Ross James Draper (born 20 October 1988) is an English
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player and coach who plays for Elgin City.
Draper, who plays as a
central midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
, has previously played for
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
,
Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts. Stafford Rangers' rivals include T ...
,
Hednesford Town
Hednesford Town Football Club is a football club based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Keys Park.
History
The club was established in 1880 as a merger of the Red & Whites and Hill Top.
,
Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional association football, football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was liquidation, wound-up after a High Court of Justice, High Court ruling on 16 September 2020.
Initially kno ...
,
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team currently competes in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional F ...
Cove Rangers
Cove Rangers Football Club is a senior Scottish football club currently playing in the Scottish Championship. They are based in the Cove Bay area of Aberdeen and play their football at Balmoral Stadium, having left their former home at Allan ...
.
Career
Draper started his career as a trainee at
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
, before moving to
Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
club
Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts. Stafford Rangers' rivals include T ...
in August 2007. He made his debut for Stafford on 10 September, in the 3–0 away defeat in the
Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
to
Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Football Club (known as Stevenage Borough Football Club until 2010) is a professional association football club based in the town of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, League Two, the fourth tier o ...
. He made a total of 31 appearances during the 2007–08 season.
Draper revealed he worked in a range of jobs while playing part-time, quoting: ''"When I was at Hednesford I had a job at Birmingham Midshires. I worked with mortgages then in administration before I moved into the collections department."''
Macclesfield Town
Draper went on to join
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
club
Hednesford Town
Hednesford Town Football Club is a football club based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Keys Park.
History
The club was established in 1880 as a merger of the Red & Whites and Hill Top.
, before signing for
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
side
Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional association football, football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was liquidation, wound-up after a High Court of Justice, High Court ruling on 16 September 2020.
Initially kno ...
in July 2009. He revealed he had offers from clubs in the
Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
, but wanted to play in
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
.
He made his debut for Macclesfield on 8 August, in the 0–0 away draw against
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...
in League Two. He scored his first goal in the Football League in the 2–2 draw against
Morecambe
Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea.
Name
The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), w ...
on 22 August.
Draper signed a two-year contract extension with Macclesfield in April 2010 and at the end of the season, he had made twenty-nine appearances, scoring once. The 2010/11 season, under new manager Gary Simpson – who had previously been Alexander's assistant at Lincoln City and
Peterborough United
Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
, saw Draper become a first team regular. He made forty appearances and scored five times.
In August 2011, at the start of the 2011–12 season, Draper attracted national news attention after scoring from close to the halfway line against
Hereford United
Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
. Macclesfield went on to win the League Two match 4–0. Afterwards, Draper conceded that he would never score another goal like it in his career. On 9 October 2011, he scored and provided an assist for George Donnelly during a 2–1 win over
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
. Later that month, the club opened contract extension negotiations with Draper. On 25 November 2011, he received a straight red card – for the first time in his Macclesfield career – after a serious foul on
Michael Hector
Michael Anthony James Hector (born 19 July 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Charlton Athletic. Born in England, he represents the Jamaica national team.
Hector began his career in the youth teams at Millwall an ...
in a 2–1 loss against
Barnet
Barnet may refer to:
People
*Barnet (surname)
* Barnet (given name)
Places United Kingdom
*Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below.
*East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...
. After the match, the club appealed his sending off. However, the FA rejected this appeal and confirmed a ban for three matches.
In the early part of the season, Draper had found some goalscoring form but this was halted when he sustained a fractured metatarsal during a 2–1 win over
Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
. This injury kept him sidelined between December and March.
Meanwhile, the club had slipped into a losing streak, which ultimately led to relegation and ended fifteen consecutive seasons in the Football League. As a result, Macclesfield undertook a severe cost-cutting exercise and released twenty-one players, with Draper being the only incumbent player to be offered a new contract. During the subsequent negotiations, he reportedly attracted interest from other clubs 'wanting his signature'.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
After rejecting a new contract at Macclesfield Town, Draper signed for
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the top level league competition for professional football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football' ...
club
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team currently competes in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional F ...
in July 2012, on a one-year contract. His move to Scotland left manager Steve King upset, as it was ruled that there would be no compensation from Inverness.
Draper made his debut in the opening game of the season, a 2–2 draw against St Mirren. Three weeks later, he scored his first goals for his new club, netting twice – in only his second home appearance, during a 4–2 defeat by
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
. He went on to score in the
Highland derby
The Highland derby is a football rivalry that is based in the Scottish Highlands. It is contested between the only two full-time SPFL clubs in the Highland council area, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County. The city of Inverness and ...
and then notched another against Hibernian. Having established himself in the first team, playing in central midfield, Draper signed a new contract with the club, in conjunction with Billy McKay, who had also agreed to an extension. He later commented that agreeing to the new one-year deal had been an easy decision to make. Another goal later in the campaign meant that Draper finished his first season with Inverness with forty appearances and five goals.
In the 2013–14 season, Draper scored his first goal during the quarter-final of the
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
. The goal proved to be the winner in the 2–1 win over Dundee United, sending the club into the semi-finals. He received his first red-card as an Inverness player when he was dismissed for a second bookable offence against Ross County on 1 January 2014. Draper helped the club reach the League Cup final after scoring the winning penalty during the shoot-out against Hearts in the semi-final. After the match, he revealed that manager John Hughes had organised mock shoot-outs ahead of the game. He also disclosed that due to his previous occupation as a 'debt collector', his teammates had given him the nickname ''The Bailiff''. In the final of the
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
, Draper expertly performed his role during the game, by effectively smothering
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
in midfield. However, the match ended scoreless, and after extra-time, Inverness lost on penalties. Despite his team losing, he was named the 'Man-of-the-Match'. Draper grudgingly accepted the award, explaining: ''"It's nice to get an award like that to show the kids when I'm older but it doesn't mean a great deal at the moment after the way we were beaten. And maybe I didn't deserve it. I'll take it, but it means nothing without a winner's medal to back it up."'' On 19 March 2014, Draper signed a new two-year contract extension with ''Caley Thistle''. Weeks after signing a new contract, Draper scored his first league goal of the season, in a 2–2 draw against St Mirren on 29 March 2014. Draper went on to make forty-one appearances, scoring twice in all competitions.
At the beginning of the 2014–15 season, Draper's impressive early performances led to him receiving the award of SPFL Player of the Month for August. Soon after, he collected four yellow cards in three matches which resulted in a one-match suspension, however he insisted he wasn't a dirty player. Draper was then sent-off in the 67th minute, in a 1–0 loss against
St Johnstone
St Johnstone Football Club is a professional association football club in Perth, Scotland which is a member of the Scottish Premiership for the 2022–23 season. The club's name is derived from St John's Toun ''aka'' Saint Johnstoun – an old ...
on 20 December 2014 and had to serve a two match ban. He made his first team return, coming on as a substitute for
Aaron Doran
Aaron Brian Doran Cogan (born 13 May 1991), known as Aaron Doran, is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Scottish Championship club Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He previously played at Blackburn Rovers, from where he spe ...
in the 79th minute, in a 1–0 loss against St Mirren on 4 January 2015. Draper then played 120 minutes, as Inverness beat Celtic 3–2 to reach their first ever Scottish Cup final.> After making the final, Draper said he hoped Inverness could do themselves justice, saying that he would have been happy to have thrown away his League Cup final man of the match award, such was his disappointment that day. Draper played as a centre-midfielder in the Scottish Cup final, in a 2–1 win over
Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
as Inverness won the Scottish Cup for the first time. After the match, Draper expressed his delight at winning the trophy following the years he'd spent playing non-league in England. Draper went on to make eighty-eight appearances in all competitions.
Ross County
Draper moved to Ross County in August 2017. Ross County got relegated from the
Scottish Premiership
The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish ...
that season finishing bottom of the table. The 2018–19 season Draper was part of the team that won the
Scottish Championship
The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland
Scotland (, ...
and
Scottish Challenge Cup
The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,Scottish League One
The Scottish League One, known as cinch League One for sponsorship reasons, is the third tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish League One was e ...
side
Cove Rangers
Cove Rangers Football Club is a senior Scottish football club currently playing in the Scottish Championship. They are based in the Cove Bay area of Aberdeen and play their football at Balmoral Stadium, having left their former home at Allan ...
. In September 2021, Draper then joined
Scottish League Two
The Scottish League Two, known as cinch League Two for sponsorship reasons, is the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish League Two was ...
side Elgin City on loan until January 2022. On 14 January 2022, the loan was extended for the remainder of the 2021–22 season. Draper, who had been affected by a knee injury, was allowed to leave Cove at the end of the summer 2022 transfer window.
Elgin City
Draper signed for Elgin on a permanent basis on 1 September 2022. In April 2023 following the sacking of manager
Gavin Price
Gavin Gilbert Price (born 29 October 1974 in Perth) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player. He played as a forward for Forfar Athletic, Kinnoull, Meadowbank Thistle, Brechin City, ADO Den Haag, St Johnstone, Stirling Albio ...
, Draper was named a co-interim manager for the side alongside coaches Charlie Charlesworth and Stevie Dunn. A month later Draper was appointed manager of Elgin City on a three-year contract. Draper left the managerial position in early September 2023, but returned to it in a caretaker capacity in November after Barry Smith left.
Career statistics
Managerial record
Honours
Club
;Inverness Caledonian Thistle
*
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2014–15
;Ross County
*
Scottish Championship
The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland
Scotland (, ...