“The Iron” is the nickname of Scunthorpe United. Not the one you do the ironing of your shirts with, but the stuff of which bridges are made, ships built, and machines cast. Scunthorpe was an iron town awash with the sound of hammers closing rivets, the noise of busy foundries, and heavy traffic carrying heavy loads. Well, the industry may have diminished, but the pride of the town has not, as is evident in the club badge. (PIC 1) The badge was the result of a competition held by the club, and the winning designer was a Scunthorpe art technology student, or as you and I would put it, someone who can draw. A simple design, with an iron bar held in a strong gloved hand representing the town’s industry. The club’s nickname has been cast into the bar, and the club’s name on the cuff of the glove, all in the club colours.
Scunthorpe United was formed in 1899, and turned professional in 1912, under the name of Scunthorpe and Lindsey United, after merging with their local rivals in 1910. They dropped the Lindsey in 1958. The club’s earliest badge was adopted in the late 1940s, but was not used on the shirts until about 1950. (PIC 2) The arms worn on the shirts were granted in September 1936. The green background and wheatsheaf reflects the town’s agricultural past, and the two shells represent the fossil most commonly found in the ironstone of the area. The wheatsheaf also alludes to the family of Sheffield, which held the manor of Kirton, of which Scunthorpe formed a part. The five steel links depict the original five parishes of Ashby, Brumby, Crosby, Frodingham and Scunthorpe, that formed the town. The blast furnace and the chain represent the iron and steel industries upon which the modern development of the town is based. The motto is the spiritually sounding “The Heavens Reflect Our Labour”, but refers to the unspiritual red glow in the sky from the molten metal and slag castings. The badge endured for over twenty years, until the 1970s when a much simpler design was adopted. It takes the chain from the old coat of arms, representing the five villages that make up the borough, as shown on the cover of the programme from 1976. (PIC 3) The badge of 1982 coincided with the return after 20 years of the colours claret and blue. I have printed the badge in black & white as it was sent to me, because it does look a little like a badge that may be worn by some hooligan, anti-government, anarchist, rebellious, Nazi loving outfit. (PIC 4) It has the club’s name in the roundel, and the iron glove is symbolic of the industry, with the club’s motto “Unity” on the cuff as it grasps the chain, still representative of the five villages. At the time it seemed that the badge looked a little too aggressive as I suggested, and in black & white it may. So, what is, in fact, a family-friendly club badge, representing the pride of hardworking folks toiling in sweaty, tough conditions, was deemed that the only unity it projected was with hardworking thugs, so a change was needed.
The opportunity for change arrived when in 1988 the club moved to Glanford Park, and because the ground was just over the Scunthorpe boundary, a sponsorship deal was struck with Glanford Borough Council, and the Borough coat of arms was used. (PIC 5) The arms were granted in 1950, and the motto at the base “ALWAYS READY” is, for a change in English rather than Latin. The shield has three rivers, which represent the Humber, Trent, and Ancholme. They are green in colour thus representing the countryside. Running up the middle of the shield is a symbol of the Roman Ermine Street, and overlaying are the cross keys of St Peter, Patron Saint of Barton-upon-Humber. The keys were given to Peter by Jesus and are the keys to heaven. In the chief of the shield stands Glanford Bridge. The crest is that of Glanford Brigg Rural District Council, showing a gold mural crown. A mural crown is often symbolic of a city’s wall. The flames are a symbol of the steel industry, and the bull’s head of farming. The three-linked chain is the device of the Lincolnshire Sugar Company, and refers to the sugar beet industry. These arms adorned the shirts and club programmes, until eventually the council could no longer afford the sponsorship. (PIC 6) Of all the elements of the previous badges, only the glove remains today, and the chain representing the five villages has been melted down into an iron bar, but there are years of history in that bar. I owe a debt of gratitude to Scunthorpe United Historian Mr John Staff, for the wealth of information he sent me. Thank you very much, John.
The name Scunthorpe is derived from Escumesthorpe, which is Old Norse for Skuma’s homestead. Skuma is a family name, as well as what Pompey fans call us Saints fans, and Thorpe is Norse for homestead or village. As I stated earlier, Scunthorpe United play at Glanford Park, a 9,000 capacity ground, and they have been there since 1988. If evolution was just more than a dodgy theory and the supporters were able to grow wings of a sparrow, then Grimsby would be right in it. Other rivals are Hull City and Doncaster Rovers. Funnily enough the ground stands in Doncaster Street. To get more on “The Iron” just plug into scunthorpe-united.co.uk
