Thursday 23 August 2018

CANTILEVER'S FIRST STAND


23rd August 1958 was Scunthorpe United's first home game in the (then) Second Division against Ipswich, a game that ended as a draw 1-1. It was the highest position that The Irons had reached in their history and the first time the club had appeared on the scoreboard as Scunthorpe United. Prior to that time the club was known as Scunthorpe and Lindsay United-so there was a new name too.

Yes, you guessed it, this is a cantilever stand at the Old Show Ground, Scunthorpe, where United used to play before moving to Glandford Park in 1988.  Since Scunthorpe is in Iron and Steel country, a local firm built the stand as publicity stunt.

The last match played in front of this museum piece was in May at the end of the season, when The Irons moved on, letting the builders in to demolish the historic grandstand and replace it with a supermarket.

It was the first such stand (with no poles supporting the roof to obscure the view as at Hillsborough) to be built in British Football.

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