New Scunthorpe FC chair hints at new stadium plans

New Scunthorpe United Football Club (SUFC) chair Peter Swann has hinted at plans to move the club away from its current Glanford Park stadium.

Speaking at a questions and answers session with fans, Swann - an entrepreneur who was appointed SUFC chair in May 2013 - said a new stadium was “an important prospect".

He said: "We’re looking at a new stadium and are working with the council now. We've had several meetings and things will be coming to surface in the next few months.

Swann is eager to increase the club's commercial opportunities and to make operations more economically sustainable - as well as move to a site which is more accessible and could potentially attract more supporters.

A potential site for the new stadium could be the Lincolnshire Lakes project - an ambitious regeneration development which would result in up to six new villages being built to the west of Scunthorpe, bringing 6,000 new homes and thousands of jobs.

"I think the Lakes project is a superb opportunity for the club," Swann said. "If we move there will be some transport access – be that rail and road – and it will be a lot better than what we have at the moment. What we have now isn't ideal. We’ve been talking to the council about it and hopefully we can progress that.

"What we now need is partners as we go forward – whether they are build partners or something to do with the stadium, such as a hotel. It would be practical to do deals with those and perhaps do a deal that way."