The Iron Years - Issue Two

s r a ye Writing for the award-winning matchday programme

ISSUE TWO

What makes something interesting to read?

CAPS LOCK? Bold Type, Italic or colour may catch the eye, but it won’t retain you if it is boring...

If I’m bored writing something, the reader has no hope. I have previewed all manner of teams for Scunthorpe - Some largely unheard of, others a little more known but there is one consistency that runs throughout all of my work.

I always challenge myself to pull out the most interesting, unique and sometimes downright bizarre information I can find. In my latest collection of preview favourites, unlikely nuggets of information include the first league club to play a friendly against inmates behind the four walls of a prison to a team’s kit that once proudly emblazoned the Union Jack across the front of the shirt...

Regardless of the team, there’s always something interesting to say.

WORDS: Richard Jones (@rijones88)

Follow @ChesterfieldFC to read about our next home opposi�on.

Next at Glanford Park...

CHESTERFIELD

WE’RE BACK HERE A WEEK ON SATURDAY WHEN CHESTERFIELD MAKE THE TRIP FOR A TOP-OFTHE-TABLE CLASH AT GLANFORD PARK. Here is our look ahead to the match against Paul Cook’s Spireites.

TELL ME MORE...

From patrio�c kits to World Cupwinning goalkeepers and inter-war period transfer scandals - the Football League’s sixth oldest club is steeped in as much history as the crooked church spire the club got its nickname from.

Founded in 1866, the Spireites underwent several kit and name changes before it was elected into the Football League in 1899. In 1881, the club folded and reemerged three years later as Chesterfield Town and bizarrely in 1892, the strip was proudly embellished with the Union Jack on the front of the shirts. More experimenta�on followed, ranging from claret and blue halves, to black and white stripes, as well as red shirts and white shorts, un�l 1921 when blue became the Spireites’ chosen colour.

Three years earlier, the club was as red-faced as the jerseys they wore at the �me, from their a�empts to sign Fulham’s George Parsonage. The footballer requested £50 - five �mes the amount a player could receive as a sign-on fee. As a result, Parsonage was banned for life from the game and the Spireites were voted out 86 | THE IRON MATCHDAY MAGAZINE

Saturday, February 8, 2014 3.00pm kick-off @ Glanford Park

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<> Chesterfield manager Paul Cook will bring his team to Glanford Park next week.

Marc Richards found the net 12 times last season to be crowned top scorer for Chesterfield and is on course to replicate that honour. the Football League.

As well as being home to one of the first transfer scandals, England’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks began his professional career at Chesterfield. Banks was known to order his backline and would have been proud as the Spireites had the league’s second-best defensive record last season.

Despite this and a six-game unbeaten season finale, Chesterfield finished eighth and two points off the play-offs.

STAR MAN...

Marc Richards found the net 12 �mes last season to be crowned top scorer for Chesterfield and is on course to replicate that honour. The prolific striker is one to watch for his direct free-kicks he has also hit regular goals for the Spireites from open play and the penalty spot so far this season.

Richards joined the club from Port Vale in 2012, where he a�racted

a�en�on for scoring 72 goals in five campaigns.

ANY OLD IRON’S...

The Spireites have four players on the books who have played for Scunthorpe and include Sam Togwell, who in his debut season for the Iron featured heavily in the side that won promo�on to the Championship in 2009. The midfielder spent three more seasons at Glanford Park, but was among 10 players released in May 2012, when he signed for Chesterfield. Jimmy Ryan played alongside Togwell at Scunthorpe and made 76 Iron appearances over two seasons before a summer move to the Spireites,

while Ritchie Humpreys and Drew Talbot had loan spells at Glanford Park in 1999 and 2007 respec�vely.

LAST TIME OUT...

Luke Waterfall headed home two minutes from �me to salvage the Iron a point a�er Marc Richards fired Chesterfield ahead in the eighth minute at the Proact Stadium in November.

HOW TO GET TICKETS...

Full details of how to purchase �ckets for this game can be found on page 85 of THE IRON or by visi�ng Scunthorpe-United.co.uk and clicking the ‘Online Ticke�ng’ tab.

Visit www.twi�er.com/sufcofficial for detailed coverage and fans’ views 24/7

WORDS: Richard Jones (@rijones88)

Follow @ShrimpsOfficial to read about our next home opposi�on.

Next at Glanford Park...

MORECAMBE

WE’RE BACK HERE THREE WEEKS TODAY WHEN WE HOST MORECAMBE IN A PRECHRISTMAS HOME CLASH. Here is our look ahead to the match against the Shrimps, who are currently managed by Jim Bentley.

TELL ME MORE...

Enjoying life as a Football League club is a fairly new novelty for the Shrimps - six years ago they beat Exeter City in the Conference playoff final to climb into the fourth �er for the first �me in the club’s history. Garry Thompson found the net just before half-�me to se�le the scoreline and nerves, a�er Morecambe had conceded early on when Exeter’s Lee Phillips headed the Grecians in front a�er eight minutes. But it was Danny Carlton who was hero for the day.

Carlton latched onto a searching long ball which caught Exeter offguard at the back, and weaved his way past two defenders, before he fired home to send the Grecians packing, and Morecambe into League Two, where they have played ever since.

On the back of promo�on, plans were announced for their new stadium - the Globe Arena, which the club moved to in 2010. In their first two seasons in League Two, Morecambe recorded consecu�ve 11th place finishes which they built on in the 2009/10 season by making the play-offs.

The side stormed to fourth place, but lost 7-2 on aggregate to 86 | THE IRON MATCHDAY MAGAZINE

Saturday, December 21, 2013 3.00pm kick-off @ Glanford Park

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<> Morecambe manager Jim Bentley has enjoyed a lot of success at the start of this season.

Jack Redshaw’s absence has seen Kevin Ellison step up to deliver muchneeded goals and he is one to keep tabs on.

Dagenham & Redbridge in the semi-finals and the hangover of the play-offs showed the next season, when they slumped to 20th. Two mid-table finishes have followed and a bright start so far this season could suggest a return to the play-offs, but with topgoalscorer Jack Redshaw out of the picture with a hip injury un�l February, they will have to do it the hard way.

STAR MAN...

Jack Redshaw’s absence has seen Kevin Ellison step up to deliver much-needed goals and he is one to keep tabs on. Ellison has vast experience, having played for a host of clubs, including Tranmere Rovers, Rotherham United and Bradford City, as well as featuring in Hull’s 2004/05 side that won promo�on to the Championship.

The 34-year-old was Morecambe’s second-highest goalscorer last season, bagging 13 in all compe��ons.

ANY OLD IRON’S...

Andrew Wright could face his old

Scunthorpe team-mates for the first �me since he le� Glanford Park in May last year. The defender/midfielder made 102 appearances over four years for the Iron, but was one of 10 players to be released by ex-boss Alan Knill.

Wright played in America a�er he failed to make an impression at Liverpool’s youth academy, before he returned to England to join Scunthorpe in 2008, following a successful trial. While at Scunthorpe, he had two loan spells at Grimsby Town and has been a first team regular since joining Morecambe, with 46

appearances last season.

LAST TIME OUT...

The Iron have not met Morecambe in a friendly or compe��ve game before, but sta�s�cs from last season show that the Shrimps won just 26 per cent of all their away league matches.

HOW TO GET TICKETS...

Full details of how to purchase �ckets for this game can be found on page 85 of THE IRON or by visi�ng Scunthorpe-United.co.uk and clicking the ‘Online Ticke�ng’ tab.

Visit www.twi�er.com/sufcofficial for detailed coverage and fans’ views 24/7

WORDS: Richard Jones (@rijones88)

Follow @Official_BRFC to read about our next home opposi�on.

Next at Glanford Park...

BRISTOL ROVERS

WE’RE BACK HERE ON TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN BRISTOL ROVERS MAKE THE TRIP TO FACE THE IRON. Here is our look ahead to the match against the Pirates, who are now managed by the vastly experienced John Ward.

TELL ME MORE...

Despite o�en being in the shadow of local rivals Bristol City, the Pirates can boast a colourful history, as FA Cup quarter-finalists with seven previous grounds, several ex-household names and as the first league club to play a match inside a prison.

Since forming in 1883, and primarily known as the Black Arabs because of black shirts and nearby rugby club called the Arabs, the side changed their name twice more and played in four grounds before moving to the Eastville Stadium in 1897, when they became Bristol Rovers.

The club, whose other nickname is the Gas because of a gasworks site near Eastville, have played in the Football League con�nuously since 1920, and have reached the FA Cup quarter-finals twice.

Rovers equalled their 1950 efforts during the 2007/08 season, with a memorable giant-killing cup run, knocking out Fulham and Southampton en-route. Rickie Lambert celebrated his 26th birthday with the goal that knocked Southampton out and is one of numerous household names to play for Bristol Rovers.

86 | THE IRON MATCHDAY MAGAZINE

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<> Bristol Rovers’ former Iron loan goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall.

A goal-line clearance and the woodwork twice saved Bristol Rovers from defeat as the Iron had to settle for a goalless draw, despite dominating, back in August.

Goalkeeper Nigel Martyn began his career with the Pirates, before moves to Crystal Palace and Leeds United, and he also featured for England. Other notable names include Barry Hayles, Jason Roberts and Ian Holloway, who went on to become manager of Rovers. The club have submi�ed plans for a £40 million 21,700seater stadium, which will be a far-cry from a friendly the club once played inside Erlestoke Prison against inmates back in 1982!

STAR MAN...

Sco�sh striker David Clarkson was joint top scorer last season and he has been in good form so far this year, with an 18-yard volley in the Pirates’ 3-0 thrashing of AFC Wimbledon and two goals against York City demonstra�ng his danger in front of goal. The 28year-old joined Rovers in July 2012, a�er he was released by Bristol City and began his career at

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 7.45pm kick-off @ Glanford Park

Motherwell, where he scored 49 goals in 219 appearances.

ANY OLD IRON’S...

Experienced shotstopper Steve Mildenhall signed for Bristol Rovers a year ago, and has played for ten clubs including Yeovil, Oldham and Grimsby Town since he started out at Swindon.

Mildenhall’s memorable moments include scoring a free-kick in the League Cup against Mansfield Town while at No�s County, and his heroic display for Southend United that earned the Shrimpers a replay in the 2009 FA Cup against Chelsea. Last season, he made nine appearances for Scunthorpe while on loan from

Millwall. Defender Mark McChrystal also joined on loan in the same season from Tranmere and made three Iron appearances.

LAST TIME OUT...

A goal-line clearance and the woodwork twice saved Bristol Rovers from defeat as the Iron had to se�le for a goalless draw, despite domina�ng at the Memorial Stadium in August.

HOW TO GET TICKETS...

Full details of how to purchase �ckets for this game can be found on page 85 of THE IRON or by visi�ng Scunthorpe-United.co.uk and clicking the ‘Online Ticke�ng’ tab.

Visit www.twi�er.com/sufcofficial for detailed coverage and fans’ views 24/7

richardliamjones@live.com @rijones88