Ronaldo of the Glen inducted into Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
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Shinty's all-time greatest goalscorer has been inducted into Scotland's sports hall of fame.
Ronald Ross was selected along with football star Julie Fleeting for the prestigious honour at the Scottish Sports Awards 2023.
The ceremony was hosted by sportscotland and Team Scotland on Thursday night when the success of individuals, schools, clubs, and teams across the whole of Scottish sport were honoured.
Ross – dubbed Ronaldo of the Glen for his goal-scoring exploits – is the only player to ever score more than 1000 goals in shinty.
He has also been international boss and continues to play a pivotal role in the game as national development manager with the Camanachd Association.
Ross is also a keen mentor and promoter of the game at youth level.
The panel said his performances for a dominant Kingussie team 'put him in a category of his own'.
He is the second shinty and Badenoch inductee after Newtonmore turn of the century shinty star Dr John Cattanach (1885-1915) who was killed in the First World War.
Fleeting won 18 major honours in her football career, including 17 in nine years as a key part of an all-conquering Arsenal team.
The pair have become the 100th and 101st inductees to the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.
They now rub shoulders with legends including footballers Jim Baxter, Dennis Law, Kenny Dalglish and Billy Bremner, sailor Sir Chay Blyth, jockey Willy Carson, rugby's Gavin Hastings, cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, runner Liz McGolgan, rally driver Colin MacRae, football managers Jock Stein and Sir Matt Busby, boxing's Ken Buchanan and a host of other famous sporting names. See the full list here.
The Scottish Sports Hall of Fame was established by sportscotland in 2002 to recognise and honour the many great champions this country has produced.
Following tonight’s ceremony at the Glasgow Science Centre there are now 101 inductees.
Congratulating the two newest inductees, Mel Young, Chair of sportscotland, said: “I am delighted that two athletes of the calibre of Julie Fleeting and Ronald Ross have been recognised for their exceptional achievements and inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.
“Throughout their careers Julie and Ronald have been trailblazers for their sports and have represented the very best of Scottish sport on the world stage.
"It is absolutely right that they should be honoured by the nation for their contribution to sport and I hope that by celebrating their success we can inspire future generations to make sport a part of their lives.”
Ross' goalscoring exploits for Kingussie often saw him outgunning the total season tallies for opposition rivals – in 2002/03 his total of 94 goals in all competition exceeded the combined tally of Newtonmore and Fort William.
In 2003 his all-conquering Kingussie side were billed as the world’s most successful sporting team having claimed their 18th consecutive title.
Ross continues to play an important role in the sport he loves.
He popularised the wearing of safety helmets amongst young players and is employed as a shinty development officer by the Camanachd Association.
Julie Fleeting spent nine years at Arsenal and was the first Scot to play as a full-time professional in the US women’s game (WUSA), playing for San Diego Spirit.
She won the Scottish Women's League title with Ayr and 17 major trophies with Arsenal, including the UEFA Women’s Cup, seven consecutive league titles and five FA Women’s Cups.
Julie is Scotland’s record goal scorer, earning 121 caps and scoring 116 goals between her debut in 1996 (at the age of 15) and retirement in 2015, and captained her country for eight years.
She was awarded an MBE in 2008 and entered the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Selecting the winners of the annual awards was an exceptionally difficult task this year with historic performances from athletes including Beth Potter, Josh Kerr and Team Scotland’s Trinbago 2023 Rugby 7s, and life-changing work in local communities working hard to make sport and physical activity truly inclusive through winners like Active Life Club in Glasgow and Oaklands School in Edinburgh.
Mr Young, said: “A huge congratulations to all the winners at this year’s Scottish Sport Awards.
"It has been a real celebration of the whole sporting system and recognition of the talent, hard work and dedication it takes to have an impact at every level.
“Every year the Scottish Sports Awards provide us with a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the power of sport and its ability to bring the nation together as Scotland’s athletes perform on the world stage, and to support the communities working so hard to reduce inequalities.
"Every winner at this year’s awards is truly deserving of recognition and celebration and I hope their achievements will inspire more people to embrace sport for life.”
See the 2023 award winners by clicking here.
