Former Championship club win promotion to National League as fans go wild after nightmare decade

SCUNTHORPE UNITED have been promoted back to the National League after a two-year absence.

The Iron saw off Chester in a pulsating National League North playoff at Glanford Park on Sunday.

Daniel Whitehall and Connor Woods both found the net as the game ended 1-1 and headed into extra time.

Scunthorpe’s Carlton Ubaezuonu proved to be the hero, smashing in the winner in the 105th minute.

The goal sparked wild scenes of jubilation amongst a fanbase starved of success over the past decade.

The Iron were in the Championship as recently as 2008 but have endured a dramatic slide down the pyramid in recent years.

They fell out of the EFL in 2022 after financial issues almost saw the club go bust.

Scunthorpe continued to slide and dropped to the National League North a season later.

Sunday’s promotion is their first since 2014 when they finished second in League Two.

Thousands flocked onto the Glanford Park pitch to celebrate, with the game coming a year after heartbreak on penalties against Boston United.

Local businesswoman Michelle Harness saved the club in October 2023, with boss Andy Butler paying tribute after the win.

Butler, a former Scunthorpe player, told the BBC: “It’s brilliant. I’m excited for Michelle… for everyone who has brought the club back to life.

“For the players, the fans, the town. It was a tough, tough game.

“Chester gave everything they had. I said [Ubaezuonu] would score goals – and he’s got the winner.

“It was a team effort. We got a lot of players going through the pain barrier. We had to dig deep.

“I’m so chuffed for the whole town.”