Latest news with #MichelleHarness
The Sun
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Former Championship club win promotion to National League as fans go wild after nightmare decade
SCUNTHORPE UNITED have been promoted back to the National League after a two-year absence. The Iron saw off Chester in a pulsating National League North playoff at Glanford Park on Sunday. Daniel Whitehall and Connor Woods both found the net as the game ended 1-1 and headed into extra time. Scunthorpe's Carlton Ubaezuonu proved to be the hero, smashing in the winner in the 105th minute. The goal sparked wild scenes of jubilation amongst a fanbase starved of success over the past decade. The Iron were in the Championship as recently as 2008 but have endured a dramatic slide down the pyramid in recent years. They fell out of the EFL in 2022 after financial issues almost saw the club go bust. Scunthorpe continued to slide and dropped to the National League North a season later. Sunday's promotion is their first since 2014 when they finished second in League Two. Thousands flocked onto the Glanford Park pitch to celebrate, with the game coming a year after heartbreak on penalties against Boston United. Local businesswoman Michelle Harness saved the club in October 2023, with boss Andy Butler paying tribute after the win. Butler, a former Scunthorpe player, told the BBC: "It's brilliant. I'm excited for Michelle... for everyone who has brought the club back to life. Leeds on track to win TWO trophies in same week ahead of final day of Championship season "For the players, the fans, the town. It was a tough, tough game. "Chester gave everything they had. I said [Ubaezuonu] would score goals - and he's got the winner. "It was a team effort. We got a lot of players going through the pain barrier. We had to dig deep. "I'm so chuffed for the whole town."
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.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Club's £10 tickets for steel worker 'solidarity'
Scunthorpe United offered reduced price tickets for British Steel workers on Saturday to show "solidarity" with employees at risk of redundancy. British Steel launched a consultation on the proposed closure of its two Scunthorpe blast furnaces on Thursday, putting up to 2,700 jobs at risk out of a workforce of 3,500. The National League North side, whose nickname is The Iron due to the area's long association with the iron and steel industry, offered British Steel employees £10 tickets for their home tie against Southport. Michelle Harness, Scunthorpe United chair, described the recent news as "devastating" for those involved. British Steel said the blast furnaces were "no longer financially sustainable" due to tough market conditions, the imposition of tariffs and higher environmental costs. The BBC understands the company was expecting a £1bn injection of government money to keep the business going, but was offered £500m. "It's devastating for the families," Ms Harness said. "Last week 8,000 [fans] turned up, a large percentage of those must be Scunthorpe steel workers. "The whole history of the steelworks revolves around the town, the club revolves around the town - we're linked together." She continued: "We went through nearly losing the football club, now I just hope somehow they find some result to their problems." Scunthorpe United supporter Kimberley Plastow said: "This town would be dead if we didn't have steel workers, it's what we're about. "Is anyone going to step in and help our town?" She added: "It'll end up as a ghost town, we'll have no one here, no one's going to be able to afford houses." Another fan, Sarah Feve, urged people to "get behind the steel workers". "We just need the steelworks open and working for this town," she said. On the pitch, the league leaders secured a 2-0 win against Southport at the Attis Arena. Listen 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. Calls for steel nationalisation if deal not agreed Town's fears over threat to steelworks' future MP hopeful two new furnaces will be built in town
BBC News
29-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Scunthorpe United's £10 tickets for steel worker 'solidarity'
Scunthorpe United offered reduced price tickets for British Steel workers on Saturday to show "solidarity" with employees at risk of redundancy. British Steel launched a consultation on the proposed closure of its two Scunthorpe blast furnaces on Thursday, putting up to 2,700 jobs at risk out of a workforce of 3, National League North side, whose nickname is The Iron due to the area's long association with the iron and steel industry, offered British Steel employees £10 tickets for their home tie against Southport. Michelle Harness, Scunthorpe United chair, described the recent news as "devastating" for those involved. British Steel said the blast furnaces were "no longer financially sustainable" due to tough market conditions, the imposition of tariffs and higher environmental BBC understands the company was expecting a £1bn injection of government money to keep the business going, but was offered £500m. "It's devastating for the families," Ms Harness said."Last week 8,000 [fans] turned up, a large percentage of those must be Scunthorpe steel workers."The whole history of the steelworks revolves around the town, the club revolves around the town - we're linked together."She continued: "We went through nearly losing the football club, now I just hope somehow they find some result to their problems." Scunthorpe United supporter Kimberley Plastow said: "This town would be dead if we didn't have steel workers, it's what we're about."Is anyone going to step in and help our town?"She added: "It'll end up as a ghost town, we'll have no one here, no one's going to be able to afford houses."Another fan, Sarah Feve, urged people to "get behind the steel workers". "We just need the steelworks open and working for this town," she the pitch, the league leaders secured a 2-0 win against Southport at the Attis 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.
