Get the lowdown on our next opponents: Scunthorpe United
The Opposition
Scunthorpe United are back in the National League, and took a big step towards their mission of a return to the EFL – a place where they spent 72 years prior to their relegation in 2022.
The appointment of manager Andy Butler saw the 41-year old promoted from his role as First Team Coach, and sparked a change in fortunes for the Iron, who had found themselves in the sixth tier for the first time in their entire 126-year history when back-to-back relegations were confirmed after a 2-0 defeat to Oldham Athletic in April 2023.
Butler’s side sealed their return with a 2-1 win after extra time against Chester in the National League North play-off final, bolstered by a robust defence consisting of Ross Fitzsimons, Ross Barrows, Will Evans, Maxim Kouogun and Tyler Denton, who conceded less goals than anyone else throughout the league season (30). Those five, along with Andrew Boyce, were regular fixtures in the Scunthorpe side last term, all making more than 40 appearances throughout the campaign.
Talented forward Callum Roberts top scored for the Iron, notching 20 goals which was bettered in the league only by South Shields’ Paul Blackett (23) and Kidderminster Harriers’ Ashley Hemmings (30), with his and Danny Whitehall’s (17) goals playing a crucial part in propelling Butler’s side up the league.
With league winners Brackley Town along with Kidderminster going for the league title on the final day, a run of four wins in a row saw Scunthorpe leapfrog the Carpetmen and seal a runners-up spot, as well as taking momentum into the play-offs. They overcame Chorley with a 4-2 win in the semi-final, before seeing off Chester at Glanford Park as Whitehall’s first half opener was cancelled out by a Connor Woods penalty on the hour-mark, and eventually took the match to extra time, where Carlton Ubaezuonu struck on the stroke of half time to restore the Iron’s advantage and soon seal a return to the fifth tier.
The Iron are slowly making their way back to League Two, and Butler has been hard at work in getting his squad ready for the new campaign. The likes of Gateshead duo Branden Horton and Jean Belehouan and York City duo Rory Watson and Billy Chadwick have arrived in Lincolnshire, along with Joey Dawson (Celtic B), Declan Howe (Gainsborough Trinity), Oliver Ewing (Leicester City) and Dubem Eze (Bolton Wanderers).
The Manager
Andy Butler
Ex-Scunthorpe defender Andy Butler took the reins at his former club in 2024, and led the club to promotion in his first season in charge.
The 41-year old rose through the ranks at the Attis Stadium, making his debut for the Iron in a 1-1 draw with Leyton Orient in 2003, going on to appear over 100 times for the club in what proved to be just his first spell in Lincolnshire.
A loan move to Grimsby Town preceded a permanent exit two years later, joining Huddersfield Town, with a temporary stint at Blackpool bringing an end to his time at the St. Johns Stadium, with Butler making the switch to Walsall in 2010. He remained with the Saddlers for four years, turning out over 150 times and being named captain by future Aston Villa boss Dean Smith, earning the club’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards at the end of the 2010/11 campaign.
A successful stint at the Prescot Stadium led to a brief switch to Sheffield United, which was followed by a temporary return to Walsall, and preceded a successful loan move to hometown club Doncaster Rovers in 2015, with the deal being made permanent the same year.
He remained at the Eco-Power Stadium until 2019, appearing over 200 times, before making his return to Scunthorpe after 11 years away. He went on to stay at Glanford Park for a season, before briefly re-joining Doncaster as a player, although he was temporarily placed in charge of Donny following the departure of Darren Moore, as well as in charge of the Women’s team, and returned to the latter after his short managerial tenure with Rovers concluded.
He returned to Scunthorpe for a third time in 2023 as his managerial career overlapped with his later playing career, which saw him turn out for Boston United and Farsley Celtic prior to his return to Glanford Park, with a full-time role in Lincolnshire seeing him resign from his role in charge of Doncaster’s Women’s side.
This period also included stints as a coach with Peterborough United, but kick-started his managerial career in full when he was appointed in charge of Scunthorpe in 2024, being promoted from his previous role as First Team Coach.
An unbeaten start to his time in charge of the Iron saw him named the National League North Manager of the Month for August, ad he ended the campaign by leading them to promotion from the National League after a 2–1 win against Chester in the play-off final.
Photo Credit: Scunthorpe United Football Club
One to Watch
Callum Roberts
Scunthorpe forward Callum Roberts was a crucial part of the Iron’s promotion last term, scoring 20 goals in the sixth tier to fire the club back to the National League.
Born in South Shields, Roberts came through the ranks at Newcastle United and spent 14 years on Tyneside, although he was unable to make a senior appearance for the Magpies. However, he gained experience out on loan at Gateshead and Kilmarnock in 2015 and 2017, before making the temporary move down south to Colchester United in 2019.
This preceded a permanent exit from St. James Park, making the switch to Blyth Spartans in 2019, where he scored an impressive nine goals in as many games, with his form earning him a move to Notts County after just half-a-season in Northumberland.
He went on score 20 goals in a little over 50 matches for the Magpies, with a brief stint at Aberdeen then preceding a move to Scunthorpe in 2023.
Having joined the recently-relegated side, Roberts played a crucial role in firing the Iron to promotion in his second season at Glanford Park, scoring 20 goals as they won the National League North play-offs last term.
Photo Credit: Scunthorpe United Football Club
Recent Form
Scunthorpe United 3-1 Woking
Scunthorpe United 2-3 Sunderland
Tamworth 1-2 Scunthorpe United
Worksop Town 1-1 Scunthorpe United (Pre-Season)
Spennymoor Town 1-4 Scunthorpe United (Pre-Season)
Skegness Town 0-3 Scunthorpe United (Pre-Season)
Last Time Out
First half goals from Declan Howe set Scunthorpe on their way to a perfect start to their home campaign, continuing their 100% record in the National League so far with a 3-1 win over Woking.
The Iron opened the scoring after 16 minutes when, after a fantastic pass through from Alfie Beestin to calve open the Woking defence, Callum Roberts surged down the right-flank and into the penalty area, with aprogressive touch inside allowing the winger to fire an effort towards Craig Ross who could only parry possession back into the path of Howe, who latched onto the loose ball to prod home for his first goal in claret and blue.
Following the opener, Scunthorpe would go on to grab a quickfire second with Howe providing the finishing touch to another cunning United attack. After Joe Starbuck’s initial shot was superbly blocked by a visiting defender the ball would return to the feet of Ewing on the edge of the Woking area, but his goal bound volley was again swept off the goal line by a defender. This would cause the ball to drop kindly for Danny Whitehall who from a matter of yards managed to square the ball across the box for Howe who was presented with the easiest finish of his career for his second.
Taking a comfortable lead into the break, the Iron made the most of their dominance with a much needed third goal on the hour mark, this time through Whitehall who turned from provider to goalscorer as a swift counter from Scunthorpe presented the chance for Roberts to meet a cross at the far post, with space to volley an effort goalwards the winger would drive his shot towards the bottom corner and into the path of Whitehall who turned the ball beyond Ross from point blank range.
Despite all but seeing out the win, the last ten minutes of action were made slightly nervy with the visitors getting a goal back directly from a corner, as Jack Turner’s ball into the box made its way into the net at the far post to reduce the deficit to two goals, but Andy Butler’s side had already done enough to seal a second league victory in a row on their return to the fifth tier.
