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This evening there is only one place to go and that of course is to Scunthorpe Utd. We’ve seen the troubles taking place at Southend Utd and also further up the food chain in the Football League as well, the Shrimpers have had some coverage from me and now time for the Iron to have the same.
The only thing to decide on is where to start with it all! If you are reading this in 24 hours’ time then the club will have played it’s last game at Glandford Park, home for the last 25 years for at least the time being.
Now the reason for that comes from a legal battle with former owner Peter Swann, a detachment of the ground from the club which is common amongst owners but certainly shouldn’t be, it’s about time there is a clause in the football constitution whereby the ground cannot be sold without the football club as a separate entity, protection is needed.
Let’s go back a short while to Swann running the club into the ground to the point where the incoming David Hilton (or whatever he wishes to be known by either now or before) was painted as the saviour to rid the club of their devilish incumbent.
Arriving in January this year Hilton arrived with a fanfare of cash, clearing debts, splashing out on players and bringing in manager Jimmy Dean from Peterborough Sports. Ultimately, it was too little too late, the damage of the prior months meant Dean couldn’t save them from relegation and the club sunk to the lowest level in its history for some 70 odd years, the National League North.
Undeterred, they went big again this summer bringing in around a dozen new players and most from levels higher no doubt commanding a decent wage. On the pitch, Dean has got the side gelled and as expected right in the promotion mix after 10 games.
Off the pitch the club has unravelled into the kind of mess it appeared had been left behind when Swann departed. But, actually it’s gone beyond that and a real threat that Scunthorpe Utd could cease to exist in the next few weeks or even days.
It’s hard to get your head around where to begin even with this, something new and jaw dropping almost every day this week has occurred. Let’s track back a few days before, The Athletic dropping a piece on Hilton and his fraudulent past, directors resigning, 5 CCJ’s in place and a winding up order issued.
On Monday afternoon they issued banning orders against a number of fans for daring to speak out against an owner who appears caught with his trousers down and doesn’t know which way to turn.
On Tuesday all club social media channels were deleted although Twitter/X was restored a couple of hours later.
On Wednesday came the bombshell announcement Hilton had withdrawn his financial backing to the club along with a move from Glandford Park to Gainsborough Trinity to fulfil the remaining fixtures only for Trinity to release their own statement a couple of hours later claiming to know nothing about a groundshare taking place.
I think that’s it up to date but please correct me if there is anything else I’ve missed out! All you can sum it up with is what an utter shambles. Once again we have an owner whose passed a test of his credentials apparently to be able to run a football club but clearly not have the capital to do so.
Not only are Southend Utd running dangerously close to the wind, the club that shares the same initials are also well in the mire. There are only one set of losers in all these circumstances and that is the fans.
My Twitter/X timeline has been full all day of Iron fans pleading for help. We get these idiots from the PL clubs moaning because they’ve lost five in a row or not won a cup for x amount of years, get real please, this is where the crisis is.
When this piece is consigned to my archives so could both Scunthorpe and Southend Utd be as well, it’s that grim, fans losing their club, not those unaffected in the wealth washing of cash at the elite level, the effect of people’s mental health is unbearable to think about.
Every time we see a club heading towards the rocks the call for the independent regulator gets louder with each crash, football just can’t govern itself and doesn’t appear to want to either so someone needs to step in for the good of the game, the whole game and not just those who feel football began in 1992.
It’s also about time we had fan ownership as a stipulation partnership for all clubs, how else is there a way round these rouge owners that are becoming more commonplace if the regulator doesn’t arrive?
Feel free to come at me David, because all I can see is you’ve misled the Iron fanbase, the staff, the players, the management team, the National League and everyone else connected with Scunthorpe Utd that you can run a football club.
Yes we appreciate that the club was almost at death’s door before you arrived but it doesn’t appear you’ve moved it any further away than when you took over.
The other thing as well and we’ve seen it today at Sheffield Wednesday owners withdrawing funding like clicking your fingers. I’m sorry but you decided to buy a football club you are responsible until you sell it, it’s not and none of them ever will be play toy’s, there are people’s livelihood’s on the line, generations of family support ingrained in the fabric of these clubs.
Enough is enough, the authorities need to do more because I bet you there are more than a dozen others that aren’t very far from sailing in this exact same ship, take accountability for your actions, own the problems and deal with it properly, banning fans and taking them for mugs isn’t a bright idea.
A reminder as well, every owner is a custodian of a club, nothing more, the club should be there for 100 years minimum long after they are gone, supporters will be there after a lifetime of different owners, some will do very well to read and remember that, for all the good owners that are out there, the bad apples are the ones that get the press and not for the right reasons.
*With news that staff at the club have not been paid a GoFundMe page has been set up by Iron Bru and if you wish to donate head to the link below to do so:
10 comments
It’s such a shame and disgrace what is happening with ownerships!
Scunthorpe were set up to return to the national league and this happened! Let’s hope something can be done.
As for Wednesday the EFL have time and time again let down clubs and fans with their so called vetting!
What a massive club with a terrific fan base. Deserves better
Just makes the independent regulator calls to become louder and louder with each passing case, would love to know what the Fit and Proper Persons Test is all about because clearly it can be bypassed in such a way these clubs find themselves in trouble.
100%. Unfit & Improper comes to mind.
From my own club Trev with recent ownership issues we aren’t sure who or what owns us anymore so there are definitely bypasses in the system.
Even more difficult for lower clubs. Surely, as an owner it’s about making the club sustainable even if it is to sell it down the line. You may have to make unpopular calls regarding selling players, reducing wages, budgets etc but if that means sustaining the club so be it
Agree with the need for far more control. Much reminds me of the situation at Barnet in the 90s so we can see this sort of thing has been going on for a long time but probably getting worse.
I can only conclude by saying to all the people who have a dig at TK from time to time be very very thankful for the fact we have this Chairman running our club, just look around you.
Absolutely David, Barnet are very lucky as it goes in this respect, what happens though when Tony does decide he’s had enough? 30 years is a long time to own one club, I think the issue is far worse than when Barnet went through the Flashman issues of the 90’s.
The FA will never learn. Remember the famous Mr Brown who nearly killed off Chesterfield FC? A conman who somehow became a football club owner.
I feel for the fans. Many football clubs are walking a tightrope. If the owner decides he won’t put cash in they will collapse. Clubs are being run in ways that no other business could survive, let alone thrive.
That was before my time I think Roland! I think many are a lot closer to going under than people know, the past three years has taught a lot of them nothing, oblivious to what is going on.
It’s always really sad when a club goes to the wall. The owners need to know they are investing in a community and it’s dreams and passion when they buy, not just a business.
It’s why the regulator is needed Matt, football just doesn’t want to govern itself but also wants to be treated differently as well, can’t have it both ways.
Agreed, not sure what could be done in advance. Think you may have his ear and hopefully he will not just walk away but work to insure the club passes to another pair of safe hands. After all he has done cannot see it being any other way.