ST MIRREN manager Jack Ross believes getting the fans back on side has been one of his key successes this season. Ross, named the Championship manager of the month, had gone into the stand to confront angry supporters after a 3-0 home defeat to Queen of the South in January. The club seemed at their lowest ebb then and destined for relegation, but staged a dramatic comeback in the second half of the season to avoid the drop.
Ross revealed that he has received messages of support from many grateful fans, and an apology from one of the supporters who had abused him after that match.
He said: “I’ve had a lot of letters and emails from a variety of supporters. I met a guy at hospitality last week and he was one of the fans who was giving me stick that day but that was good. I said at the time it was me trying to strengthen the relationship between the supporters and the playing side of the club.
“But I never felt as though we were doomed. It’s easy to say that now but I was quite consistent when I spoke after games. There were some sore days and some dark days and I reflect on that with my assistant James Fowler now.
“I genuinely never visualised us being in League One and I’m a big fan of visualisation. I never actually visualised us being in the play-offs either at the end of the season but I knew we couldn’t control everything. I knew that potentially we may not get out of it but I always had the belief that we would.”
Ross now has his sights set on trying to achieve promotion next season. He added: “I remember when I took the job I said that I thought the club should be in the Premiership. Going down a league would have set us back a year.
“But we’ve flipped it around and we’ve brought fans back. So the club has the structure to get back to the Premiership; the stadium, the training ground and the fanbase. The ownership is prudent and won’t get carried away but there’s a drive and determination there to take the club back.
“The club has to aim to be promoted. And there are two ways to do that from the Championship. And it’s not being bullish in saying that or putting pressure on ourselves – that’s got to be the aim. We’ve finished seventh so if we finish fifth next year is that improvement? Not really for me. We have to look to give ourselves an opportunity to be promoted.”
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