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SCUNTHORPE TELEGRAPH SPECIAL PUBLICATION Saturday, September 8, 2007

visit our website www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk

SPORT

Ups and downs for Iron

S
EVENTY years ago Scunthorpe United were operating in the Midland League.
August 1937 saw the arrival at the Old Show Ground of centre forward Harry Johnson, whose 38 goals that season helped the Knuts as they were nicknamed in those days, finish sixth in the table. And it triggered their first application for membership of the Football League. That was to prove unsuccessful as too were a number of others until finally Scunthorpe were admitted as members of the old Third Division North in 1950. They spent eight seasons in that section before finishing champions in 1958, gaining promotion to the Second Division. They went on to spend six golden years in the second tier of English football and in 1961/62 flirted with promotion to the First Division. In April 1962 they finished fourth in the table, the season Liverpool went up as champions at the start of the Shankly dynasty at Anfield. The following campaign, Scunthorpe briefly went top of the table after a 1-0 home win against Swansea. But the bubble then burst and the club drifted into decline. They were relegated to Division Three in 1964 and four years later drifted down to the basement section where they were to be anchored for much of the next three decades. Despite unearthing young talent like Kevin Keegan and Ray Clemence, who both went on to play regularly for England, the club were stuck on the doldrums. Twice they had to seek re-election to the Football League, in 1975 and 1982. But 1988 provided the hope of a new dawn for United when they became the first club in modern times to move to a new purpose-built stadium. The switch from the Old Show Ground to Glanford Park was supposed to be the end of all their financial worries. It didnt quite work out like that but on the field Scunthorpe began to enjoy better fortunes. Four times in five seasons they reached the new-style promotion play-offs and in 1992 made their first visit to Wembley in a play-off final. It was to end in heartbreak in a defeat on penalties after a 1-1 draw against Blackpool. But seven years later Scunthorpe were back at the famous Twin Towers again and this time it was to be their moment of glory with a goal from Spanish ace Alex Calvo-Garcia giving them a 1-0 victory against Leyton Orient. But United quickly found themselves back down in the basement division again and in May 2004 only survived relegation out of the Football league

SOUVENIR: A souvenir sod of turf from the pitch at the Old Show Ground is dug by ex-players Jack Brownsword (left) and Jack Hubbard, after Scunthorpe United played their last match there in May 1988.

by the skin of their teeth. That, though, was to prove a remarkable turning point in their fortunes. With Steve Wharton returning to the helm as chairman, United have gone from strength to strength with two promotions in the past three seasons. They are now sitting loud and proud back at Championship level for the first time in 43 years and after a bleak past are hoping for a bright new future. Off the field they are looking at plans to either extend one section of the ground or even move to another brand new one altogether. And on the field, manager Nigel Adkins is putting together a hungry squad that looks capable of more than holding its own at this level. Looking on from the vice-presidents section are four names who have made a big contribution to sport. They are led by former England manager Graham Taylor, who was in charge of the national team for three years from 1990 until 1993. They include former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham, who made a handful of appearances for United during the early 1980s, and ex-goalkeeper Ray Clemence, who is now still part of the England coaching staff. And also a vice-president is former golfing superstar Tony Jacklin, who won the British Open in 1969 and US Open in 1970 before later helping revolutionise the Ryder Cup as the non-playing captain.

SUPPORT: The crowd at an FA Cup replay in the 1950s against Wrexham.

CELEBRATION: Andy Crosby and Billy Sharp with the League One trophy.

TRAGEDY: A blaze at the Old Show Ground in the 1950s which destroyed the old east stand. A new cantilever stand was built by the start of the following season.

NEW ERA: HRH Princess Alexandra at the opening of Glanford Park in 1988.

SQUAD: Scunthorpe Uniteds side for their first match in the Football League v Shrewsbury on August 19, 1950.

Region home to sporting stars

ONE of the first sporting stars from the Scunthorpe area after World War Two was cyclist Jack Tighe, who was British Cycle Sprint Champion from 1950-52. Seventeen years later it was Tony Jacklin who grabbed the headlines. During an incredible 12 months, he lifted the British Open Golf Championship at Royal Lytham St Annes in 1969 the first British player to do so for 18 years. Then he travelled across the Atlantic to win the US Open by seven shots. It was the first victory by a British player in that tournament since 1920, and Jacklin remains the last European winner of the title. The year 1971 saw speedway take its bow in Scunthorpe, firstly at Quibell Park and then at Ashby Ville. But the sport folded in 1985 due to lack of finance. It only returned with new promoters in 2006 with Scunthorpe Scorpions proving the best team in the British Conference League. American Football made its bow for a few brief seasons at Ashby Ville in the mid-1980s, when Scunthorpe Steelers were launched. Boxer Roger Maxwell reached the ABA boxing finals in 1974 and Jim Betts fought for the British and Commonwealth Bantamweight title in 2001. Cricketer Phil Neale went on to play at county level for Worcestershire and is now part of the England management set-up. Footballer Ian Storey-Moore was snapped up from junior football in the Scunthorpe area and went on to play for Manchester United and Nottingham Forest. Golfer Keith Waters played for more than a decade on the European Tour before quitting to take a key management role with the PGA. Former App-Frod hockey player Gill Brown took part in the 1988 Seoul Olympics with the Great Britain ladies squad.

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