Scunthorpe On The Rise: From Championship To Non-League And On Their Way Back Again

Scunthorpe United. A team that many will be familiar with in the English football pyramid. A team that competed in the top tier, and just one division below the Premier League, before dramatically dropping down to non-league.

The future looked bleak in Scunthorpe, with the road back to the EFL a long way away. But in recent years, for several reasons, Scunthorpe are finally back on the right path, being promoted with a stable ownership.

While there is plenty of time left before they return to their old heights of the Championship but why are Scunthorpe United back on the rise?

Their Peak In The Championship

Once known for producing players such as Billy Sharp, Scunthorpe United competed in the Championship, most recently in the 2010/11 season. Promoted back to the second tier for the 2007/08 season, Scunthorpe were promoted from League One through the play-offs. Their first season back in the Championship was under the management of Nigel Adkins, a manager who went on to manage top-flight clubs such as Southampton. However, for United, it was not the ideal return as they struggled, finishing 23rd and being sent straight back down to the third tier of English football after one season.

The 8,274 crowd at Scunthorpe United's game today was their highest league attendance since facing Newcastle United (8,921) in the Championship in 2009

— Thomas Feaheny (@ThomasFeaheny) March 22, 2025

But in 2009, they were back again. This time, Scunthorpe were a different side, led by the key attacking talent of Gary Hooper. Hooper would go on to score 19 league goals for United, with the striker later moving to Celtic and having a fantastic career within English football. On the pitch, Scunthorpe had a commendable season too, narrowly avoiding relegation and finishing in 20th place to secure a second successive season in the Championship.

However, Scunthorpe went back to previous ways in the 2010/11 season, managed first by Ian Baraclough before Alan Knill, United had a difficult season, sitting rock bottom throughout the season and finishing in 24th spot. After being relegated, Scunthorpe did not return to England’s second tier, and what came next was years of agony for United fans.

Fall To Non-League

After one season back in League One, Scunthorpe’s decline carried on in 2012, being relegated and missing safety by just one point. Alan Knill’s reign in the dugout was over in October, with Brian Laws replacing him in a second stint at the club for the remainder of the season. United conceded a horrific 77 goals, one of the worst records in the league, as their rivals Bury and Colchester got enough points to send them down.

Promoted back to League One in the 2013/14 season, Russ Wilcox guided the club back to the third division, gaining automatic promotion, following a 2nd placed finish. The years that followed for the club were mediocre, not in the division that they wanted to be in, but also not as bad as the times that followed.

In 2017/18, Scunthorpe missed out on promotion to the Championship.

Since then...

⏬ 18/19 - 23rd in League One
🔽 19/20 - 20th in League Two
🔽20/21 - 22nd in League Two
⏬21/22 - 24th in League Two

Now they've been relegated to the National League North.#UTI #IRON pic.twitter.com/NjUkEWiZgf

— The Fifth Division (@D5Football) April 10, 2023

The club’s true decline began in 2018, falling back to the fourth tier in the 2018/19 season after mid-table finishes in previous campaigns. A late collapse at the end of the season was the catalyst that sent United down. More dismay came in 2021, the club being relegated from the English footballing pyramid after a run of 72 years within the top four leagues. Keith Hill may have been at the wheel. But Scunthorpe’s season was infected by unrest and issues off the pitch, due to poor ownership and underfunding from the board, which also caused fan protests.

Now in the National League, the Northern club remained to look a level below their competition, suffering consecutive relegations. There had been hopes of potential ownership stability, with further issues of unpaid wages and stadium troubles throughout the season, but one final relegation on this torrid run saw Scunthorpe become a National League North side in their lowest-ever league position.

2024/25 Comeback

Scunthorpe have been promoted back to the National League!

They beat Chester 2-1 AET in the National League North playoff final.pic.twitter.com/IJib31rSGp

— Ollie Bayliss (@Ollie_Bayliss) May 18, 2025

For all of the pain that has been inflicted on Scunthorpe United and their fans in recent times. Their journey back to the football league feels like it has finally been launched in the 2024/25 season. Operating in the National League North after multiple relegations, Scunthorpe finished in 2nd place, achieving 90 points and a club-record 26 wins, 12 draws, and eight losses. Within this finish, the club secured itself a spot in the division’s play-offs. United faced a home tie with Chorley in the semi-finals, winning 4-2 before defeating Chester in the play-off final. The tie ended 1-1 in regular time, but Carlton Ubaezuonu was the game’s hero, scoring in the 105th minute to send Scunthorpe back to the National League.

But not only did Scunthorpe need to rebuild and perform on the pitch, being promoted back up the divisions. They also needed several changes in the board room, needing a foundation for themselves to build off. They gained that in October 2023, local businesswoman Michelle Harness acquired the club and provided much-needed finances. In the dugout, the club also have a recognisable and strong leader as Andy Butler currently leads the club as manager. A former player, within two stints, Butler has now made his impact on the tactics board, picking an average of 2.0 points per game, and rebuilding the club for a successful promotional campaign.

🏆 𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐀 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒

What a team. What a season. This group.#UTI #IRON pic.twitter.com/GdjPHZbR5q

— Scunthor(P)e United FC (@SUFCOfficial) May 18, 2025

There is a long way still to go for Scunthorpe United. However, there are a number of different positives about this season that represent a large step forward and a springboard for excitement for the future.