Lorraine nets top job with Premiership football club Ross County
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A CAITHNESS woman has netted a top job with a Scottish Premiership football club.
Lorraine Christie was appointed general manager at Ross County after the team won promotion from the Championship at the end of last season.
Lorraine, whose maiden name is Sutherland, was born and raised in Thurso and worked with the Co-op for 30 years – latterly as a regional director – before becoming the business development manager at County in 2015.
Club chairman Roy MacGregor asked her to become general manager when the Staggies were promoted back to the top flight.
Lorraine, who was a season ticket holder at the club prior to working there, is looking forward to the new league campaign which gets under way on Saturday with a home game against Hamilton. The Championship flag will be unfurled just before kick-off.
"We are looking forward to it and feel we are back where we belong," Lorraine said. "We had a great season in the Championship and there is a real buzz about the club and a great atmosphere as the new season begins. We are raring to go.
"I think we will do well. Our co-managers Steven [Ferguson] and Stuart [Kettlewell] have done a really good job and have a great vision for the club. Ross County being back in the Premiership is good for Dingwall, the Highlands and the local economy."
We had a great season in the Championship and there is a real buzz about the club and a great atmosphere as the new season begins.
Her role as general manager involves the day-to-day running of the non-football side of the club and preparing for match days.
"A lot of planning goes on to get ready for 3pm on a Saturday afternoon," she explained. "It was quite an eye-opener when I came here and realised the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to get people to a game."
She has a team of 10 staff and 20 volunteers on match days.
"Part of my role is to engage with fans and get feedback from them," Lorraine went on. "I also have to work with corporate clients and speak to people about sponsorship for the club.
"No two days are the same. It can be challenging but is no different from other workplaces and it is also very rewarding.
"It was a low point when we were relegated in 2018 but it was also an opportunity to get back up to the top flight but we had to ensure everything was right for that."
She sees the County squad nearly every day and also gets the chance to see players from clubs such as Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibs and Hearts when they come to the Global Energy Stadium.
Lorraine encountered some of the Lisbon Lions – the Celtic legends who in 1967 became the first British team to win the European Cup – a couple of years ago, and has also met Calum and Rory Macdonald of Gaelic rock group Runrig who are season ticket holders at County.
Her life now is quite different to when she left school in Thurso and went to work at the town's Woolworths store. She was there for about a year before becoming a general assistant at the local Co-op in 1985.
Lorraine was a supervisor and after further promotions became an area and then regional manager for the company. She was responsible for 3000 employees from Shetland to the Western Isles and Aberdeen but four years ago she was made redundant following a restructuring of the business.
"I thought I would be with the Co-op until I retired but the changes gave me an opportunity to try something different," she said. "I had been doing a lot of travelling and was away from home a lot so I decided it was time for pastures new.
"A job became available at Ross County. I met with Roy MacGregor and was offered the position as business development manager who heads up the commercial side of the club."
Lorraine lives in Rosemarkie on the Black Isle with her husband Liam, who is also from Caithness and is a director of North Highland Events and Promotions Ltd.
They both have relatives in the far north and return as often as they can. Lorraine added: "I always love to come back home. I don't get up as often as I would like but love coming back to catch up with family and friends."
