Ross County call against Rangers still irks Jim McIntyre

The following season he oversaw three Premiership draws against Rangers, two at Ibrox and the other at Victoria Park. Rangers return to Dingwall today, protecting an unbeaten record in 15 encounters with the Staggies consisting of 12 wins and those three stalemates.

Yet McIntyre remains convinced that only a poor decision by referee Andrew Dallas prevented him making even more history when County drew 1-1 with Mark Warburton’s visitors on November 6, 2016.

“You get these football guys who remember every game and every goal but I’m the complete opposite of that,” he admitted. “However, I’ll never forget a decision by Andrew Dallas which cost us a home win.

“It was already 1-1 when James Tavernier had passed the ball back to Wes Foderingham and, as Liam Boyce pressed him, he picked the ball up! Two yards off his line! And Dallas did nothing. I went searching for him after the game to get an explanation but I couldn’t find him.

“These are the decisions you expect to go your way and you don’t expect the officials to miss them. I don’t normally slaughter referees because it’s a difficult job but let’s do it anyway!

“On reflection, going to Ibrox twice and playing them once at home that season and remaining unbeaten was a big achievement for County. We’d go there, keep it tight and wait for the fans to get on their backs.

“I’d speak to each player individually and make it all about one-to-one stuff and stress how important it was for him to come out on top against his direct opponent. It’s difficult to hold your shape against the Old Firm because their movement is so fluid.

To do well you need to be compact, your goalkeeper has to be on his game and they need to have a bit of an off

day – plus the referee has to do his job..

“I remember another incident at Dingwall, when Scott Brown smashed Boycie and he was shown a straight red. To be fair to Broony, Boycie had done him a minute earlier and Broony was chasing him to get him back.

“He appealed the red card. I turned up at the hearing and I was astounded when he had it rescinded but that’s what happens when you’re dealing with the big two. It’s mental.”

McIntyre went on to work for Dundee but has been outside looking in since his dismissal following the Tayside club’s relegation to the Championship in May, 2019 but he has not remained idle.

“I had two years where I went for interviews but missed out on a couple of jobs and I was getting to the stage where I’d been out for as long as big Yogi [John Hughes],” he said. “Dundee was a car crash and I didn’t get the job done, end of story. There were mitigating circumstances but nobody wants to know about that - the bottom line is I didn’t get the results.

“Keeping fit has always been a big part of my life. I used to train every morning at County, including Saturdays. I wanted to be my own boss and doing this gives me a reason to get up in the morning.

“It’s been really successful so far. I set up a Facebook page, converted my garage into a gym – I had to buy equipment during the lockdown anyway because the gyms I’d been using were closed - and distributed leaflets in the Dunblane area.

“There have been certain things I used in football coaching which I’ve been able to bring to it but I’ve learned new stuff as well.

“I have 18 clients at the minute and some of them come twice a week, which is plenty for me. I’m never going that guy who charges twenty people a fiver a head for the same session because I prefer working in a maximum of threes.

“I also do a little football coaching with young kids and I might start going back to games and putting my face about again.

“I’m happy doing what I do but if the right job came up at a part-time club I’d be interested. I wouldn’t accept anything for the sake of it, though, because I don’t

need it.”