Profiles of the management team at Glanford Park.
MANAGER - ALAN KNILL
The appointment of manager Alan Knill sees him returning as a boss to the third club he represented as a professional player.
Born in 1964 in Slough the central defender began his career at Southampton, before being released by then manager Lawrie McMenemy who didn't think him good enough to make the grade, moving to Halifax Town in 1984.
He made his Football League debut in the Shaymen's 2-0 defeat to Blackpool on 25 August 1984, missing only two out of 46 League games in his inaugural season.
He went on to make 118 appearances before moving to Swansea in 1987 for £15,000.
A successful two season spell with the Swans prompted Bury to pay a club record £95,000 for him in 1989.
After 144 appearances for the Shakers, Knill was signed by the Iron as a direct replacement for Matt Elliott following the latter's big money move to Oxford United.
During a playing career spanning four years with United, the commanding centre-half played 130 games under managers Richard Money, Dave Moore, Mick Buxton and latterly Brian Laws.
He signed off his playing career at the end of the 1998-99 season for Rotherham United and having made a total of 560 league appearances, scoring 31 goals, went on to become the Millers' youth team coach.
Following the sacking of Ronnie Moore he was installed as Rotherham's first team manager in 2005 after a valiant effort to keep the team in the Championship under what can only be described as incredibly difficult circumstances.
He stayed there until 2007, after helping keep the club in League One the previous campaign.
On 3 February 2008, following a spell as Lee Richardson's assistant at Chesterfield, Knill was appointed Bury's 35th manager, taking over a club third from bottom of the Football League.
The final three months of the season saw the Shakers move from one place above the drop zone to the comfort of mid-table.
During his first full season in charge of Bury the club finished fourth in the league, having been top of the table for a month, rarely dropping from the play-off positions.
In a play-off semi final which went to penalties the club eventually lost out to Shrewsbury on penalties.
This season, at the time of his departure, the Shakers sit fourth in the table on 62 points, a point behind their nearest rivals Shrewsbury, with a game in hand.
Earlier this season, Knill was named npower League Two manager of the month in recognition of the superb job he has done at Bury on very limited resources.
From Bury, he brings with him assistant manager Chris Brass and goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler.
ASSISTANT MANAGER - CHRIS BRASS
Easington-born Chris Brass joins the Iron as part of manager Alan Knill's new management team in the role of assistant manager, a role he fulfilled to great success at previous club Bury.
Born in 1975 he began his career at Burnley as an apprentice, progressing through the youth ranks before earning a professional contract in 1993. In October 1994 he joined Torquay United on loan making seven appearances for the Gulls in a two month spell.
Returning to the Clarets he made his debut in the 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth in January 1995, and by the 1996-97 season was a permanent fixture at the heart of the Clarets' defence under manager Chris Waddle.
By March 1998, at the age of 22, the defender found himself as the Clarets' longest serving player and under new manager Stan Ternent he was handed the captain's armband.
A loss of form saw Brass dropped from the first team and in 2001 he was allowed to join York City on a free transfer. Serious injury meant his appearances for the Minstermen were limited and during what can only be described as a torrid time for the club he was appointed manager at the age of 27.
Although his first season in charge began well, York failed to win any of their final 20 league games and were relegated to the Football Conference.
Results were not much better in the Conference and Brass departed the club in November 2004.
The defender remained at York as a player and, after suffering a serious ligament injury, joined Harrogate Town on loan in September 2005 in an attempt to regain match fitness.
He later joined Bury as a player, on a deal until the end of 2005-06.
He signed a new one-year deal with Bury in June 2006, being released at the end of the 2006-07 season, but was asked to return to pre-season training to prove his fitness before a decision could be made on his future.
On 6 July 2007 he was appointed as Bury's Centre of Excellence manager before going on to sign for Hyde United in July 2007 after a successful trial, combining the two roles.
He became Bury's caretaker manager on 15 January 2008, following the exit of Chris Casper and was appointed as assistant manager to Alan Knill on 22 January 2009.
GOALKEEPING COACH - NEIL CUTLER
Scunthorpe United's new goalkeeping coach is Perton-born Neil Cutler, who joins the club as part of Alan Knill's new management team.
A former goalkeeper himself, a back injury forced his retirement from the game in September 2007.
His career began at Tamworth, a former England youth international and a graduated member of the Lilleshall National School of Excellence he was picked up as a trainee by West Bromwich Albion.
He left the Baggies without playing a single game, joining Crewe Alexandra.
During his time at the club he spent his entire spell as understudy to the main shotstopper. After a successful loan spell, Cutler went on to sign for Chester City from 1998 to 1999.
During his time at Chester, Cutler made 28 appearances and earned himself a move to Premier League side Aston Villa in October 1999, where he made one substitute appearance. The custodian enjoyed a loan spell at Oxford United before joining Stoke City in July 2001, playing a huge part in their promotion to the Championship in 2002.
In March 2003, he joined Swansea City as cover for injured goalkeeper Roger Freestone. He played in the next 13 league games culminating in a superb performance against Hull City which kept the Swans in the Football League.
His final club was Rotherham United, where he had to retire from the game due to a persistent back injury at the end of the 2006-07 season.
He joined Bury as a goalkeeping coach and is part of Just4keepers goalkeeping coaching company.
PHYSIOTHERAPIST - ALEX DALTON
Alex took over from Nigel Adkins as the club's full-time physiopherapist following the depature of former boss Brian Laws in November 2006.
He has since proved an invaluable member of the backroom staff at Glanford Park.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT MANAGER - TONY DAWS
Tony Daws replaced Paul Wilson as United's Youth Development Officer in 2005.
Tony started his professional career at Notts County in 1986 as a centre forward. Since turning pro he has played for Sheffield United, Scunthorpe United (1987-1993), Grimsby Town and Lincoln City and has a wealth of knowledge of football within our region.
After his retirement from the professional game in 1996 he joined Sheffield United as a part time Youth Development Officer and in 2000 became their Assistant Academy and U19 Coach. In 2004 Tony took up the position as Youth Development Officer for Sheffield Wednesday.
"I am delighted to return to Scunthorpe United, where I had six fantastic years as a professional. I feel like I am returning home and want to be a part of this ambitious Club moving forward," said Daws.
Club chairman Steve Wharton commented: "We are very fortunate to be able to replace quality with quality. We had that in Paul Wilson and I know that Tony Daws will build on what Paul has achieved and take us on to new levels of excellence."
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 9-16 SCHOOLBOY CO-ORDINATOR - PAUL HARSLEY
Former Iron midfielder Paul Harsley was appointed as the club's U9-U16 schoolboy co-ordinator in January 2011.
Scunthorpe-born Paul was a youth trainee with Grimsby before signing for United in July 1997.
The midfielder didn't make his debut until February 1998, but went on to become a favourite with the fans and was voted 'Player of the Season' for 1998-99, the second-youngest recipient of the award.
He won promotion to the Second Division with Scunthorpe in the third division play-off final on his 21st birthday.
He was ever-present during 1999-2000 but moved on to Halifax in July 2001.
In a career in which he made over 500 appearances in all competitions, he went on to play for Northampton, Macclesfield, Port Vale, Chesterfield, Darlington, York and North Ferriby.
