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Ahead of the release of the fixtures for the 2021-22 season, we take a look back at some of the Iron's previous opening day exploits since admission to the league in 1950.
| Scunthorpe United | 1-1 | Newport County |
| Ryan Loft, 58 | Ryan Taylor, 31 |
The Iron began the 2020-21 season with a draw against eventual play-off final losers Newport County, coming from behind at the Sands Venue Stadium.
Ryan Loft, one of a number of players making their league debut for the side, slammed home a long range second-half equaliser to cancel our Ryan Taylor's first-half effort.
IRON: Watson, Bedeau, McGahey, Gilliead, Loft (Javis, 85), Eisa, Hippolyte, Spence, Vincent (Green, 71), Cordner, Hornshaw.
| Coventry City | 1-2 | Scunthorpe United |
| Tony Andreu, 52 | Stephen Humphrys, 68 Andy Dales, 81 |
The Iron got their Sky Bet League One campaign off to a winning start as they came from behind to beat Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena.
The Sky Blues, managed by former boss Mark Robins and newly promoted to the division via the play-offs, gave a stern test to Nick Daws' men throughout and went ahead seven minutes after half time following a pin point free-kick from 25 yards which floated over the wall and beyond Rory Watson in the Scunnthorpe goal.
United introduced Funso Ojo for James Horsfield three minutes later, with the Belgian missing for much of pre-season, while Duane Holmes and Matthew Lund both also entered the fray shortly before the equaliser arrived. It was the latter of substitutes who would provide the stigma for the Iron's first goal of the season. Lund slid in to win the ball back in midfield with Stephen Humphrys shifting the ball straight to Holmes.
The outgoing winger would coast forward allowing Humphrys to overlap to his left, with Holmes slipping him in to allow a brilliantly delicate finish over the 'keeper and into the net.
The winner would come from another debutant in Andy Dales, who plied his trade at Mickleover Sports during the previous campaign. Ojo floated a ball to the right channel, Humphrys won the header, knocking the ball into the box for Dales to hook a half volley into the corner of the net from 18-yards.
IRON: Watson, Clarke (Lund, 65), Borthwick-Jackson, Horsfield (Ojo, 55), Perch, Goode, Burgess, Dales, Humphrys, Novak, Olomola (Holmes, 58).
| Scunthorpe United | 1-1 | AFC Wimbledon |
| Conor Townsend, 6 | Jimmy Abdou, 67 |
The Iron were held to a 1-1 draw at Glanford Park on the opening day of the 2017-18 season.
Conor Townsend struck Scunthorpe's first goal of the campaign - which actually turned out to be the first strike of the EFL season - before Nadjim Abdou came off the bench in the second half to snatch a point for the Dons.
The left-back was played in by Josh Morris, who swept the ball wide following persistence by Paddy Madden to keep hold of the ball, with Townsend taking one touch to get the ball out of his feet before he struck the ball into the corner of the net from 20-yards.
IRON: Gilks, Clarke, Townsend, Wallace, Burgess, McArdle, Ojo, Morris (Holmes, 74), Bishop (Mantom, 50), Adelakun, Madden (van Veen, 74).
| Scunthorpe United | 3-1 | Bristol Rovers |
| Kevin van Veen, 66 Josh Morris, 81 Kyle Wootton, 90 |
Matty Taylor, 31 |
The Iron began the 2016-17 season with maximum points as they turned around a first half 1-0 deficit to win on home soil.
United fell behind to a Matty Taylor strike after half an hour of the new campaign, but responded spectacularly in the second 45 minutes with three goals while attacking towards the Britcon Stand.
Kevin van Veen lashed home the equaliser on the half volley after a corner was only partially cleared before the ball was headed across goal by Tom Hopper. The Dutchman's composed finish hit the roof of the net.
On his debut, Josh Morris then picked up the ball on the half way line, nine minutes from time, before driving towards goal and firing the ball into the net from 20 yards.
Kyle Wootton sealed the win in the final minute as he played a give-and-go with Hakeeb Adelakun, latching onto the ball over the top and beating Steve Mildenhall with a left-footed effort low into the corner from 20-yards.
IRON: Daniels, Wallace, Mirfin, Townsend, Clarke, Dawson, Morris, Bishop (Ness, 67), Adelakun, van Veen (Wiseman, 89), Hopper (Wootton, 85).
| Scunthorpe United | 0-0 | Shrewsbury Town |
In the first ever league encounter for both sides, neither team could break the deadlock and thus attained their first ever league points.
Both sides were new admissions to the league in 1950 and were eager not to spoil their opening fixture with defeat, hence playing out a goalless affair at the Old Show Ground.
IRON: Thompson, Barker, Brownsword, Allen, Taylor, McCormick, Mosby, Payne, Gorin, Rees, Boyes.
| Scunthorpe United | 3-1 | Rochdale |
| Cleveland Taylor, 68 Paul Hayes, 75 Matt Sparrow, 90 |
Leo Bertos (pen), 45 |
The Iron had to come from behind to emerge victorious at Glanford Park in the 2004-05 season.
After nearly dropping out of the Football League on the final day of the previous season, three summer signings in Paul Musselwhite, Andy Crosby and Ian Baraclough bolstered the team and would set them on a run which would eventually see them promoted to League One.
Leo Bertos converted a penalty on the stroke of half time after one of the debutants, Crosby, was adjudged to have fouled.
Cleveland Taylor fired home the leveller before Paul Hayes put the hosts ahead after hooking home a corner. Matt Sparrow would fire in to seal the three points with moments remaining in the game.
IRON: Musselwhite, Ridley, Butler, Baraclough, Stanton, Crosby, Beagrie, Taylor, Kell (Sparrow, 86), Hayes, Bailey (Keogh, 85).
| Charlton Athletic | 1-1 | Scunthorpe United |
| Marcus Bent, 62 | Izzy Iriekpen, 69 |
A first campaign in the Championship for over four decades paired the Iron with Charlton Athletic, a side just relegated from the Premier League.
Not a victory, but Scunthorpe showed they weren't going to roll over in the second division and the defence held firm for just over an hour until Marcus Bent fired home the opener.
Izzy Iriekpen bulleted home a header just seven minutes later for United to send the travelling supporters into delirium. The Iron had their first point on the board.
IRON: Murphy, Iriekpen, Byrne, Baraclough, Williams, Crosby, Taylor, Hurst, Goodwin, Hayes (Sparrow, 79), Forte (Paterson, 72).
| Reading | 1-2 | Scunthorpe United |
| Gylfi Sigurdsson, 26 | Garry Thompson, 9 Rob Jones, 60 |
After surviving in the Championship in 2009-10, United began a second successive season in the second division with a victory over former Premier League side Reading at the Madejski Stadium.
The season started in the best possible way, with Garry Thompson putting Scunthorpe ahead before Gylfi Sigurdsson restored parity. The six-foot, seven-inch mountain of Rob Jones towered above the Royals' defence to turn home the winner on the hour to seal three points for the Iron.
IRON: Murphy, McNulty, Jones, Mirfin (Raynes, 51), Nolan, Togwell, O'Connor (A. Wright, 89), Thompson, J. Wright, Dagnall (Woolford, 73), Forte.
| Scunthorpe United | 2-0 | Mansfield Town |
| Matt Sparrow, 31 Sam Winnall, 41 |
After relegation to League Two, the Iron faced league returnees Mansfield Town at Glanford Park and didn't disappoint.
Matt Sparrow volleyed home on his return to the club after good work from Terry Hawkridge, while Sam Winnall burst clear ten minutes later to double the advantage after another assist from Hawkridge.
Eddie Nolan would be dismissed for a second booking with minutes remaining, with the Stags skying the resultant penalty.
IRON: Slocombe, Dawson, Mirfin, Canavan, Nolan, Sparrow, Welsh (Clark, 88), Hawkridge, Collins, Burton (Iwelumo, 81), Winnall (Godden, 77).
Scunthorpe United FC
Tuesday, 22 June 2021