Key information about Glanford Park

Glanford Park was built in 1987 and is now the home of League Two’s Scunthorpe United. The ground is located in the town of Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire and was actually the first new purpose-built English Football League stadium since Southend’s Roots Hall in 1955.

Its current maximum capacity stands at 9,088 and it has a pitch that measures 112 by 72 yards. The surface is covered with grass and it has no running track surrounding it.

The record attendance of 9,077 people at Glanford Park was set during a clash between Scunthorpe United and Manchester United on 22 September 2010.

A history of Glanford Park

Prior to their move to Glanford Park - now known as the Sands Venue Stadium for sponsorship purposes - Scunthorpe United played their football at the Old Show Ground. However, following the great fire that caused the Bradford City disaster in 1985, the club knew they had to improve their home to bring it up to standard and to meet the newfound regulations.

But the issue was that redeveloping Old Show Ground would be a far too expensive venture for them so instead, they opted to vacate the stadium and move into a new one. Construction began in 1987 and would cost approximately £2.5m but their new home was finished in time for the 1988–89 season and was officially opened at the start of the campaign by none other than Princess Alexandra.

Interestingly enough, their old ground was subsequently demolished and replaced by a Safeway supermarket while Glanford Park became the first new purpose-built stadium in England for 33 years.

Originally, it had a capacity of 11,190 along with goal-ends being standing terraces, but that would dip to the current figure of 9,088 in 1991. The first game ever to be played at the new stadium was a friendly match between Scunthorpe United and a Football League All-Star XI team.

The initial name of Glanford Park comes from Glanford Borough Council, who provided the funding to erect the stadium in the first place and even though it was a modern ground, for the first 17 years of its existence, it would only host fourth-tier football since it wouldn’t be until 2005 that Scunthorpe were promoted to League One.

But there were still some great moments witnessed at Glanford Park over the years, including a packed stadium on 22 September 2010 when 9,077 fans watched the hosts get beaten 5-2 by Manchester United in the League Cup.

Several redevelopment plans were announced and subsequently shelved over the years, some because of money and some because of sporting reasons, and the latest idea was actually to move into a new £18 million facility that was supposed to have a capacity of 12,000. But that was also dropped in 2017 and the club decided to invest into Glanford Park instead, which was confirmed in 2019.

This will include a complete extension of the stadium, essentially becoming a brand new ground on the same site, with construction taking place over several seasons, meaning the club won’t have to relocate while the works are being done.

On 30 July 2019, Glanford Park was renamed ‘The Sands Venue Stadium’ after a new sponsorship deal was struck.

Tickets to watch Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park

All tickets to watch Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park can be found and purchased on the club’s official website. The price varies depending on the category chosen - A or B - and the age group of the buyer.

The adult ticket can be bought for a cost between £17 and £34 and the club also offers a season ticket scheme for those who are interested.

https://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/ - Official website of Scunthorpe United

https://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/club/stadium-guide/glanford-park---the-history/ - The history of Glanford Park