All change at Scunthorpe with six new signings in one day with more ‘on the way’

All change at Scunthorpe United with six new signings made in one day with more reportedly ‘on the way’ to try and avoid the drop.

Off the back of a takeover at the National League relegation battlers, new chairman David Hilton announced that his club would be confirming six new signings throughout the course of Thursday.

One in every hour from 9am until 2pm seemed an exciting one for supporters.

This is what Scunthorpe United had to say on all of their new additions, with some likely for their first game as an Iron player, at home to Barnet on Friday (3rd February) under new manager Jimmy Dean…

Billy Fewster

Scunthorpe United is delighted to announce the loan signing of Billy Fewster from Nottingham Forest for the rest of the season.

The 19-year-old arrives at Glanford Park fresh from making his senior league debut for the Premier League side only a couple of weeks ago, starting and playing 65 minutes in their FA Cup Round Three encounter away at Blackpool.

The midfielder first played for Pickering Town, joining at Under-8s before joining Leeds United three years later. After seven years at Leeds, he would make the move to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2021, first making the squad in the Carabao Cup win away at Grimsby Town.

Regularly training with the first team at Forest, Fewster makes a loan switch to the Iron in a bid to gain more minutes for his development and help the team climb the table.

The midfielder goes straight into contention to feature in Jimmy Dean’s first game in charge as manager, as the Iron face Barnet under the lights at Glanford Park on Friday (7.45pm kick-off).

Dion Sembie-Ferris

Scunthorpe United is delighted to announce the signing of winger Dion Sembie-Ferris.

The 26-year-old arrives after leaving Peterborough Sports and reunites with new management duo Jimmy Dean and Chris Plummer who joined the club at the weekend.

Sembie-Ferris began his youth career with Peterborough United before eventually joining Colchester United in 2013, following spells at Netherton Vultures, Tresham Academy and St Neots Town.

Following a trial at West Ham United, he soon went on a six-week trial to League One side Colchester United in their academy set-up and was subsequently rewarded with a contract. He would aid the youth team to two accolades in the season, as the Under-18s side finished the Youth Alliance South East league as Champions, while they also scooped the Youth Alliance Cup. Sembie-Ferris played 78 minutes in the final in April 2014 as the U’s claimed a 4-2 victory over Bradford City at Valley Parade.

The attack-minded player made his first team debut in January 2015 as a substitute in the FA Cup tie against Cardiff City. He then made his league debut a couple of games later as a substitute against Walsall before his first start in March in a home win over Yeovil Town.

In the two seasons that followed, he spent time on loan at Margate and Concord Rangers before 16 months at St Neots Town. Over the course of that campaign, he’d score nine goals in 57 appearances before signing for Peterborough Sports in November 2018. At that time, the side were in the Southern League Division One central, with Sembie-Ferris a key cog in the team’s rise through to the National League North. He leaves the Turbines having scored 39 goals in 56 games.

So far this season, he’s made 26 league starts and one substitute appearance, scoring six goals, and joins the Iron ahead of the home league encounter against Barnet on Friday night.

Sean Shields

Scunthorpe United is delighted to announce the signing of vastly experienced attacker Sean Shields from Barnet.

The 31-year-old arrives from this Friday’s opponents after signing for the club in the summer where he made a total of 19 appearances in all competitions, including 12 league starts, scoring three goals.

Starting his career in the youth system at Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, Shields spent eight years between 2000 and 2008 with the club before joining Potters Bar Town. He was swiftly spotted by then-Conference side Rushden and Diamonds as a 16-year-old in 2009 and would score 18 goals in his first season as an apprentice in the youth team.

Following a return to Potters Bar, Shields would spend three years at St Albans City before two years at then-League Two side Dagenham and Redbridge. He had a loan spell back to St Albans before one at Ebbsfleet United in the Conference South. That loan period in 2014-15 would become permanent in 2015 for five years where he’d make a total of 137 appearances in all competitions, scoring 17 goals.

During that stint, he had a number of loan spells in both the National League South and the National League, including Maidstone United, Boreham Wood and Notts County before a permanent move to Weymouth in 2020. He spent two seasons on the south coast, making 72 appearances across all competitions, including 66 appearances in the National League. All seven of his goals for the side came in the league.

In total, across 14 years, he’s made 402 appearances in all competitions, scoring 53 goals.

Sean will not be eligible to face his former side on Friday, but will be available for selection ahead of the Iron’s next league encounter against another of his ex-clubs, Dagenham and Redbridge, on February 18th.

Gerry McDonagh

Scunthorpe United is delighted to announce the signing of 6ft 5in striker Gerry McDonagh.

The 24-year-old travels south of the border following a spell at Cove Rangers to sign for the Iron in a move that sees him move back closer to his family.

McDonagh, a target man, was at Nottingham Forest as a youngster between 2013 and 2015 before signing professional terms with the club. He would make his professional debut in the Championship as an 80th minute substitute in Forest’s home game against Cardiff City in August 2015.

He was at the club for a further three years, enjoying loan spells at Wrexham, Cambridge United and Tranmere Rovers during that time. His 2016-17 campaign saw him gain invaluable experience of the National League, featuring 22 times for Wrexham, including 15 starts. During that spell, he scored five goals. McDonagh then stepped up to League Two for the remainder of the campaign, with five starts and eight substitute appearances for the U’s, scoring once.

The Dublin-born forward signed for Barnsley in 2018 before a loan move to Aldershot became permanent a year later. Spells at Tamworth and FC Halifax Town would follow before a loan move to Kettering Town.

McDonagh has most recently been at Scottish Championship side Cove Rangers where he made a total of 21 appearances for the side in all competitions, scoring six goals.

Additionally, he has also represented Republic of Ireland at Under-17 level, gaining five caps. He scored on his debut against Austria’s Under-17s in 2014.

Harvey Bunker

Scunthorpe United is delighted to welcome highly-rated midfielder Harvey Bunker to the club, on loan from League One side Forest Green Rovers, where he has been getting regular first team experience this season.

The 19-year-old arrives at Glanford Park from the Sky Bet League One side until the end of the season as he looks to get games under his belt to aid his ongoing progression.

Born in Portsmouth in 2003, Bunker is a box-to-box midfielder first beginning his youth career at Southampton before moving to Forest Green. He made his debut in November 2019 in the EFL Trophy against Walsall at the age of 16.

In the following season, he appeared in the same competition twice more, playing a total of 102 minutes in games against Exeter City and West Bromwich Albion’s Under-21s side.

Bunker then spent time at Weymouth and Chippenham Town on loan in 2021-22, along with playing for Rovers in the EFL Trophy in between moves. His spell at Weymouth saw him gain experience of the National League, stepping up from the National League South with Chippenham, as he started in positive results against Chesterfield (D1-1), Eastleigh (W1-0) and Bromley (D2-2), amongst other appearances.

The current season has seen the midfielder break into the first team at the New Lawn, playing a total of 900 minutes across 15 appearances in league and cup. He made his league debut for Forest Green in September as a 75th minute substitute in the 2-1 home win over Accrington Stanley, scoring his first professional goal in only his second professional league start in a 1-1 away draw at Fleetwood Town.

Bunker last appeared for the side in mid-December and arrives at Glanford Park ready to hit the ground running, calling on his experience in the National League last season and his EFL experience from the current campaign.

Jake Leake

Scunthorpe United is delighted to welcome defender Jake Leake to the club, on loan from Hull City.

The 19-year-old bolsters the Iron’s options in defence after featuring heavily for the Under-18s and Under-23s over the last few seasons.

The left-back signed his first professional deal for the Tigers in October 2020 and was awarded the Executive Club Under-18 Player of the Year award in 2020-21.

Leake faced the Iron in pre-season in July 2021, playing the full 90 minutes, as Hull City emerged as 1-0 victors.

He enjoyed two loan spells with National League North side Boston United during the 2021-22, making a combined 11 league appearances for the Pilgrims. He was rewarded with a new contract in May 2022, and joins the Iron on loan as his natural progression to the next level, with his main aim for minutes in the National League.

The transfer is subject to National League, EFL and FA ratification.

Fans gave their reaction amid all change at Scunthorpe with six new signings in one day with more ‘on the way’…

@charliereachplc: I cannot believe I am seeing some negative comments about these Scunthorpe United signings. It was literally only nine days ago that many feared that there was little hope for the future of the club. A new owner, new manager and six new signings (will be more)… and people are actually hesitant to be pleased, or excited! These signings look promising, upgrades. Low-risk, high-reward. Will they all work out? No, probably not, but damn, at least work is being done. Don’t rob yourself of excitement, be more positive.

@rreczulski: I’ve seen just positive comments on the signings so not sure where you’ve seen negative ones. Certainly some great praise from Forest & F Green fans on here & 3 sets of club fans giving glowing praise for Shields. Think most Iron fans are very happy, a few Cod fans aren’t!

@harryfinnigan: Said it years ago and it still stands true now, we could be mid table in the premier league and you’d get some fans moaning we’re not pushing for top 4. We’ve got some of the most negative fans in the country. Nearly out of business a week ago, 6 signings today! Can’t please some

@deanoc78: Trust me as a derby fan you will get negative comments about signings We signed 15 players in 10 days all on free transfers or loans not everyone will work out but boy its gave us a cracking chance of going up this season I know you4 needs are to survive in the conference 👍 🐏gl

@arrand_david: Couldn’t agree more, a only 10 days ago we were nearly out of existence but you’ll never please everybody,the new owner is true to his word and doing all he can to great us up the league credit due

@ironphil: Always the same people being negative

@BlitZIsSpiffy: We’re in a brand new era of Scunthorpe United in the fact we’re on the rise from the worst point in Scunthorpe United’s history and people want to moan about the players we bring in just because they’re on the level we’re not used to? Pathetic fans.

@daimo75: If carlsberg did chairmen 🙈😬😄

@RobC_66: That’s fabulous news @DavidHilton77 providing that they are players that will strengthen our first team! Amazing work and this kind of interaction with the supporters is a breath of fresh air 👌onwards and upwards #UTI #thegreatescape

@copo56: 99% of the fans are delighted, and will be showing our support for the club tomorrow night against Barnet. We had enough negativity around the club so don’t give the odd couple of negative folks the press please #UTI #greatescape

@travis_gc: 100% agree, and then there’s some fans moaning about other fans getting a bit excited about the new signings just because they’re not well known names, does my head in.

@ironbru_net: I am delighted the tax bill has been sorted, staff have been paid and players have been signed. But to cream your pants over six blokes you have never heard of is a bit over the top

@jakeshep10: Behave yourself, people have every right to be excited and optimistic after been in a transfer embargo for however long. Who are you to try and piss on peoples parades?

@jadesufc: this. some people are telling us not to get excited over mcdonagh but jesus christ, just let us have this. we almost didn’t have a club to support last week so i’ll choose when and when not to get excited cheers 👍

@LewisBr42295907: The contrast in ownership is unreal

@si1774: Wow! Massive for Scunthorpe United. Massive for David Hilton he looks to have saved the towns team. 👏🙏 huge respect to the chap so far so good.