The gaffer will take his place in the Iron XI for this weekend's Legends encounter

First team manager Andy Butler will play for the Iron as part of our Legends XI encounter on Sunday, August 2nd (4pm kick-off).

Needing very little introduction, our gaffer will dust off his boots once more to take to the field for the match. Having come through our youth ranks to become a professional, Butler would make in excess of 150 appearances for the side in his first stint, most notably notching double figures in terms of goals en route to promotion to League One in 2004-05. He would then make 11 appearances in 2006-07 as the side were promoted to the Championship, before making 36 in that campaign in the second tier of English football.

He'd return to the club in 2019-20 for a further season, wearing the captains armband before continuing his playing career elsewhere. He would play his final matches as a professional in claret and blue though, with his final game seeing his captain the side to win the Lincolnshire Senior Cup. His final return to the club had been as Youth Development Phase Coach within the academy, but he had since made the step-up to First Team Coach. Following the departure of Jimmy Dean, he was promoted to First Team Manager in May 2024, and the rest, as they say, is history!

IRON AID 2026

Scunthorpe United Football Club is delighted to announce the return of Iron Aid, with a Scunthorpe United Legends side set to take on a Manchester United Legends XI in a special pre-season fixture at the Attis Arena on Sunday, August 2nd (4pm kick-off) as part of a wider event with more details to be released in due course.

The highly anticipated event, organised in partnership with Nor-Lait Promotions, will bring together some of the most iconic names from both clubs' histories for a memorable afternoon of football, nostalgia and fundraising.

Iron supporters will once again have the opportunity to see former fan favourites pull on the claret and blue shirt, while a star-studded Manchester United Legends squad promises to attract supporters from across the region.

The match marks the return of the popular Iron Aid concept, which in 2024, as part of the club's 125h anniversary celebrations, raised significant funds for local charities and community causes, whilst creating unforgettable occasions for supporters of all ages.

PLAYERS INVOLVED

As we confirm our ex-professional players line-up, we will begin to confirm them on social media.

If you're a former footballer for the Iron, reading this, and would like to get involved, please get in touch!

CONFIRMED SO FAR...
Manager of the Iron team: Brian Laws, Mark Lillis (assistant)
Iron Players: Josh Morris, Sam Togwell, Michael Nelson, Cleveland Taylor, Martyn Woolford, David Mirfin, Neal Bishop, Tony Daws, Chris Hope, Lee Novak, Russ Wilcox, Nathan Stanton, Andy Butler

Manchester United Legends manager: Steve Bruce and Bryan Robson
Manchester United Legends players: Chris Eagles, Wes Brown, Russell Beardsmore, Danny Webber, Lee Trundle (guest player), Darron Gibson

Due to the nature of football, and ever-changing cycles, the appearance of some confirmed players may change at short notice.

SPONSORSHIP

There are a number of sponsorship, VVIP, VIP and hospitality packages available for the game.

Please contact Simon North (07472 690709) or Tess Conway (07403 980888) or by emailing [email protected] for further details, with Nor-Lait Promotions handling these packages.