Scunthorpe are managed by former Town boss
Name: Scunthorpe United Football ClubFounded: 1899
Stadium: Glanford Park
Capacity: 9,088
Manager: Graham Alexander
Last season: Seventh in League One
After the frustration of missing out on the end of season Play-Offs by a three-goal swing, Scunthorpe United will be hoping to mount a promotion challenge when the campaign commences in August.
The Iron collected 74 points throughout the course of the 2015/16 term, and under recently-appointed manager Graham Alexander, who started his career at Glanford Park, the future is looking bright for the side from Lincolnshire.
A manager who held in high regard at Fleetwood Town, having brought promotion success to the Fylde Coast, Coventry born Alexander began a prolonged spell in the professional game in 1988 as a youth apprentice at the club he is now in charge of.
In 1990, Alexander signed professional terms at Scunthorpe, and would go onto spend a further five-years in United’s first-team, making 159 league appearances in the right-back position.
Alexander later moved to Luton Town for £100, 000 in 1995. He made 152 appearances before signing for Preston North End four-years later, becoming a key part of the set-up at Deepdale.
In his first spell at the Lilywhites, Alexander made exactly 400 league and cup appearances during a prolonged eight year stay at Preston, where he captained the side and became a set-piece specialist, most notably his penalty taking ability.
In August 2007, Alexander made the surprise switch to East Lancashire to sign for PNE’s local rivals Burnley for a fee of £200, 000.
Whilst at Turf Moor, he helped the Clarets to a historic promotion to the top-flight of English football, via the Play-Offs at Wembley in May 2009, and subsequently became the oldest player to make a Premier League debut at the age of 37 in the August of that year.
Alexander remained at Burnley following their relegation in May 2010, and re-signed back at Preston the following summer, seeing out his final year as a professional – scoring a trademark free-kick against Charlton Athletic with his final kick at Deepdale in April 2012.
Following retirement, he stayed on at North End in a coaching capacity, prior to taking the Fleetwood Town managerial job in December 2012.
The 44-year-old spent almost three-years at Highbury, guiding the Cod Army to promotion up to League One at Wembley in May 2014 against Burton Albion.
Alexander achieved a tenth place finish in Town’s first season in League One, before leaving his position last September.
He was back in management in March when he agreed a deal at Scunthorpe United, winning the divisional manager of the month for April, and leading them to a whisker of the Play-Offs.
Alexander returns to the Fylde Coast with the Iron on Saturday 13th August, while FTFC travel to Glanford Park on Saturday 4th March 2017.