Chair and co-owner Michelle Harness' words on behalf of the Board, ahead of the new campaign getting underway...
How time flies, as we hit new season eve, with a trip to Tamworth kicking off our return to the Enterprise National League tomorrow afternoon.
Firstly, I’d just a quick and final reflection on last season which became a perfect anniversary year culminating in the promotion which so many people, both on and off the pitch, had worked so hard to achieve. A massive thank you goes to everyone involved in making it a successful season - if you know you’re going to win the play-offs, it certainly is the best way to achieve promotion, and I’m sure everyone has memories for life from May 18th here at the Attis Arena.
It's fair to say it was a year of both challenges and resilience. There were clear signs of progress and commitment from everyone involved - players, staff, and you, the fans. Your loyalty and unwavering support never went unnoticed, and for that, we are truly grateful, and we hope you all enjoyed the end result! Regardless of what happens in the future, our 125th anniversary season will go down in history, and as a Board, we have to commend the output of everyone at the club for making it such a successful year.
Now, with the new season upon us, we move forward with optimism and renewed ambition. This season will be a challenge of a different sort. We've been working hard behind the scenes to ensure we are in the best possible shape to compete and grow — not just as a football club, but as a central part of the local community.
One of our main objectives off the field during the season is to enhance and drive the engagement with fans, supporter’s groups and our local community. Over the last few weeks, I’ve met with a number of those groups, and we’ve also launched our Voice of the Fans initiative. I met with the four representatives chosen, and each one impressed me with what they feel they can bring to the role, and they all represent slightly different areas of the fanbase. We’re looking forward to seeing how Ryan, David, Andy and Eloise can positively affect things going forward, and we will have further news on them following our first meeting as a group.
Our objectives this year go far beyond league standings, although first and foremost we do want to compete and do well on the pitch, as we always want to. One of our key priorities is to deepen our connection with you, our supporters, and the wider Scunthorpe community, something we also always strive to do. We want the Attis Arena to be a welcoming place for everyone, and we believe a stronger bond between club and community is the foundation for lasting success. In the summer, we welcomed Devon Riley to the football club, and she will be overseeing our events and hospitality sectors moving into the new season. We know she has a number of ideas, comes with experience working in the industry and in Scunthorpe, and will be bringing regular events to our stadium outside of the football calendar, with room hire across the venue available all year round.
The close season has been a busy and productive one. We’ve launched a new home and away shirt that has already proven popular with fans, and the club shop has been refreshed, with new stock arriving and a much-improved online shopping experience for those near and far, with the club working closely with the Terrace Store. On the ticketing front, we've introduced more flexible options and digital access to make it easier for everyone to support the Iron week in, week out. We know the move to FanBase came late and we’re in our infancy with it, but having explored the options available to us, and the endorsements from a number of other clubs, it was a no-brainer move for the club. Both work out as positive deals from the club, and aren’t at the levels which are quoted online, with decisions to move across to these new providers taken with opportunities to make the supporter experience more positive and seamless, but also to drive and increase revenue streams on a business front, as well as making it more user friendly for our team behind the scenes. We’re sure over the coming weeks and months, once we are used to the systems, that they will be positive for all involved. For those who are less technologically minded, we still have physical tickets and cards available, and our brilliant ticketing and retail team are always here to assist if needed.
Working in conjunction with the council on the pitch, the grounds team has also been hard at work. So much hard work has been put in by Carl, Jonny and the team to ready the pitch for the new season, and we appreciate their efforts to get it ready ahead of our first game on Tuesday.
Before we look ahead, it’s important to pause and say thank you. To the staff working tirelessly behind the scenes — your dedication keeps this club running day in, day out. As a Board, we see firsthand how much effort goes into pre-season, and it’s often the unseen work which sets us up for the next nine months which takes the greatest toll and time. We simply couldn’t do it without those in the office who put their all in every single day. To our incredible group of volunteers — your time, energy and passion are deeply appreciated. Once again, you’ve completed so much for us, and we are so grateful for all the time you give us to improve our facilities. And most importantly, to our supporters — you have once again shown that you are the backbone of this football club. Through thick and thin, your belief in Scunthorpe United never wavers, and it’s that spirit which continues to drive us forward.
Andy, John and his team has assembled his squad ahead of the new season, which we all feel is capable of competing at this level, and there are a number of new faces who I’m sure will excite you week-in, week-out, along with the familiar faces that have brought us success over the last couple of years. We’re going to be coming up against some old friends this season who we haven’t played for a couple or more years, and there will be some stern tests thrown our way. It’s important we remain focused, and take small steps to reach one goal at a time.
While we may be looking forward to our first matchday of the season, and our campaign getting underway, I would like to finish by sending my heartfelt well wishes to everyone associated with Morecambe. This football club know all too well what they’re going through, and I sincerely hope that their situation is resolved ahead of their deadline. Just like our club was, there is a long and rich history there, and their current and future generations of supporters risk not having a team to support. I continue to look out for positive news for them, and hope we’re able to play against each other at some point this season.
On behalf of the Roj, George, Ian and myself, thank you for standing by us. Let’s look ahead with belief, passion, and togetherness. The season will bring its inevitable highs and lows, just like any other year, but we tackle this head on, together! Here's to a season full of moments to savour — both on and off the pitch.
Up the Iron!
Michelle
