appointment, Jack was quoted as saying "this new role is one where I hope we can make a difference to the future prospects of Scottish football."
Ross has continued (as of 2007) to play football at a junior level, particularly in the North Caledonian Football League
with Alness United
and, in the summer months, with hometown Avoch
.
In October 2007 there was speculation that Jack may make a return to management with Ross County
with The Scotsman
quoting Jack as saying "the time could be right for me to get back into the game. I could think of no better club than Ross County to do that with. I'm a local boy and County have played a big part in my life." but the return did not materialise. In April 2008, his post as the Scottish Institute of Sport's high-performance football coach was axed after the Scottish FA decided that the coaching of young players was best done by the individual clubs. Jack finally made his return to Ross County
when he was appointed assistant coach in July 2008. In December 2008 Ross lost his job with Ross County
due to the managerial team wanting to take a "new direction".He now manages elgin city fc in the Scottish third division.
Avoch
Avoch is a harbour-village located on the south-east coast of the Black Isle, on the Moray Firth.Ormond Castle or Avoch Castle was a stronghold built on the site and served as a royal castle to William the Lion; passed on to the Morays of Petty then Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway, upon his...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
former football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player, who is presently the manager
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of Elgin City
Elgin City F.C.
Elgin City Football Club are a semi-professional football team based in Elgin, Moray. They currently compete in the Scottish Third Division....
.
Playing career
A striker, Jack began his career in the Highland Football LeagueHighland Football League
The Press & Journal Highland Football League is a league of football clubs operating not just in the Scottish Highlands, as the name may suggest, but also in the north-east lowlands...
with Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
where he made a handful of appearances in the 1974–75 season before joining Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, initially as an apprentice before graduating to the professional ranks. He made only a solitary, goalscoring appearance, for Everton and, after a fruitless loan spell at Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, he joined Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
for £20,000 in December 1979. He would have to wait almost a year before making his Norwich debut against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
in the League Cup in September 1980. In the 1981–82 season, he scored 10 league goals for Norwich and, with two in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and two more in the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, was the club's leading scorer for the season. In the summer of 1983, a fee of £15,000 secured his transfer to Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
where he remained for the next two seasons. His last game for Lincoln, and in England, was in May 1985, against Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
, in a game overshadowed by the Bradford City stadium fire, which killed 56 spectators.
In July 1985, he returned to Scotland to join Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
. In October 1987, Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
's manager Jim Leishman
Jim Leishman
Jim 'Leish' Leishman MBE, is a former professional footballer and current director of football of Scottish Premier League side Dunfermline Athletic.-Playing:...
paid £15,000 to secure Jack's services and he made an instant impression, scoring on his debut in a 3–2 away defeat to Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
. In each of his three seasons at the club, Jack would finish as Dunfermline's leading scorer, his most successful season being the 1989–1990
1989-90 in Scottish football
The 1989–90 season was the 93rd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Notable events:Rangers won their third league title in four seasons under the management of Graeme Souness....
campaign when he was the second highest goalscorer in the Scottish Premier League, his 16 league goals placing him just one goal behind John Robertson. In July 1991 a fee of £45,000 was sufficient to see Jack move to Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
. Following a brief loan sojourn to Sligo Rovers
Sligo Rovers F.C.
Sligo Rovers Football Club is a professional Irish football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1928 and have been in the League of Ireland since 1934. The club is a co-operative venture, owned by the people of Sligo. Sligo Rovers have played at...
(January – March 1993), Jack was appointed player-manager of Montrose
Montrose F.C.
Montrose Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team, based in the town of Montrose, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division.- Early years :...
in March 1993. His spell would last only six months and in October 1993 he moved on to Ayr United
Ayr United F.C.
Ayr United Football Club are a Scottish association football team based in Ayr, South Ayrshire, that plays in the First Division of the Scottish Football League. Formed in 1910 after the merger of former clubs Ayr Parkhouse F.C. and Ayr F.C...
before retiring from the professional game at the end of the 1993–1994
1993-94 in Scottish football
The 1993–94 season was the 97th season of competitive football in Scotland. This season saw several teams relegated from the 1st and 2nd divisions in preparation for the introduction of a 3rd division the following season.-Notable events:...
season.
Coaching career
Post retirement, Jack moved into coaching, primarily focusing with work with the Scottish Football AssociationScottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
(SFA), first as the SFA's Highlands and Islands
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands of Scotland are broadly the Scottish Highlands plus Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides.The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1886 applied...
area community development officer and then as the SFA's North of Scotland Football Development Officer. In October 2001 it was announced that he would leave this role to take up the position of High Performance Football Coach at the Scottish Institute of Sport
Scottish Institute of Sport
The Scottish Institute of Sport is the national sports development body in Scotland. It is part of sportscotland, a publicly owned company which is partly funded by the UK's National Lottery.The SIS was established in 1998...
, a role he commenced in December 2001 and maintains to this day. On his appointment, Jack was quoted as saying "this new role is one where I hope we can make a difference to the future prospects of Scottish football."
Ross has continued (as of 2007) to play football at a junior level, particularly in the North Caledonian Football League
North Caledonian Football League
The North Caledonian Football League or North Caley is an amateur football league operating in the highlands of Scotland. Founded in 1896, the league has regularly contained a number of "A" or Reserve teams of Highland Football League clubs alongside local amateur teams...
with Alness United
Alness United F.C.
Alness United F.C. are Scottish football club from Alness. They competed in the North Caledonian Football League until 2009.Alness United play in green and black striped strips. They play home matches at Dalmore Park...
and, in the summer months, with hometown Avoch
Avoch
Avoch is a harbour-village located on the south-east coast of the Black Isle, on the Moray Firth.Ormond Castle or Avoch Castle was a stronghold built on the site and served as a royal castle to William the Lion; passed on to the Morays of Petty then Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway, upon his...
.
In October 2007 there was speculation that Jack may make a return to management with Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
with The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
quoting Jack as saying "the time could be right for me to get back into the game. I could think of no better club than Ross County to do that with. I'm a local boy and County have played a big part in my life." but the return did not materialise. In April 2008, his post as the Scottish Institute of Sport's high-performance football coach was axed after the Scottish FA decided that the coaching of young players was best done by the individual clubs. Jack finally made his return to Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
when he was appointed assistant coach in July 2008. In December 2008 Ross lost his job with Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
due to the managerial team wanting to take a "new direction".He now manages elgin city fc in the Scottish third division.