The Highlands football club Ross County is hoping to make some matchwinning signings with a difference — by finding wealthy entrepreneurs to join its board.

The first division team has taken out an advert in today’s Sunday Times to recruit “football business directors”, following in the footsteps of rival Dundee FC, which netted one of Scotland’s richest men as a director earlier this year.

Dingwall-based Ross County, at 14 miles north of Inverness the most northerly football club in Britain, hopes to attract business leaders who can advise on corporate and sporting development and invest in the club. It is fourth in the Scottish first division, and hopes any takers will help to promote it into the Scottish Premier League.

Dundee FC took the same route to recruit the oil and gas entrepreneur Calum Melville to its board who, along with his brother Stewart, is believed to be worth more than £120m. Melville, the managing director of Aberdeen oil firm Cosalt Offshore, replied to a Sunday Times advert placed by Dundee FC this year and has since funded the acquisition of a string of new players.

Roy MacGregor, the Ross County president, admitted he had been inspired by Dundee’s success. “I’m looking for someone with skills in business who has got an interest in this part of the world. Someone with some money behind them would be great,” he said.

MacGregor said an investment of £100,000 over the next two years would set the club on the road to premier league success. “It would not be a huge commitment,” he said. “To be able to get to the next league, we’re not looking for millions.” It is understood Ross County’s eight directors each make an annual investment of £20,000.

The team, which produced the Scotland player Don Cowie, also helps disadvantaged youngsters through sport.

“We want someone who is interested in that side of things as well; someone who wants to put something back,” said McGregor. The club’s latest accounts for the year to June 2008 show losses of around £95,000 on turnover of £197,000. “We have very little debt compared with the bigger clubs,” he said.

Times Recommends

• Minister in talks with Saudis to protect creditors
• Premier Inn hits back in £29-a-room row
• Bankers hit back at 'populist' bonus supertax