Scunthorpe fans to support Save Our Steel campaign

FSF affiliates The Iron Trust is calling on supporters to throw their weight behind Scunthorpe United’s Save Our Steel day on Saturday – including taking part in a show of support during the match against Southend.

Inspired by Middlesbrough fans who have shown their support for steelworkers facing redundancy on Teeside, the Trust is calling on fans inside Glanford Park with smartphones to use the torch/flash setting and hold these up as the players come out for the second-half and continue for the first minute after the restart.

The hope is to create a wall of light across three stands of the ground as a sign of solidarity with the 900 steelworkers – and their families – in our town who face losing their jobs. This is being proposed with the full support of the football club.

The Iron Trust will again welcome the Save Our Steel campaigners to Trust Corner before Saturday’s FA Cup first round tie against Southend United, with those collecting petition signatures based at Trust Corner and on the approach to the ground. The campaigners will be at Glanford Park from 12.30pm.

Before the match, both teams will run out with a total of 22 mascots who are all children or grandchildren of steelworkers from across the Scunthorpe site.

The Iron’s first-team players will warm-up in t-shirts showing solidarity, while the coaching staff will also wear them on the bench. These shirts will be auctioned off after the match, with proceeds going to causes which will benefit those affected by the cuts.

The club have reduced ticket prices to the minimum allowed under Football Association rules – with adult terrace tickets £10.

The Iron Trust warmly applauds the efforts of Scunthorpe United in highlighting the plight of our town’s steelworkers.

Iron Trust chairman Tony Gosling, a steelworker whose job is at threat, said: “The steelworks is intrinsically linked with Scunthorpe and its football club, many of our members and fans will be affected by the proposed job losses – in fact you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone from the town who is not affected in some way.

“We really appreciate the effort the football club are putting in to show solidarity with steelworkers, and are pleased to stand alongside them in urging support to Save Our Steel.

“We’ve already been told, via the Shrimpers Trust, that visiting fans may wish to join in our show of support at the second half so we could yet see all four stands of the ground joining in which would be a fantastic sight and display of unity.”

Scunthorpe United chairman Peter Swann said: “Hearing of imminent job losses at our very own steelworks here in Scunthorpe has certainly tempered our recent good run of performances on the field.

“This will affect the community and as its football club we feel showing our support is crucial, and we intend to do just that.”

The Save Our Steel protests will continue next week, with a march planned for Tuesday November 10, with a march from Church Square to the Civic Centre timed to coincide with the start of North Lincolnshire Council’s next full meeting.

Paul McBean Multi-Union chair at Scunthorpe said: “The Save our Steel campaign is threefold, to save 1200 jobs under threat, protect the 3,000 remaining jobs and protect British manufacturing which is underpinned by steel.”  

Steelworker Matt Cooke said: “We have had lots of support from people locally and nationally, I will be marching to save my job, my future and my town.” 

Thanks to SteveH1972 for the image used in this article. Reproduced here under the CC licence.