Ewing to forest green

[marris09]

Anyone else heard that one?

[saleiron]

No. Some whisper on X. But no source cited. Hope it’s nonsense, obviously. If true, we are miles off being able to assemble a squad capable of promotion. Players of the necessary quality simply won’t come on the wages and contracts we appear to be offering. As I say, let’s pray any rumour has no foundation.

[Ironawe]

We’re currently building a squad more than capable of relegation

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alcazar

[SST]

It was on the cards earlier this week

[BigLeftToe]

Really disappointing if true and we end up losing one of our better players to a team that finished below us last season.

[Iron-awe]

It’s all about the money honey always has been always will be, such is life.

[Dubai fan]

But he is under contract so hope we get a good deal at least

[marris09]

Hes out of contract,the option exercised wasnt an extension it was an offer matching his current salary to at least make sure we get compo,which will be less than a proper fee.

[SouthYorksIron]

marris09 wrote:

Hes out of contract,the option exercised wasnt an extension it was an offer matching his current salary to at least make sure we get compo,which will be less than a proper fee.

If that’s right, it’s pretty disingenuous as that’s simply not an “option activated”, though that’s clearly stated here:
https://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/news/2026/may/iron-retained-list-2025-26/

How is what you describe different from “offered new contract and currently negotiating”?

Not having a go, as it’s not really for you to answer; more for the club to explain how and why they should put out such clearly misleading comms if you’re right…

Having said that, it’s not the first time, as we’ve been told the debt has been largely paid off, when in reality it’s simply now owed to the directors rather than external creditors. Admittedly that’s a better position to be in, but it’s not the impression that was repeatedly given.

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smartm5, alcazar, BigLeftToe, saleiron

[Siderite]

The retainment announcement made it sound like he had signed an extension, so that is very poor communication from the club. After last season, I had worried that fans would get the jitters and the club needed good communication to keep up the good feeling. However, we have been met with the usual radio silence aalong with misleading information about players.

The club only seem happy with the fans to be part of the Positivity Dave happy clap; anything more is met with disinterest and questions met with disdain. It’s not good enough and this isn’t meant to slag off Positivity Dave. He has his place for people who like that, but we also need to know the club has a long term plan for improvement. We do want league football eventually. Leaving us to some smart videos with Iron Hour or Positivity Dave good vibes will only get you so far.

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alcazar

[SouthYorksIron]

Siderite wrote:

The retainment announcement made it sound like he had signed an extension

If you’re referring to the link I put above, I’d disagree, unless the option was in Ewing’s favour, which is possible but unlikely.

When things were “going well”, contracts were typically offered with a further year’s option in the club’s favour, meaning that a fee could be guaranteed if the extension was activated and the player was sold promptly.

However, the player could still opt to run down the contract to leave on a free a year later, so there was always a gamble if the player wasn’t necessarily guaranteed to play. Folk with better memories than me can probably think of examples of players who might have drawn a fee but the option wasn’t exercised in case this scenario occurred.

In this case, if the club have exercised an option, Ewing is under contract and we would be guaranteed a fee if he leaves. Even if Ewing himself has exercised the option, he is under contract and we would be guaranteed a fee if he leaves.

In neither of those circumstances is the club waiting to see whether he’ll stay, as he would be under contract already if what has been stated by the club has happened. That doesn’t mean he can’t be sold, and indeed probably would be if he intimates that he wants to go, particularly if the extension was exercised by the club, but neither of these circumstances fits the scenario that “he’s out of contract” if an option has been exercised.

[SouthYorksIron]

“Folk with better memories than me can probably think of examples of players who might have drawn a fee but the option wasn’t exercised in case this scenario occurred.”

Just thought of an example, though might be wrong as to whether this actually happened…

Presumably we had an option on Rob Jones? Surely we would never have risked another year of a record signing’s wages by exercising an option given his performances for us? An example where the option wouldn’t be exercised and the player allowed to leave on a free transfer, even if he went on to play well elsewhere, as Jones did.

[Siderite]

Yep. I hadn’t read it again since the original and misremembered the details. My bad.

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SouthYorksIron

[Awaywego]

My take on it is, that throughout the season (on here anyway) Ewing wanted to play at an higher level after proving himself here, club more or less excepted that but activated the extension so if a bigger club wanted him we would then get a fee without holding the player back.
A move to Forest green rovers wouldn’t fit that criteria, at least fan wise so to sell him on to them wouldn’t be acceptable and would cause rage within certain areas of the fanbase.
No way are FGR a bigger club than us fans wise or history wise.
If the club shows no commitment to the fans then as before fans will walk.

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TheJuryeffsOut, alcazar

[Deereyme66]

Early start awaywego?

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Awaywego

[lesgeo]

I have mixed feelings on this one.
He started really well BUT wasn’t getting goals.
In 2026 – seemed to lose interest for a period. There was speculation that ‘this was because he wanted to move on.’
Improved pre-playoffs.
Overall, he looked good – but rarely changed matches.
Does want to move on.
All things considered not all that unhappy to see him go.

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BigLeftToe

[Iron-awe]

Agree les the fans mindset seems to be “ we’ve lost Roberts we can’t afford to lose Ewing “, well maybe we can and may have to anyway, so it’s all about recruitment and AB has a pretty good record on midfield players so far, it’s just the waiting game for us as per norm.

[Deereyme66]

Tend to agree with Les. Great playmaker on his day and very skillful but he didn’t chip in with enough goals. Don’t think the ‘Madison’ tag from PD helped either.

[saleiron]

No player is irreplaceable and we should be looking to improve our squad depth and quality. The issue is not such much his rumoured departure to an another NL team as what it signals. Our player budget will likely not enable the signing of players of the quality of Ewing or Westbrooke, and certainly not Roberts. The net result is a weaker squad. We will see.

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alcazar

[CMC]

Siderite wrote:

The retainment announcement made it sound like he had signed an extension, so that is very poor communication from the club. After last season, I had worried that fans would get the jitters and the club needed good communication to keep up the good feeling. However, we have been met with the usual radio silence aalong with misleading information about players.

The club only seem happy with the fans to be part of the Positivity Dave happy clap; anything more is met with disinterest and questions met with disdain. It’s not good enough and this isn’t meant to slag off Positivity Dave. He has his place for people who like that, but we also need to know the club has a long term plan for improvement. We do want league football eventually. Leaving us to some smart videos with Iron Hour or Positivity Dave good vibes will only get you so far.

Don’t criticize PD, 64 will be straight onto you?

[SST]

SouthYorksIron wrote:

If you’re referring to the link I put above, I’d disagree, unless the option was in Ewing’s favour, which is possible but unlikely.

I don’t think it was ever an option in the club’s favour. There was an interview with Butler half way through the season where he confirmed that, but the explanations have never been clear. I’m reliably informed it will be explained in detail when his departure is announced.

[ironfromafar]

Still no confirmation from either club he has actually left cunny n signed at FGR or anywhere else… maybe the SUFC are waiting for Poz Dave to announce it first and dont wanna piss on his parade.
So to date to squad that did so well and overachieved last season is gradually being dismantled and IMO we simply dont have the funds or contract length to draw the better players .. shopping at MnS now its heading to the local poundland.

Still waiting on the first new signing probably announced same time as Ewing leaving to soften the blow ..QUALITY new faces desperaTely needed alas Rory Watson is my pick for first IN the door…YIPPEE DOO ..

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alcazar

[alcazar]

If he goes to FG, I have to say I’m underwhelmed.
It also makes me question my purchase of another season ticket.
It’s beginning to look like we’re back to, “Yeah, we’re ok where we are thanks, but we’re a well-run club”.

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TheJuryeffsOut

[Apollo11]

lesgeo wrote:

I have mixed feelings on this one.
He started really well BUT wasn’t getting goals.
In 2026 – seemed to lose interest for a period. There was speculation that ‘this was because he wanted to move on.’
Improved pre-playoffs.
Overall, he looked good – but rarely changed matches.
Does want to move on.
All things considered not all that unhappy to see him go.

I agree with this. He was very good but not that very good.

[Apollo11]

Deereyme66 wrote:

Tend to agree with Les. Great playmaker on his day and very skillful but he didn’t chip in with enough goals. Don’t think the ‘Madison’ tag from PD helped either.

Neither Ewing nor Westbrooke did a half of the playmaking Rowley did. Nor half of the dirty work.

[Apollo11]

saleiron wrote:

No player is irreplaceable and we should be looking to improve our squad depth and quality. The issue is not such much his rumoured departure to an another NL team as what it signals. Our player budget will likely not enable the signing of players of the quality of Ewing or Westbrooke, and certainly not Roberts. The net result is a weaker squad. We will see.

Last season could, potentially, just have been the flukey post-promotion ‘momentum’ season – the chance to ‘do it’ and get promoted. Now the dust has settled, reality could bite and we could be in for a few years of loanee and journeymen struggles.

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Sufcruleok, alcazar

[Northumbiron]

Roberts, Westbrooke, Ewing.

Is this the consequence of not winning promotion?

Didn’t seem to have too much trouble retaining/attracting players last summer.

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alcazar

[BigLeftToe]

You say that but who did we actually sign last summer?

Ewing – plucked from Leicester’s youth team with his only real experience being in NLN with Buxton.

Howe – signed from 2 divisions below us.

Dawson – a crock with barely any first team football to his name.

Horton and Belehouan – nobody had heard of them and they weren’t exactly setting the world alight at Gateshead.

Rose – a great signing in hindsight but barely managed 5 games all season.

Chadwick, Eze and Watson – the less said about them the better!

None of these signings particularly got the juices flowing, the best bit of business we did was retaining Roberts for the season. He’s the one who’s going to be nigh on impossible to replace unless we manage to pull a real rabbit out of the hat with our budget. Everyone else we’ve lost so far this summer should be easily replaceable…and that includes Ewing who was chasing shadows for half of the season.

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alcazar

[Deereyme66]

Makes canny close season transfers all the more important. To state the bleedin obvious.

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alcazar

[ironfromafar]

BigLeftToe wrote:

You say that but who did we actually sign last summer?

Ewing – plucked from Leicester’s youth team with his only real experience being in NLN with Buxton.

Howe – signed from 2 divisions below us.

Dawson – a crock with barely any first team football to his name.

Horton and Belehouan – nobody had heard of them and they weren’t exactly setting the world alight at Gateshead.

Rose – a great signing in hindsight but barely managed 5 games all season.

Chadwick, Eze and Watson – the less said about them the better!

None of these signings particularly got the juices flowing, the best bit of business we did was retaining Roberts for the season. He’s the one who’s going to be nigh on impossible to replace unless we manage to pull a real rabbit out of the hat with our budget. Everyone else we’ve lost so far this summer should be easily replaceable…and that includes Ewing who was chasing shadows for half of the season.

Thats bang on the Big Toe …

As mentioned in a previous post .. loan players other clubs dont need which can or cannot work out , past it journeymen trying to tag another year on to their career or unearthing a rough diamond from somewhere.
its not looking to positive for next season as it stands but thats what happens when theres no money in the bank.
At least we still have a club (not heard that gem for ages just thought i would drop it in)

[Author]

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