Victoria Park is the home of Ross County, and for a visiting supporter it is a proper away day: a compact all-seater ground in Dingwall, five minutes from the High Street and less than 500 metres from the railway station. Sponsorship has called it the Global Energy Stadium since 2012, but the address is still Victoria Park, Jubilee Road, Dingwall, IV15 9QZ, and that is the name you will hear in the town.
The ground opened in 1929, the year the club was formed, and now holds 6,541. The present shape dates from the 2012 rebuild. Seats went into the old Jail End, a new stand rose behind the opposite goal, and undersoil heating was laid under the grass. The pitch is about 110 yards by 75. Dingwall sits on the edge of the Cromarty Firth, so wind and rain are part of the afternoon. A waterproof is rarely wasted.
Away fans are given the North Stand, also called the Academy End, directly behind the northern goal. Opened in 2012, it is the larger of the two ends, holding just under 2,000 in a single covered tier with no pillars in the sightline. Toilets and catering sit behind the seats. Walk in from the town over the railway bridge and this end is the far end of the ground, with the Highland Football Academy behind it. A bigger following is sometimes given a block in the West Stand as well. Your own club will say if that applies.
Behind the southern goal is the Jail End. The name has nothing to do with the supporters: the old county jail and sheriff court stood behind this end, and the jail buildings are housing now. It is a simpler stand than yours, about half the size, with a roof over the rear seats and pillars across the middle. This is where the noisier home support gathers, so the singing comes from the far goalmouth rather than from the side.
The West Stand runs the full length of the Jubilee Road touchline, the side nearest the town. It is the main stand, the most sheltered from the weather, and the easiest if anyone with you has trouble with steps. The tunnel and the cameras split it. The older half is nearer the Jail End; the newer half has the better toilets and tea bar and is where families tend to sit. Opposite, the East Stand is lower and was extended in 2012 towards the Jail End. The view is good, but the way in runs along the back of the South Stand, so it is the awkward route if steps are a problem. Home fans use every section except the North Stand.
Dingwall station is a short walk, and the train from Inverness takes about half an hour. Buses stop on Hill Street beside the Royal Hotel. Town-centre car parks are free and signposted. The ground car park is charged on matchdays and is small. Cars cannot get through in the last half hour before kick-off, so arrive early or leave the car in town and walk. The Mallard, on Station Square, and the Caledonian, on the High Street, are the usual places for a drink before the turnstiles. Buy tickets through the club or, for an ordinary game, at the ground, and check segregation on the week of the match. The North Stand turnstiles are at the far end once you have crossed the railway. You will be behind the northern goal, looking straight down the pitch at the Jail End.