Following early consultation with the Voice of the Fans group, it was agreed to issue a charter of their responsibilities to define to the wider fanbase, as follows:

1. Introduction

The Voice of the Fans is established to provide a structured and independent channel through which supporters of Scunthorpe United can contribute to the development, governance, and culture of our football club. This Charter sets out our purpose, principles, and commitments to ensure that the views of the fanbase are heard, respected, and acted upon by the club leadership wherever possible.

2. Purpose

The primary purpose of the Voice of the Fans is to:

• Represent the collective interests of supporters in dialogue with the club by providing scope for particular areas of supporter influence: Stadium improvements; community initiatives; Club Policies; (club crest being an example).
• Strengthen the relationship between the club and its fanbase.
• Ensure that decisions affecting supporters are informed by meaningful consultation.

3. Core Principles

The Voice of the Fans will operate in accordance with the following principles:

• Representation – Ensuring that the views of supporters across all demographics are fairly and accurately presented in a timely manner.
• Transparency – Communicating clearly and openly with both the club and supporters on matters discussed and actions agreed.
• Respect – Upholding the values of fairness, inclusivity, and constructive dialogue at all times.
• Accountability – Remaining answerable to the supporter base and maintaining high standards of integrity.
• Unity – Promoting a culture of “one team” togetherness, recognising supporters as an essential part of the club’s identity and future.

4. Objectives

The Voice of the Fans representatives are committed to:

1. Establishing a consistent and accessible forum for consultation with supporters.
2. Raising matters of importance on behalf of the fanbase directly with the club’s Board of Directors and club management. All to enable valued discussion and opportunity for  incorporation into decision making processes which will benefit the ongoing development of the club.
3. Supporting initiatives designed to enhance the matchday experience, community engagement, and supporter well-being.
4. Encouraging cooperation between supporter groups to foster solidarity and shared purpose by providing a centralised and shared discussion/communication route with the club.
5. Promoting diversity and inclusion to ensure that all fans feel welcome and valued.

5. Structure and Operation

• Meetings: Regular meetings will be held between the Voice of the Fans representatives and the Directors of the club. A minimum of 6 formal meetings per year. 
• Engagement: Fans will be invited to submit, via the Voice of the fans email address and/or verbal contact with Voice of the Fans representatives, questions and issues for discussion in advance of meetings.
• Reporting: Outcomes and actions from meetings will be communicated publicly in a timely and transparent manner via meeting notes on the club website.
• Representation: The body will seek to reflect the full diversity of the supporter base.

6. Commitment

The Voice of the Fans representatives commit to:

• Listening to and representing supporters with impartiality and fairness and bringing prompt attention to the Board of Directors all significant feedback items.
• Working proactively and constructively with the club to identify solutions and improvements to the feedback received from the fanbase.
• Providing clear explanation when a fan feedback request or proposal cannot be implemented.

7. Review and Amendment

This Charter will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure it remains relevant, effective, and aligned with the interests of supporters and the club. Amendments may be made following consultation with both the fanbase and the club. The representatives involved in the Voice of the Fans will also be reviewed on a regular basis within the same manner.

Open applications are always available via slo@scunthorpe-united.co.uk and will be held until such a time in which recruitment is necessary.

The Iron are back in action for a huge National League play-off semi-final match away
against Rochdale. Scunthorpe beat Southend last time out in a play-off quarter-final
match held at the Attis Arena. Cal Roberts returned from injury and netted the only goal
of the match in the opening five minutes in tidy style. The runners-up, who ended the
season with 106 points, will be looking to burst United’s bubble on Sunday with a place
in the final at stake.

In both matches between each side, each game ended in a draw. The first time each side met
was at the Crown Oil Arena, when Roberts fired Scunthorpe into the lead before a bizarre
penalty mishap from Emmanuel Dieseruvwe. Ryan East got the equaliser just after the half-hour
mark, and neither team could snatch a winner.

At the Attis Arena, Rochdale went 2-0 up through goals from Luke Hannant and Aidan Barlow. A resilient Scunthorpe fight back to help the game end all square, with Cal Roberts getting the first
goal to start the comeback, and Alfie Beestin firing in a late volley in the 87th minute to earn a
point.

Rochdale have had mixed form from their last form, with two wins, two draws and one loss, but one
infamous result was their most recent against York City. Dale knew they needed a win to leapfrog
York in the table and win the title, and managed to get a goal in the 90+5th minute, scored by
Dieseruvwe. The home crowd invaded the pitch in jubilation and celebrated what they thought
was the winner to take them back to the football league, but York equalised just minutes later in
the 90+13th minute to break Dale fans' hearts. It will be a huge task for these Rochdale players
to motivate themselves for a huge play-off semi-final after such a setback.

The main man to watch out for is the Rochdale number nine, Dieseruvwe.
Having scored in back-to-back games, whilst coming close to scoring a huge goal in Dale’s
history on the weekend, he will be desperate to get his side promoted after coming so close to
glory. He’s failed to score in both fixtures against the Iron and will be looking to change that.
With a match at Wembley on the line, Rochdale will be desperate for redemption after the cruel
end to their league campaign. The Iron can get back-to-back promotions to get back into the
football league with two more wins, starting against Rochdale.

First team manager Andy Butler looks ahead to today's promotion semi-final encounter against Rochdale.

🧪 ᴍᴀɴᴀɢᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴘᴏɴꜱᴏʀᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴄᴀᴜʟᴅʀᴏɴ

Chair Michelle Harness pens a message to supporters ahead of tomorrow's Promotion Semi-Final against Rochdale...

To reach a play-off semi-final is no small achievement. It reflects the hard work, resilience, and belief shown by our players, coaching staff, and everyone behind the scenes. You have put yourselves in a position where anything is possible, against the odds, and now it is about seizing that opportunity with confidence and togetherness.

Whatever happens in this game, I know Andy, his staff, and his players will leave everything out there on the pitch to try and get a result for us all. The players have earned this right to be in this position, and compete against the best teams in the league for an opportunity to get back to where we want to be. We come up against a fantastic side in Rochdale who reach treble figures in terms of points and were minutes away from winning the league. It’s another affirmation that there should be three sides promoted from this league, but we are in position where there are currently two, and we want to give it our best shot to be that second side.

To our supporters, your backing throughout this campaign has been unwavering. Whether at home or on the road, in the highs and the difficult spells, you have stood with the team and carried this club forward. The energy you bring makes a difference, and it will matter more than ever at tomorrow’s game. To have a backing of around 2,400 there will be incredible, and I know that figure could have been much more if it was possible.

I must at this point remind all supporters about their conduct at away games. It is still our responsibility away from home to represent the football club, and any misconduct will come back to us in terms of charges, financial penalties and maybe even restrictions at future games. The use of pyrotechnics, the throwing of objects and pitch incursions are all examples of conduct we do not wish to see, and can land you, and ultimately, us as a club in big trouble with the Football Association.

Matches like this are why we all care so deeply about football. They are occasions that bring people together,  families, friends, and generations of supporters, all united behind the same cause and I know you’ll all be there in a sea of claret and blue, or white and claret if you’re opting for the away kit we’ll be wearing on the pitch, or even our black third kit, but make sure you’re seen and heard!

As we look ahead to Rochdale, the message is simple: believe, support, and give everything. Let’s create an atmosphere that reflects the pride we have in this club and the ambition we all share for where it can go.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for your continued commitment to Scunthorpe United. Now, let’s take this next step together.

Up the Iron!

Michelle Harness
Chair

Steve Hope presents a handful of images from the Iron's preparations for the Promotion Semi-Final against Rochdale.