Maurice Ross will never forget staging a Helicopter Sunday with a difference on the Faroe Islands.
The 2005 Rangers title winner spent two “great but mental” seasons managing in one of world football’s outposts.
One of the craziest days saw him arrive too late to catch the only boat from remote Suduroy to his club’s game at Vikingur Gota in
September 2017.
Emergency transport was scrambled in a panic by his chairman and Ross arrived ahead of his squad by chopper.
He then led TB/FCS/Royn to a stunning 3-2 win over the champs – and landed the Vikingur job only weeks later.
Ross said: “The boat was just across from where I lived. So I used to just get up, have a quick shower, head over and that was me on it.
“This day, I thought the boat sailed at quarter to nine. But it left at half eight. I looked out of the window and there it was, turning away.
“We were playing the champions and there were rumours I was going to go there to manage them.
“My entire team is on the boat and there’s no more that day. I thought: ‘Oh no’. I phoned my chairman and said: ‘I’ve missed the f****** boat, get a dinghy, a lifeboat, anything’.
“It was mental weather but I was willing to do it. He said: ‘Let me phone the coastguard’.
“But by luck, one of our team sponsors worked with a helicopter company. They flew one from the airport to the southernmost island to pick me up.
“I was there before the players were! I came in like James Bond and got to the restaurant for the pre-match meal as they came in.
“They were hammering me for being ‘Billy Big Time’ and getting helicoptered in.
“But what an experience. Beating Vikingur 3-2 made us safe in the league with games to spare.
“Everyone started singing in the dressing room, then on the bus, it’s one of those special memories.”
Ross endured football hell with Berti Vogts’ side in the Faroes in 2002, when Scotland were lucky to scrape a 2-2 draw.
Fourteen years later, he found a happy home on the cluster of North Atlantic islands inhabited by only 53,000 people. A coaching journey that began in Norway took him on a welcome diversion.
“It was a brilliant experience,” Ross said. “At the end of the day, it’s players, cones, balls and tactics.
“It almost felt like a boot camp. Away from your family, no distractions. Just football. I absolutely loved it.
“I don’t do anything by half, do I? I mean, there’s 18 islands and 16 are connected by tunnel or bridge.
“I was on the southernmost, a two-hour journey on the boat. You’d set goals and cones up for training and go back inside. When you went back out they’d all blown off to one corner of the pitch. The wind was crazy.
“The sheep are the indicator for bad weather. They come down from the hills, into the town.
“When that happens, it’s time to get under the bed.
“The year before I was there, the big Maersk containers sitting at the docks were getting blown into the sea. Mad.
“The average temperature in the Faroes is about six degrees in the winter so it’s never freezing but never warm. ”
Warmth emanated from the locals as Ross helped keep Suduroy’s team in the top flight.
“The people were amazing, I felt so welcome,” he said. “It was a home from home. They love their Scottish.
“They serve Tunnock’s Tea Cakes in the stores, they’ve Caramel Wafers too. You’d think that’s strange but it’s only a couple of hundred miles north of Scrabster, there’s the fishing connection too.
“It’s totally unspoiled by commercialism. TB is the oldest club, an amalgamated team.
“Because of the geography it’s hard to attract people but we put a team together and performed well.
“The aim was not to be relegated and we finished fourth bottom, amassing a good amount of points.” Ross coached brothers and likely opponents of Scotland on Tuesday, Solvi and Gunnar Vatnhamar, at Vikingur. They both featured as Steve Clarke ’s men won 4-0 at Hampden in March.
Ross expects a tougher task but at least the game isn’t in Toftir where Scotland were twice held to draws.
Ross, who was visiting German clubs with ex- Dundee midfielder Mark Fotheringham on a coaching education trip this week, added: “Solvi and Gunnar were lovely boys and great players.
“I’m still in touch with them and also Atli Gregersen who had a spell at Ross County.
“They’re a brilliant nation who love football. I felt they did all right in March, although they played some players in the wrong positions.
“I’d like to think in Torshavn they’d be a bit more adventurous. They have decent players and this will be a tough task.
“I’m looking forward to watching the game and seeing some old faces.
“I always look out for their results. I’ve got a big affection and admiration for them. I just hope they don’t beat Scotland.”
