In the extensive tapestry of English football, there are threads of achievement and moments of glory that shine brightly. For Scunthorpe United, the years spanning 2005 to 2010 form a significant chapter, an era that will go down in history as the club’s greatest ever. As grey clouds loom over Glanford Park, it’s hard for the Irons faithful to not look back and wonder where it all went wrong.
As we approach the climax of the 2023/24 season, the North Lincolnshire outfit finds itself in the National League North, the sixth tier of English football, the lowest level that the club has ever played at. However, a recent change in ownership has fans hoping that brighter times may well be on the horizon. The club are currently second in their division. Oddschecker, which compares odds and offers such as BetMGM’s free bets, currently makes them 5/2 contenders for promotion this term.
So with the Iron potentially on their way back up the football league ladder, we decided to take a look back at the club’s heyday in the mid-to-late noughties. This half-decade saw them scale heights that had eluded them for decades. Led by a team ethos that celebrated grit as much as grace, the Irons clinched promotions and conquered championships.
A New Dawn
As the 2005-06 season dawned, Scunthorpe was reborn under the tutelage of manager Brian Laws. With an eye for strategically sound acquisitions, the team surged through the ranks of League Two, securing their promotion to the third tier as a runner-up to Yeovil Town. Striker Paul Hayes was the star of the show, stepping into the shadow of Stephen MacLean – who left for Sheffield Wednesday at the start of the campaign – and netting 19 goals en route to promotion.
Young Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp was brought to Glanford Park in the close season and was an immediate success. He set about repaying the £200,000 that the club had forked out for him by netting 23 goals in Scunthorpe’s first season in League One. Although it wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the top six, the Iron finished in a respectable 12th place, setting the foundations for what was about to come.
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Heroes on the Horizon
The following season was an unequivocal statement of intent. With stars like Sharp shining, Scunthorpe notched up memorable victories, charging forward and claiming the title of Football League One champions. Their striking sensation netted a mighty 30 goals, making him comfortably the highest goal scorer in the league. His strike partnership with Leeds United’s loanee Jermaine Beckford ensured that the club finished at the top of the pile, six points clear of runners-up Bristol City, with third-placed Blackpool two points further back.
The Championship Challenge
Ascending to the Championship was a steep climb, one that tested the mettle of the Irons. Sharp moved back to boyhood club Sheffield United for a club record £2 million and immediately the Iron were under pressure. They brought in unheralded Stoke City youngster Martin Paterson as Sharp’s replacement and he hit the ground running. Paterson netted an impressive 13 goals, but was unable to stop United from falling through the trap door. He too would leave the club at the end of the campaign for £1.3 million, but yet another goalscoring supremo would take his place in the form of Gary Hooper.
The former Hereford United loanee was perhaps the greatest striker to grace Glanford Park. In his maiden campaign, he scored 24 goals to help his side reach the playoffs. There, Scunthorpe edged past MK Dons on penalties to set up a Wembley Stadium showpiece against Milwall. Despite being heavily outnumbered in terms of fan support, it was the Iron who managed to secure promotion with a Matt Sparrow double and a last-gasp thunderbolt from Martyn Woolford sealing a 3-2 victory.
In 2009/10, the club had perhaps its finest ever moment as it avoided relegation from the Championship. Hooper was the star of the show once again, netting 19 times as his side avoided the drop, finishing five points ahead of 22nd-placed Sheffield Wednesday.