History of Scunthorpe Page 3
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United, nicknamed 'The Iron', were formed in 1899. In 1910 they merged with Lindsey United to become Scunthorpe and Lindsey
United and joined the Midland League in 1912. After a number of unsuccessful attempts at joining the Football League they were eventually
admitted in 1950, after the number of teams were increased from 88 to 92, and finished their first season in twelfth place. They were
promoted to Division Two in 1958 after finishing seven points clear of second place Accrington Stanley. The 1961/62 season saw them
finish in fourth position, which remains their highest league position ever! After the sale of top goal scorer Barrie Thomas, the
fortunes of the club changed. In the 1963/64 season they finished bottom of the league and were relegated to the Division Three and
after four seasons dropped further to the Basement Division in 1968. Although Kevin Keegan and Ray Clemence both began at United, in
the late 1960s, it was not until 1972 that the team were back in Division Three. In the years following, there were relegations and
promotions, and for the 2000/2001 seasons they are back in Division Three.
In May 1998 the Old Show Ground was demolished to make way for a supermarket development, and the club moved to the £2.5million,
purpose built, Glanford Park Stadium, which opened on August 14, 1998 with Kevin Keegan, among others, playing in a celebrity match.
The first league game at the new stadium saw Scunthorpe United beat Hereford United 3-1 and secured them their first three points of the season.
Scunthorpe Today
Scunthorpe is still a major supplier to the country's annual steel output. It has the largest single steel works, Corus' Scunthorpe Steel
(formerly British Steel), and it is one of the few steelworks that is self-financing and profitable, making 4 million tonnes of liquid
steel a year. Since the steelworks arrived in Scunthorpe, over 130 years ago, the town has changed considerably and become fairly prosperous.
The five rural villages that originally made up Scunthorpe had a population of just over 1,000, where now there is a population of over 60,000.
The local economy is thriving and many companies are choosing to relocate here, giving it the lowest unemployment rate in the Humberside sub-region.
The steelworks are still the major employer but Scunthorpe is becoming a commercial centre for companies such Lloyds TSB and Ericsson,
who have made it their headquarters. Scunthorpe also has a lot to offer in the way of markets, restaurants, pubs, cafes and two cinemas,
as well as all its cultural heritage.
Sources:
www.britannica.com
www.northlincs.gov.uk
www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk
