In memoriam: Graham Colby

Scunthorpe United is saddened to learn of the passing of former Head Groundsman Graham Colby.

With over 28 years service under his belt for the Iron, Graham retired in May 2020 during the COVID pandemic following a monumental stint as a servant of the football club.

In Graham’s time at Glanford Park, as he would have known it prior to sponsorship rights being installed, there were a number of significant changes that he has had to adapt to. Leading the team as Head Groundsman for a significant part of his time at the club, Graham was a familiar face to most fans and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Some of his notable achievements include the award for the runner-up for best pitch in 1994-95, and also Division Three Groundsman of the Year in 1995. Additionally, he was recognised for his work with apprentices in 2005.

As a present for his retirement, club media contacted a number of former players, staff and management from across his spell at the club, with a large number responding to give him a video message as part of a compilation. Tony Daws, Mark Jackson, Andy Crosby, Nigel Adkins, Cliff Byrne and Alex Calvo-Garcia were just a handful of the names who featured in the video, showing the popularity of Graham, and how much he had played a part in so many careers over the near-three decades of service.

Despite being retired for a year, Graham returned to the stadium for the first time since retirement in 2021 to collect an EFL award for long service to Scunthorpe United - an award which was truly deserved, with the accolade presented by then-assistant manager Mark Lillis.

All at the club send their thoughts and condolences to Graham's family and friends at this sad time.