Latest news with #ChristianAshton
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Scunthorpe United parade: Town 'buzzing' as club wins promotion
The co-owner of Scunthorpe United has said winning promotion is "a dream come true", as he joined thousands of fans in the town centre to Sharp added: "It's surreal in every way and a bit overwhelming but I'm just going to try and enjoy it as much as I can. This day is really about the fans and the town, not just the football club."On Sunday, The Iron secured promotion to the National League after beating Chester in the National League North promotion final at Glanford Park in extra for the players to arrive on an open-top bus at Glanford Park on Friday afternoon, fan Christian Ashton said: "For the past six years, it was us and them, but now it's our club again." The bus travelled from the Attis Arena, through the town centre, taking in British Steel, Central Park and John Leggott College, before returning to the stadium. Joanne Small, 55, who was also in the crowd, said: "I used to be the kit lady years ago so it's so nice to have this feeling back again."People that don't even like football are buzzing that we are on our way back up."Midfielder Kian Scales told the BBC he and his teammates remained on cloud said: "I don't think anyone has come down from the high of Sunday and long may it continue."Last year we almost lost the club and to then get promoted 18 months later through the play-offs was class." Councillor Tony Gosling, who was at the parade with his dog Reggy, said the promotion was "an absolute boost for the town".In 2023 the club was handed a winding-up petition by HM Revenue and Customs, before local businesswoman Michelle Harness completed a trophy parade coincides with the start of the Stadium Weekender community music event at the Attis Arena and ends the club's 125th anniversary to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Scunthorpe United promotion can be cherry on cake for steel town
Scunthorpe will celebrate "the cherry on top of the cake" if its football club is promoted this weekend, fans say, after the town's British Steel plant was saved last Christian Ashton, who works in a mill that produces rails for the country's train tracks, has supported Scunthorpe United for 35 years."Good times do seem to be coming back, both for the steelworks and for the football club," Mr Ashton are looking for their first promotion since 2014 when they host Chester in the National League North play-off final on Sunday. The club's nickname, The Iron, comes from the town's association with the iron and steel Ashton, 40, and his British Steel colleagues celebrated the government takeover of the plant to secure its future in said: "Promotion would be the cherry on top of the cake because the steelworks and Scunthorpe United are the two main things for the town."I'm now on the same part of the works where my dad spent most of his life. He took me to my first game." The club played in the Championship as recently as 2011, but their 72-year spell in the Football League came to an end in 2022 and they were then relegated down to the National League North – the sixth tier – the following January 2023, the club was handed a winding-up petition by HM Revenue and Customs, but later that year local businesswoman Michelle Harness completed a Threadgold, a fan and local funeral director whose family sponsors the club, is determined to enjoy the weekend after fears the club would be said: "There was a point in 2023 where we thought 'are we not going to have a football club?' The numbers had dwindled. It's getting that community back and the fact this weekend it's a sell-out. "I think it's the whole story of what they've gone through over the years, the ups and downs, and we come back fighting every time. The slogan 'Up The Iron', it's what we do," she added. Scunthorpe MP Sir Nic Dakin will be at Sunday's said: "I think the town's turning a corner. There's good times ahead and that's how it needs to be. It doesn't mean it's going to be easy, as always there are difficult things, but I think we can be confident about the future of our area."The National League North promotion final kicks off at 16:00 on Sunday at Glanford Park, with coverage on BBC Radio to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
