Local football team Louth Old Boys under 11’s Reds team enjoyed a group booking visit at Glanford Park on Saturday.
For the majority of the team, it was their first time at Glanford Park as the team has also enjoyed visits to League One rivals Bradford City, local rivals Doncaster Rovers and also Sincil Bank, where they watched England v Wales in a youth international.On arrival, they group of 40 were taken around the stadium before being shown the directors box, post match press conference room and the changing rooms. The Iron players were on hand on arrival to sign autographs for the youngsters along with having their pictures taken before preparing for their final home encounter of the season versus Gillingham.
Following that, the group enjoyed a further stay in the club’s OSG Bar in the Whitegates Stand, making use of the facilities including a Nintendo Wii and table football – along with the bar facilities and further television screen showing live football from both Sky Sports and BT Sport.
Situated in the family area, the football team were invited onto the pitch ahead of kick-off to be flag bearers, welcoming both sets of players officially onto the pitch for the final time at the stadium this season, with the Louth team braving the weather as the heavens temporarily opened at the start of the game.
On the pitch, the Iron went 1-0 down, but goals from Adelakun and McSheffrey at the end where the group was situated put United in the ascendancy. Adelakun ran towards the family area to celebrate with a cartwheel, while the weather then halted the play for 27 minutes as the ball ceased to move on the surface shortly after Scunthorpe’s second goal.
Due to health and safety reasons – and because of the volume of staff treating the pitch during the interval - that meant that the team weren’t able to play their half-time mini match in front of the 3,763, with the plug also pulled on United’s half time entertainment Pole to Goal. However, the team have been invited back next season to fulfil their day out and play on the Glanford Park surface.
Organiser Stefanie Standland, who liaised with media and marketing assistant James Moody, said: “I would like to say a massive thank you for everything and the boys loved their day out.”
“Out of the three (visits to grounds) we’ve done, yesterday was fab. We had a great time and we loved the welcome feeling from the staff and players before, during and after the game. The players had so much time for everybody and my lad came home with Jordan’s (Clarke) boots after the pitch invasion.
“The weather was just British weather at its best and as parents we had a feeling for safety reasons (that we wouldn’t be able to play on the pitch). We totally understood that and explained to the boys we would go back one day next season and they were all happy to be able to come again."
She added: “Many of us I’m sure will be returning in general – they played great football.”
Louth Old Boys Under-11 Red’s arrived at Glanford Park as part of a group booking re-introduced towards the end of the season, with Scotter Jets Under 7’s also enjoying a day with us at the start of April (http://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/news/article/scotter-jets-u7s-enjoy-their-day-with-united-2399163.aspx).
Want further information? We will be continuing with our group bookings for the 2015-16 season and will be taking bookings from when the fixtures are out in June. Contact james.moody@scunthorpe-united.co.uk for more information.