Scunthorpe United cause yet more outrage after finally breaking their silence with a statement on the pitch invasion and nothing else.
Supporters made their way onto the pitch, as planned, during the second half of their National League defeat by Woking, in protest against owner Peter Swann.
It led to the game being halted for several minutes and it comes after the club were handed with a winding-up petition on Wednesday. No statement from the Iron came on that.
Swann is trying to sell the club, with ex-Notts County owner Alan Hardy said to be leading a consortium interested. Again, no statement has come on that or the suppose takeover talk from a few weeks back that looked like the club were ‘saved’ if you like..
Scunthorpe United COO Lee Turnbull entered the field to talk fans off the pitch so that the game could resume.
Interesting to see if any statements are made from the club in the coming days. Fans deserve answers. pic.twitter.com/YVAAmZfBSj
— Charlie Wilson (@charliereachplc) January 14, 2023
Watch: Scunthorpe United fans running onto the pitch in the 70th minute to protest against owner Peter Swann. #Iron #UTI pic.twitter.com/UNqvS0kHWA
— Arif Ahmed (@ArifAhmedITV) January 14, 2023
CLUB STATEMENT:
A message from Chief Operating Officer Lee Turnbull…
We have listened to and heard the voices of our supporters. The frustrations of the takeover are shared by everyone connected to Scunthorpe United.
Yesterday’s pitch encroachment was totally unacceptable. Not only is it a criminal offence to go onto the pitch, but it visibly effected the team.
Michael Nelson, his staff and the players were thoroughly disappointed by the actions of those people that disrupted the game.
I believe also that the majority of our supporters yesterday were also dismayed by their own supporters attempting to and getting onto the pitch.
I’m all for freedom of speech and the backing you have given the players from the terrace and stands this season has been excellent, but yesterday was unacceptable. It was hugely disappointing and damaging to all of us who work for Scunthorpe United.
No doubt there will be repercussions from the governing bodies which potentially could affect finances or even more severe, a points reduction. Equally, the police will also be knocking on a few doors of those pitch invaders which will probably result in arrests being made.
Let’s hope the actions of a few do not deter any of the interested parties involved in negotiations at this late stage.
Lee
Scunny interim manager Michael Nelson was asked about the protest after the match.
“I’m not going to tell them that they’re wrong for doing it,” he told BBC Radio Humberside.
“It’s their club, they’ve been here longer than me and they have every right to do what they want.
“This week’s been really tough if I’m honest – on the back of a really positive win last week it’s been constant negativity, and it’s been hard to keep the lads away from that.”
Woking stay third in the standings as they put more misery on the bottom club.
The Iron picked up their ninth defeat in their last 11 league matches.
Woking took the leads after just five minutes through Rhys Browne, his 14th of the season, as if the atmosphere weren’t already negative.
Woking added a second three minutes from full time to put the game to bed when Padraig Amond curled in.
This is what social media users said as Scunthorpe cause yet more outrage after breaking their silence with a statement on the pitch invasion…
@andrewgravill: Club statements are still a thing then? Where was the one informing fans about the winding up order??
@teaching_space: Unacceptable you say. Unacceptable is letting the club go bust! Unacceptable is giving zero information to the fans about why offers are not being accepted. Unacceptable is being bottom of the national league. Oh and also, we were never going to break their defence down.
@dxnrzx: Absolutely trash statement from Lee. The bloke clearly cares when we have had nothing from him all season. This club deserves so much better than the people running this club!
@tylerwills_: How dare fans do anything necessary to get media attention because their club leaves them in the dark as to whether they’ll have a club every morning.
@LRbix: Fuck off already, had a right to do it.
@GrouchoMarx79: Generally speaking, affect is a verb. Effect is a noun. To visualise this, you could say the protests affected the players. Whereas, the protests were a direct effect of the actions of the owner.
@ironbru_net: No doubt a box ticking exercise to try and avoid repercussions, but read the room man!
@SeatonCS: I backed Lee until this statement
@charliefewster: Let’s hope the continue to do this to get their point across 👍
@sbray1989: Seem more concerned by a pitch invasion than the possibility of a winding up order which could actually lead to a points deduction. At least the fans are making an effort to try and highlight the plight of the club.
@daimo75: Time to go turnbull and take Swann/Fenty with you
@c_elizabethbell: So out of touch it is unbelievable. An absolutely ridiculous ‘statement’.
@AdamKeighley4: Well it worked because you finally spoke maybe if the club communicated better this wouldn’t happen
@elliotwarnerr: Terrible statement
@ChrisDH2022: Why are football clubs only dismayed at a pitch invasion when it’s in protest? Never when it’s to celebrate success.
@JakeStockdale1: Absolute bollocks.
@adam_major1: Joke of a statement.
@matts_N7: Blaming the fans for the teams performance and threatening arrest for a peaceful protest… this is ridiculous. If the club is sold, Turnbull needs to go too
@smidan35: If my employer forced me to make this statement, I would resign. On the fans forum. 92% agreed with the pitch invasion. Read the room Scunthorpe United people have had enough.
@Sandysandsando: It was a minority that were dismayed, not a majority. Tosser.
@jakesufc_: get off swanns bellend and get in touch
@matthew1985_23: Never nice to see a club going like this, I’m a bristol city supporter but always keep and eye on the lower leagues, really surprised to see @SUFCOfficial going this way, I hope you’re takeover gets sorted soon and the people who have made this mess go as far away as possible.
@TheSasquatch74: Nahhh pitch invasions and general chaos are the things that fans can do to bring attention to the situation & cause issues for the owner, crack on 😂👌
@Sandysandsando: Fuck off Turnbull. Absolute bollocks.
@happyangler123: Before you start with this , The silence from the club is far worse than happened yesterday, the lack of anything coming out of the club is not only heartbreaking it’s disgusting, you should be ashamed !!!!!
@capsnbovril: The club’s on its arse Lee, massively in debt, HMRC now chasing it and an owner that’s priced everyone out of purchasing. Of course we don’t expect you to condone it, but if the club goes under you go get another job and think “what a shame” whilst the rest of us mourn for ever.
@dannyscun: Shut up Lee. The club haven’t mentioned anything about any embargo, any movement in the takeover. NOTHING. And you expect the fans to sit and be quiet ? Get a grip
@Batesyboy1988: Turnbullshit, so you’ve finally decided to make a statement, here’s one for you…….. piss off back to the north east, your time at Scunthorpe United is done!
@tomd0312: Not even a Scunny fan but shut the fuck up, pathetic statement. They were well in their rights to do what they did.
@hsmthy_: Fucking hell turnbulls remembered how to speak to fans
@rosscofowler: What a wank statement
@Ryan32988104: The only fans who found it stupid are the ones who couldn’t care if clubs goes or not believe it or not most fans agree with what happened yesterday as he is running our club into the ground
@BenH99_: 3 years of constant shit has visibly affected the fans. What goes around comes around. No statement regarding HMRC? Funny that

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