Reply To: Club fundraising

[SODIron]

I’m struggling to understand some of the outrage around the club’s fundraising initiatives.

The reality is that Scunthorpe United are still rebuilding after one of the most turbulent and damaging periods in the club’s history. We nearly lost the club altogether. We dropped out of the Football League, ownership issues dragged on for years, revenues collapsed, and a huge amount of trust had to be rebuilt with supporters, sponsors and the wider community. None of that disappears overnight simply because we’ve had a promotion and things are looking more positive on the pitch.

Unlike some clubs at this level, we don’t have a millionaire benefactor writing cheques every month to cover the losses. Football clubs outside the EFL are notoriously difficult to run at a profit, and even clubs attracting crowds like ours still face significant financial pressures. Matchday income alone rarely covers the full cost of running a football club, especially one with our infrastructure, staffing requirements and ambitions. Previous statements from the club have made it clear that football revenues alone don’t necessarily bridge the gap between income and expenditure.

I actually see the fundraising efforts as a positive sign rather than a negative one. At least the club are being proactive. The alternative is either cutting budgets, reducing investment in the playing side, scaling back operations, or relying on a single individual to bankroll everything. We’ve all seen where that can lead when circumstances change.

Nobody is forcing supporters to take part. If a particular initiative isn’t for you, don’t contribute. But there are plenty of fans who want to put a little extra into the club and feel involved in helping it progress. That’s been part of football culture for decades. Supporters buy lottery tickets, attend fundraising events, sponsor players, purchase merchandise and donate to club causes because they want to contribute something beyond the price of a season ticket.

The bigger picture for me is this: where do we want the club to be in three to five years? If we want to establish ourselves in the National League, challenge towards the top end of the division and eventually push for a return to the EFL, that requires investment. Every additional revenue stream helps. Every sponsorship deal helps. Every fundraising initiative helps. No single scheme is going to transform the club’s finances, but collectively they can make a meaningful difference.

Of course, supporters are entitled to ask questions about where money is going and how fundraising fits into the wider strategy. Transparency is important. But I don’t think the answer is to criticise every attempt to generate additional income.

For years we complained about poor ownership, lack of planning and financial instability. Now we have a club actively trying to create revenue streams and improve its position. That seems like something worth supporting rather than attacking.

I’d be far more worried if the club *wasn’t* looking for ways to strengthen its finances.