Iron Work Seals A Share Of The Spoils.....

And so to March, Jack Brownsword Way and the Glanford Stadium, formerly The Sands Venue Stadium and now The Attis Arena, for a National League North encounter between Scunthorpe United FC and Chester FC.

Scunthorpe United FC was formed in 1899, and, after merging with local rivals North Lindsey United, becoming Scunthorpe & Lindsey United, turning professional in 1912 joining the Midland League. Crowned Midland League champions in the 1926/27 and 1938/39 seasons, the Iron, a nod to the local steelworks, was elected into the Football League in 1950, ahead of Workington and Wigan Athletic, after numerous failed attempts.

Promotion was secured as champions from Division Three North to the Second Division in 1958. After six seasons United was relegated back to the lowest tier and aside from sporadic one season promotion ventures to the Third Division in 1972, 1983 and 1999, stagnated in the basement division for 34 of 37 campaigns. The club moved from the central Old Show Ground, in the wake of the Bradford City fire - the ground too expensive to upgrade and sold to Safeway, then Sainsburys - to the new purpose built Glanford Park in 1988, and was famous in counting Ray Clemence, Kevin Keegan and Ian Botham as former players.

Brian Laws steered Scunthorpe out of the bottom division in 2004/05 and his successor Nigel Adkins led the club to the Division One title, and the Championship in 2006/07. But it was only for one season; however victory in the 2009 play offs, beating Millwall 3-2 at Wembley, saw the Iron back in the Championship. Relegations in 2011 and 2013 meant Scunny was again playing fourth tier football, and despite immediate promotion in 2013/14 after two unsuccessful play off bids United was relegated to Division Two in 2019.

Worse was to follow with back to back demotions in 2022 and 2023 to the National League, then the National League North. Amidst threats of entering administration, winding up petitions and ground disputes, owner Peter Swann sold up to David Hilton in January 2023. Eight months later Hilton's chequered criminal past and growing fan dissent saw the club sold to local businesswoman Michelle Harness.

Currently the Iron lie second, but 10 points adrift of leaders Tamworth and six points clear of Chester.

Chester FC was founded in 2010 following the liquidation of Chester City and was placed in the Northern Premier League Division One North, after a successful appeal against restarting in the North West Counties. Three successive promotions propelled the Seals to the Conference in 2013, but after a reprieve in their first season due to Hereford United's expulsion, relegation to the Conference North eventually followed in 2018, where they remain after play off defeats to Altrincham (3-2 away in Covid 2020) and Brackley (0-1 at home last season).

The original Chester FC was founded as an amalgamation of Chester Rovers and Old King's Scholars FC in August 1885. Playing at Faulkner Street the Blues moved briefly to The Old Showground and then Whipcord Lane before settling at Sealand Road in 1906 where they stayed until 1991. Then after two seasons at Macclesfield's Moss Rose ground, City returned home to the Deva Stadium on the Sealand Industrial Estate, which partially straddles the Welsh border.

The Seals entered the Combination five years from inception, and, after promotion to the Lancashire Combination in 1910 and three Cheshire League titles, joined the Football League at the start of the 1931/32 season, in place of Nelson FC. The club changed its name to Chester City FC in 1983. 

The Blues were predominantly fourth tier Football League members but occasionally played at the third level (1975-1982, 1986-1993 and 1994-1995), until 2000 when the club was relegated to the Football Conference under the chaotic ownership of American Terry Smith, who installed himself as manager and steered the Seals to four wins in four months.....

Under new owner Stephen Vaughan they returned to the Football League after winning the Conference title in 2004, but following relegation back to the Conference in 2009, the club courted controversy and hit financial difficulties. These financial problems led to the 2009/10 season starting with a 25 point deduction, after the Inland Revenue revoked a proposed CVA.

Amidst increasing disquiet among fans City Fans United was formed in October 2009, and a month later staged an on field protest about Chester City's ownership leading to the abandonment of a home game against Eastbourne Borough, which they were leading 3-2.... Chester City FC was eventually wound up on 10 March 2010, a day after applying to join the Welsh Premier League. Preparations to form a phoenix club had already begun.... leading to Chester FC, sitting 4th, briefly 3rd, this term after a remarkable change in form that has seen 48 points garnered from 26 games starting with the 3-2 win over the Turbines of Peterborough Sports, when they lay 17th.

 

Amidst driving rain I encounter numberplates B16 HOT, PR17ATE and JD O1L. Then a J Davidson Scrap Metals lorry emblazoned with Only Fools and Horses and plate DE18 OYZ, past Wow Chau Yow and a van advertising Tipsy Bar Events. Finally I'm on the tram at US Four, a workman drinking Canti Prosecco at eleven in the morning and next to the Kings Ransom, temporarily closed for refurbishment. Then Emirates Old Trafford, J Parker Bulb & Plant and Pomona Island, into Manchester and Knott Mill Station, Gong Cha and the Manchester Curve.

Via Piccadilly, it's beyond Longsight railway depot, a regenerated Stockport - soon to host Viaduct Park - and into Davenport, Hazel Grove and Chinley. Snow topped hills before a Freightliner between Edale and Hope, and the Hope Valley Line meanders through Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford and Dore & Totley, the latter in a state of disrepair.

Flooded fields greet me prior to The Sheaf Bank, Olive Grove depot and Sheffield, as we edge past the English Pewter Company and Sheffield Forgemasters before reaching Meadowhall. Next is the abandoned old Rotherham station, Millmoor and Swinton, Mexborough and Conisborough.

Frenchgate, snowploughs and GB Freight are on show at Doncaster, leading to Kirk Sandall and Hatfield & Stainforth. Heavy Yorkshire industry gives way to the Lincolnshire Fens and wind turbines as we bypass Crowle and Althorpe and its Wharf, with the South Soak Drain running alongside.

That brings me to Scunthorpe, home of The Honest Lawyer (really !!), the Wetherspoons offering that is the Blue Bell Inn, the North Lincolnshire Museum, Baitus Salaam Mosque and the old Circus Funtasia site. Past Scunthorpe General Hospital and then left at the Berkeley, named after the baronet Sir Berkeley Sheffield, and the Old Farmhouse Wacky Warehouse to the retail park incorporating Glanford Park.

Scunthorpe are in claret and blue, Chester change yellow with black trim - Scunny Bunny briefly in evidence. £15 in, reduced from £20 for Community Day, and the stadium is made up of 4 sponsored stands - the nearest the Britcon (North) terraced stand, flanked on the left by the Mortz Property Services (East) Stand and on the right by the Vertikal (West) Main Stand and opposite the AMS (South) Stand, the latter for away fans.

Kick off is pushed back 15 minutes in glorious sunshine, but with standing water on the touchlines; proceedings eventually get underway at 3.17, with flares emanating from the away end. This a consequence of huge queues outside the ground - Community Day and a concerted effort to break the highest ever Conference North attendance: it is successful with a crowd of 7,511 (1,142 away) which gains national headlines.

It's all Iron to begin with as on 6 minutes Liam McAlinden has a shot smuggled away by City keeper Wyll Stanway. Five minutes later Danny Whitehall directs his effort just beyond the post.

On 20 minutes United's Jacob Butterfield flashes wide, before the Seals start to impose themselves. Ben Tollitt has a free kick that evades everyone, narrowly missing the goal and on the half hour he drives forward, shapes to shoot across Iron keeper Ross Fitzsimons and then alters his body shape, wrongfooting Fitzsimons and scoring at the near post.

Scunthorpe can only manage a Whitehall attempt straight at Stanway. So Chester lead 1-0 at the break and the Iron, after a bright start, have faded and lost their way.

The second period begins in the same fashion as the first with the home side in the ascendancy. Kian Scales sees his shot parried away for a corner and Will Evans tries his luck too from range, but Stanway comfortably saves. Eventually the pressure tells and on the hour McAlinden, with a beautifully deft header from a Dion Sembie-Ferris cross, beyond Stanway, equalises for the Iron.

It lasts only four minutes: George Glendon bursting through for Chester and brought down by Tom Pugh's wild, last ditch tackle. Everyone stops, waiting for the penalty to be given - that is except Glendon who gets up and calmly strokes home to put the Seals 2-1 up.

Matters get worse for Scunny three minutes later. McAlinden is shown a red card for a dangerous challenge on Harrison Burke, and the Iron are down to ten. Then there is an extraordinary incident on 77 minutes. A fracas just outside the Chester box so nearly degenerates into a brawl and ends up with 6 players being booked - 4 Chester, 2 Scunthorpe - including both goalkeepers.....

With seven minutes to go Butterfield produces a sublime piece of skill and a wonderful finish into the bottom corner to draw matters level at 2-2. Cue flares from the home end and a pitch invasion.

Ten minutes of added time and the Iron go for the win. Sub Danny Elliott is close two minutes in, Whitehall has a penalty shout on 95 and then, in the 99th minute, Stanway makes a mess of a cross cum shot from Sembie-Ferris and the ball breaks to fellow sub Alfie Beestin and he thrashes against the bar.

A chaotic, breathless match finishes at 5.17 with honours even, both sides unchanged in league position. As for the trip home best not go there - although I do learn that Scunthorpe have only scored 4 equalisers all season, and 2 of them were today 😊