Michelle Harness is now the fully-fledged owner of Scunthorpe United, and all signs are that things are already on the up at the strife-torn National League North club.
Since Scunthorpe confirmed her takeover from the largely unpopular David Hilton in early October, the respected Scunthorpe businesswoman has been metaphorically filtering fresh air through the Glanford Park air conditioning units.
Harness is not unfamiliar in Iron circles. She served as the club’s commercial manager between 2000 and 2015 while being appointed a director in July. She’s now made it her mission to save the ailing North Lincolnshire club from losing its home, still owned by the club’s owner before Hilton, Peter Swann.
Since Hilton took ownership of The Iron in January, ongoing arguments with Swann persisted over Scunthorpe’s future at Glanford Park after Hilton reneged on an agreement between the two to buy the ground within the allotted time frame. Swann insinuated that Hilton had no intention to buy Glanford Park on a fan notice board and initiated legal proceedings against the club’s owner.
Those never reached the courts as Hilton took it upon himself to negotiate a change in ownership with Harness – a move that has delighted many Iron’s fans and opened fresh avenues with Swann regarding Scunthorpe’s purchase of Glanford Park.
Scunthorpe United and Peter Swann have now signed a contract for the club to buy back the ground. Although Michelle Harness is aware of the challenges ahead to ensure the future growth of the 124-year-old club, new brooms sweep clean, and the new owner is enthusiastic about Scunthorpe’s future.
On announcing her takeover, Harness said the following:
“There is now a lot of work to do behind the scenes to get our great football club back on track, and that work starts immediately with the fantastic team we have working for us, starting with the appointment of a new board.”
The off-field developments aren’t affecting The Iron’s performances on the field. If anything, the renewed atmosphere of hope and stability in the boardroom appears to be filtering onto the football field.
Scunthorpe United started the season as favourites for the National League North, and the status quo remains as we near the mid-season point. With 11/10 title odds displayed on the betting sites listed here, The Iron top the betting boards ahead of current log leaders Tamworth FC (5/2) and second-placed South Shields FC (4/1).
On the playing field itself, only a surprise 1-3 loss against lowly King’s Lynn Town in mid-November has kept Scunthorpe United from the top spot in the league. Before that, an undefeated run of four matches kept The Iron in close contention. Of these, consecutive Glanford Park performances yielded six goals apiece for the home side, with Spennymoor Town and Bishop’s Stortford the unfortunate recipients.
The top of the National League North table is closely contested, with only a single point separating the top three teams. Although Scunthorpe lies a point behind both Tamworth and South Shields, The Iron have a game in hand over the latter and a superior goal difference to both others. One slip by the leaders could see the landscape change entirely.
With 28 more league matches to play, it’s too early to predict what may still happen in the National League North in 2023/24. A more settled Glanford Park environment, complete with an enthusiastic and passionate new owner in Michelle Harness, can only bode well for maintaining Scunthorpe United’s impressive performances on the playing field.