Following consideration of Mr Hilton’s statement by the board and feedback from members, The Iron Trust has made the statement below:

The Iron Trust board has considered the statement from owner David Hilton.  We acknowledge that, as SUFC drops into the National League North, it is inevitable that there will be cost cutting at the club.  However, we are concerned about a number of the issues raised in the statement.

Although the primary function of the club is to find and develop players who will represent Scunthorpe United to the best of their ability and effort it is also important that the club is part of Scunthorpe community.

With Glanford Park being open only on (or mainly on), match days; the training being done 70 miles away and the academy being scrapped it is hard to see how any local players will again represent SUFC.  The team will hardly represent Scunthorpe as a town.  There is no evidence that the club will attract more players as a result of being mainly based at Ilkeston and no certainty that the model of taking in academy cast offs will succeed.

It is not yet clear if Ilkeston staff will administer the club or if there will be reduced staff at GP.  The SUFC staff have been loyal over the past few years through Covid and the previous administration and are Scunthorpe fans.  There is no information about how much SUFC will pay for use of the facilities at Ilkeston and how that will save money as GP will still have to be kept in good condition.

Also we do not see how closing the club on non match days will help with commercial activities and sponsorship of the club.  The facilities and restaurant will not be used to their potential thereby cutting down potential income streams.  It is also difficult to see how commercial staff will operate from out of town.

It is also unclear if the Iron Foundation and Study United will continue to operate.  Both of these are integral to good community links.  Players would regularly be involved with these enterprises helping to embed SUFC in the community,

Mr Hilton identified several groups of supporters:  those who would see what he is proposing as being for the best; those who opposed and those who would be sceptical.  Given our experiences over the last five years or so we are firmly in the sceptical group.  

We wish to see a successful Scunthorpe United team which operates in the town, has successful use of Glanford Park generating income for the club and which is closely linked to the town.  A true community club.  We feel that the proposals as outlined make this much more difficult to achieve.