Historical Football Kits

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Scunthorpe United

Formed 1899

Elected to Division Three (North) 1950

Kit History

Background

The club can trace its origins back to 1899 when Brumby Hall FC merged with a second (unknown) club and adopted the name Scunthorpe United. This followed the demise of Scunthorpe Town FC, who were formed around 1880. In 1910 another merger, this time with local rivals North Lindsey United, led to the creation of Scunthorpe & Lindsey United. The club played in local competition until 1912, when they were admitted to the Midland League. Thery became known as "The Nuts" or more usually, "The Knuts" after the Rev Cryspin T Rust described them as "tough nuts to crack" when presenting them with the Frodingham Charity Cup. Quite why a silent "K" was added is not recorded.

In 1921, United made the first of many unsuccessful applications to join the Football League. They won the Midland championship in 1927 and again in 1939 and by the time war broke out, they were established as one of the stronger non-League sides.

In 1949 the Football League expanded with the addition of two clubs in each of the regional Third Divisions. In a series of eliminating ballots, Scunthorpe emerged triumphant after three rounds of voting and duly took their place in Division Three (North) for the 1950-1951 season. Almost 12,000 people turned up at the Old Show Ground to watch their first home game. During this period the players wore the town's crest on their shirts, although this was dropped in 1951.

In 1958 United became the last club to win the Division Three (North) title and promotion to Division Two, the lower divisions being reorganised for the following season. During the close season the club dropped "and Lindsey” from their name to become, once again, Scunthorpe United. While playing in the Second Division the board decided on a radical change of kit (claret and blue being thought decidedly old fashioned) and in 1959 they turned out in white shirts and blue shorts with smart gold trim. In 1962 they led the division at one stage but fell back to finish in fourth place, their highest ever placing.

Decline followed with relegation in 1964 and 1968 taking the club back into the Fourth Division. In 1969 another radical change of kit came about to improve their sagging fortunes and for the next 13 seasons, the team played in all-red. It was at this time that Ray Clemence and Kevin Keegan emerged as youngsters in the Scunthorpe first team. They were, of course, sold on and enjoyed enormous success with Liverpool and England.

In 1972 Scunthorpe were promoted but managed only a single season in Division Three before being relegated again. In 1982, United had to seek re-election, were promoted the following season and relegated the season after that. It was in 1984 that the club returned to the claret and blue colours worn until the early 1960s, but now in a variety of eye-catching combinations.

In 1988, the club quit their Old Showground home and moved into the brand new purpose built Glanford Park stadium, built with financial support from Glanford Borough Council (whose crest appeared on the team's shirts between 1990 and 1994). Over the next five seasons the club reached the play-offs four times out of five but were unsuccessful each time.

In 1994 the club adopted a new badge, designed in the finest traditions of Soviet Realism, depicting a fist clutching a girder, celebrating the town's long association with the iron and steel industry. From this point on, the team were known as "The Iron." In 1999 they finally won promotion to Nationwide Division Two after beating Leyton Orient in the play-offs final at Wembley. Disappointment followed and after only one season, they were relegated.

After narrowly avoiding relegation to the Conference in 2004, the Iron won automatic promotion in 2005 to Coca Cola League One (the third tier of English football).

Sources

• (a) Club Colours (Bob Bickerton 1998)
• (b) Football Focus
• (c) Bristol Rovers FC - Images of Sport (Mike Jay)
• (d) Swindon Town FC - Images of Sport (Richard Mattick 2000)
• (e) empics
• (f) Football Cards
• (g) Tranmere Rovers FC - Images of Sport (Peter Bishop)
• (h) Scarborough FC - Images of Sport (Paul Eade 2002)
• (i) Club Programme
• (j) Classic Kits
• (k) Scunthorpe United Official Website
• (l) Study United
• (m) Greger Lindberg
• (n) Ralph Pomeroy
• (o) David King
• (p) Richard Young
• (q) Alick Milne
• (r) Scunthorpe United - A Pictorial History (John Staff 2007)
• (s) Pete Williams