List_of_Scunthorpe_United_F.C._seasons

List of Scunthorpe United F.C. seasons

List of Scunthorpe United F.C. seasons

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Scunthorpe United Football Club, an English association football club based in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, was founded in 1899 as the result of a merger between Brumby Hall F.C. and another club.[1] The team first entered the national cup competition, the FA Cup, in 1909–10; they beat Withernsea 8–0 in the preliminary round before losing 4–0 to York City in the first qualifying round.[2] In 1910, after amalgamating with North Lindsey United, the club took the name Scunthorpe & Lindsey United,[1] and two years later, it became a member of the Midland League.[3] The first team finished that initial season in the lower reaches of the table, but when competitive football resumed after the First World War, they enjoyed consecutive top-seven finishes, culminating in their first Midland League title in 1926–27, a success fuelled by 52 goals from former England international Ernie Simms.[3][4] They again won the title in 1938–39,[3] and it seemed for much of the season as if Harry Johnson was sure to overtake Simms' total, but he missed several matches in the later part of the season and had to settle for 49.[4][5]

Scunthorpe made their first application to join the Football League ahead of the formation of the Northern Section of the Third Division in 1921; they were not elected,[6] and their bids for election continued to fail until the League's next expansion, in 1950. The voting was tight, but Scunthorpe became one of two Midland League teams to join the Northern Section when each regional third-tier division grew from 22 to 24.[7] They finished the 1950–51 Football League season in mid-table, and seven years later won the Third Division North title – the last season of that league before the regional divisions were amalgamated into national Third and Fourth Divisions[8] – by a seven-point margin. They also reached the fifth round (last 16) of the FA Cup for the first time, defeating First Division club Newcastle United and holding Liverpool for 75 minutes before conceding the only goal of the match.[9]

Ahead of their Second Division debut, the club dropped the Lindsey from its name, becoming plain Scunthorpe United.[1] They spent six seasons at that level, and finished a club record fourth in 1961–62, five points behind the second promotion place. After four seasons in the Third Division, they dropped to the Fourth, in which they remained for the next 36 years, apart from three single-season ventures into the higher level; the last of those, in 1999–2000, came courtesy of their fifth attempt at promotion via the play-offs.[10][11] The Football League rebranded their divisions ahead of the 2004–05 season, so that the fourth tier became Football League Two,[8] and the change of name coincided with a change of fortune for Scunthorpe. Gaining promotion to League One as runners-up, ahead of Swansea City on goal difference, this time they not only stayed up but went on to win the League One title in 2006–07. Relegated in their first season in the Championship, they came straight back via the play-offs to spend another two seasons in the second tier.[10][12] In 2008–09, they lost to Luton Town in the final of the Football League Trophy, a cup competition open to teams from the third and fourth tiers of the English football league system,[13] and the following season, they reached the last 16 of the League Cup for the first time.[10] Two relegations in three years returned them to the fourth tier, from which they bounced straight back as 2013–14 runners-up. After twice reaching the play-offs, they were relegated to League Two in 2019 before, in a chaotic 2021–22 season, finishing bottom of that division to put an end to their 72-year spell in the Football League.[14]

As of the end of the 2021–22 season, the team have spent 38 seasons in the fourth tier of the English football league system, 25 in the third, and 9 in the second.[3][10] The table details the team's achievements in senior first-team competitions and the top league goalscorer, where known, from their debut season in the FA Cup in 1909–10 to the end of the most recently completed season.

Key

Details of the abandoned 1939–40 season are shown in italics and appropriately footnoted.

Seasons

More information Season, FA Cup ...

Notes

  1. The League Cup competition started in the 1960–61 season.[8]
  2. Unless individually referenced, top scorers in the Football League era are sourced to The Iron Alphabet up to and including the 1995–96 season[18] – appearances and goals listed there are for League matches only, as confirmed at Neil Brown's site[19] – and to Soccerbase thereafter.[20]
  3. From the 1960–61 Football League season onwards, divisions are sorted according to their level within the English football league system, and separately from the pre-Football League division.
  4. The FA Cup was contested in 1945–46. From the first round proper to the sixth round (quarter-final), results were determined on aggregate score over two legs.[2]
  5. Club's highest Football League scorer in a season.[24]
  6. Two points awarded for the home fixture against Exeter City, which remains the only match in the history of the Football League to remain unplayed. Injury and influenza left Exeter with only nine fit players, two of whom were goalkeepers, but the League refused their request for postponements. They played one game, at home to Peterborough United, but on medical advice refused to travel the 300 miles (480 km) to Scunthorpe. They were fined £5,000 and ordered to pay Scunthorpe £1,000 in compensation.[10][25]
  7. Successfully applied for re-election to the Football League.[26]
  8. The 1981–82 season saw the introduction of three points for a win instead of two.[8]
  9. Lost 3–2 on aggregate to Torquay United in the play-off semi-final; the second leg was the last match played at the Old Showground before Scunthorpe moved to Glanford Park.[30]
  10. Lost 5–1 on aggregate to Wrexham in the play-off semi-final.[31]
  11. Lost 3–2 on aggregate to Blackpool in the play-off semi-final.[10]
  12. After beating Crewe Alexandra 4–2 in the play-off semi-final,[10] Scunthorpe lost to Blackpool in the final on penalties.[6]
  13. The newly formed FA Premier League split from the Football League, and the remaining divisions of the Football League were renumbered upwards.[8]
  14. After beating Swansea City 3–2 on aggregate in the play-off semi-final,[10] Scunthorpe won promotion to the Second Division by beating Leyton Orient on penalties in the final.[11]
  15. Lost 6–3 on aggregate to Lincoln City in the play-off semi-final.[33]
  16. From the 2004–05 season, the Football League divisions were rebranded: Division One was renamed the Football League Championship, and Divisions Two and Three became Football League One and Football League Two respectively.[34]
  17. After beating Milton Keynes Dons on penalties in the play-off semi-final,[10] Scunthorpe won promotion to the Championship by beating Millwall 3–2 in the final.[12]
  18. Lost 3–2 on aggregate to Millwall in the play-off semi-final.[36]
  19. Lost 4–2 on aggregate to Rotherham United in the play-off semi-final.[37]
  20. The 2019–20 football season was disrupted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EFL was suspended in March 2020 and in June, the League Two clubs voted to end the regular season programme early. Teams had not all played the same number of matches, so it was agreed to construct final league tables on a points-per-game basis. Scunthorpe United's 49.73 points per game placed them 20th.[38][39]

References

  1. [1]
    "Historical landmarks". Scunthorpe United F.C. Archived from the original on 12 December 2011.
  2. [2]
    "The Emirates FA Cup: Past Results". The Football Association. Retrieved 7 July 2022. Individual seasons accessed via dropdown menu.
  3. [3]
    "Scunthorpe & Lindsey United". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  4. [4]
    'Filbert' (5 April 1939). "Scunthorpe United begin team-building in good time". Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph. p. 1. At the moment, [Johnson] is the leading scorer in the Midland League, with 44 goals ... As far as Scunthorpe is concerned, he has still one record to break, and that is to beat the Midland League scoring record for the club set up by Ernest Simms, who scored 52 goals for the United in one season. Johnson has, of course, been out of the team for the last few weeks, but he still has time, if he recovers from his injury, to break that record.
  5. [5]
    'Argus' (6 May 1939). "With Boston United. Leading scorers". Lincolnshire Standard. p. 18.
  6. [6]
    "Highs and lows". Scunthorpe United F.C. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  7. [7]
    "Division 3 North 1949/50". Footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  8. [8]
    "History of the Football League". The Football League. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011.
  9. [9]
    "Report: Scunthorpe 0–1 Liverpool". LFCHistory.net. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  10. [10]
    "Scunthorpe United". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  11. [11]
    "Garcia strike takes Iron up". BBC News. 29 May 1999. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  12. [12]
    Fletcher, Paul (24 May 2009). "Millwall 2–3 Scunthorpe". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  13. [13]
    Stafford, Mikey (5 April 2009). "Luton get the last laugh with victory in the 'Paint Pot final'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
    McVay, David (5 April 2009). "Defiant Luton celebrates trophy win with final protest". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  14. [14]
    "Keith Hill: Scunthorpe United boss says 'terrible' culture at relegated club must change". BBC Sport. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  15. [15]
    "Scunthorpe United league performance history: League Two table at close of 2020–21 season". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  16. [16]
    "Scunthorpe United football club complete match record". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  17. [17]
    "Football League Group Cup". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  18. [18]
    "The Iron Alphabet". Scunthorpe United F.C. Archived from the original on 24 February 2008.
  19. [19]
    "Scunthorpe United: 1950/51–2013/14". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  20. [20]
    "Scunthorpe: Player Appearances". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 July 2022. Select season required via dropdown menu.
  21. [21]
    "Johnson re-signs for Scunthorpe". Daily Mail. Hull. 27 May 1938. p. 22.
  22. [22]
    "'Nuts' rally to win". The Star "Green 'Un". Sheffield. 26 August 1939. p. 5.
    'Filbert' (29 August 1939). "Scunthorpe stamina stumped Shrewsbury". Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph. p. 8.
    "Nuts checked by Town Reserves". Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 1 September 1939. p. 2.
  23. [23]
    "Clubs: Scunthorpe Utd". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 22 January 2020. Select season via dropdown menu.
  24. [24]
    Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2010). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2010–2011. Headline. p. 329. ISBN 978-0-7553-6107-6.
  25. [25]
    "Did you know 25: Postponed matches". Footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
    Davies, John (3 April 1974). "Exeter match ban". Daily Express. London. p. 20.
    Lawton, James (26 April 1974). "Exeter board in £5,000 whipround". Daily Express. London. p. 22.
  26. [26]
    "Scunthorpe United". Footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  27. [27]
    Vernon, Leslie; Rollin, Jack, eds. (1977). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1976–77 (PDF). London: Queen Anne Press. p. 332. ISBN 978-0362002591 – via Historical Lineups.
  28. [28]
    "Cammack, SR (Steve)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  29. [29]
    Ross, James M. (25 June 2015). "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  30. [30]
    Baldwin, James (28 November 2013). "Iron v Torquay: we've met before". Scunthorpe United F.C. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  31. [31]
    Griffiths, Mark (13 February 2013). "Wrexham's greatest semi-finals: #6–#5". Wrexham F.C. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  32. [32]
    Rollin, Jack, ed. (1990). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1990–91. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 475–76. ISBN 0-356-17911-7.
  33. [33]
    "Lincoln see off Scunthorpe". BBC Sport. 14 May 2003. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  34. [34]
    "League gets revamp". BBC Sport. 10 June 2004. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  35. [35]
    "League Two". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 22 May 2016. Select season via dropdown menu.
  36. [36]
    "Scunthorpe United 2–3 Millwall (agg: 2–3)". BBC Sport. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  37. [37]
    Mitchell, Brendon (16 May 2018). "Rotherham United 2–0 Scunthorpe United (Agg 4–2)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  38. [38]
    "League One & League Two clubs vote to end seasons early". BBC Sport. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  39. [39]
    "Sky Bet League Two". English Football League. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020.
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