⚽ GLANFORD PARK ⚽

Scunthorpe United – Your Complete Travel Guide for 2026-27

ℹ️ 2026-27 Season Guide: All information has been researched and verified for the 2026-27 National League season. Always check scunthorpe-united.co.uk for the latest ticketing and matchday updates before you travel. The ground is officially the Attis Arena for sponsorship reasons but is almost universally still referred to as Glanford Park. North Lincolnshire Council secured the club’s training ground on a new 10-year lease in early 2026, providing welcome stability after a period of financial uncertainty.

🏟️ ABOUT GLANFORD PARK

Glanford Park holds a genuinely significant place in English football history. When it opened in August 1988, it was the first new, purpose-built Football League stadium constructed in England in 33 years, following Scunthorpe United’s move from the Old Showground. With a current capacity of 9,088, it sits roughly two miles from Scunthorpe town centre, built on what was then open land near the M181 rather than in the town itself,  a trend that would later become commonplace across English football.

The stadium has four equally-sized, similarly-designed stands. The Vertikal Stand (Main Stand) houses executive boxes, the directors’ box, a restaurant, press facilities, and the club’s changing rooms, ticket office and shop. The Britcon Stand, behind one of the goals, is the only terraced section and home to the more vocal home support — the Iron Bar sits behind this stand. The other three sides are all-seated. A number of supporting pillars run along the front of several stands, which can occasionally obstruct the view — worth being aware of when picking your seat if given the choice.

Away fans are housed in what is now known as the AMS Stand (formerly the South Stand), behind one of the goals opposite the Britcon Stand, with a maximum capacity of around 1,650-1,700. As with the rest of the ground, a few supporting pillars can restrict sightlines in places, but the away end is generally regarded as offering a good view and decent atmosphere for visiting supporters.

Scunthorpe United, known as the Iron in reference to the town’s steel-making heritage, play in claret and blue — with a current kit featuring iron chain detailing down the shirt, a nice nod to that industrial history. The club has had a turbulent few years off the pitch, including financial difficulties and a change of ownership, with Glanford Park bought by The New Show Ground Community Interest Company in November 2023 specifically to secure the ground’s long-term future for the benefit of the community. They returned to the National League as National League North champions, beating Chester in the 2025 play-off final, and reached 5th place in their first season back in 2025-26.

Long-discussed plans for a new stadium near Lincolnshire Lakes were officially dropped in 2017, with the club instead focused on potential stand-by-stand redevelopment of Glanford Park itself — though as of 2026, no concrete construction work has begun. The recent securing of a new 10-year training ground lease, backed by North Lincolnshire Council, represents a welcome step towards stability after a turbulent period.

📊 STADIUM SPECIFICATIONS – 2026-27

🚗 GETTING TO GLANFORD PARK

Glanford Park sits around two miles from Scunthorpe railway station, on a retail park near the end of the M181 motorway spur — a deliberate choice of location when it was built in 1988, but one that means it’s too far to comfortably walk from the station (around 45 minutes). Most away fans either drive, take a bus, or grab a taxi from the station. The ground is well placed for the M180/M181, making it straightforward for those arriving by car.

🗺️ STADIUM LOCATION MAP

Glanford Park Address: Jack Brownsword Way, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, DN15 8TD | Satnav: DN15 8TD

🚂 BY TRAIN – Two Miles Out, Bus or Taxi Required

Plan the Last Leg: Scunthorpe railway station is around two miles from Glanford Park — roughly a 45-minute walk, which most fans won’t fancy. The town is served by TransPennine Express and Northern services, with connections via Doncaster, Sheffield and Manchester. From the station, buses or a taxi are the sensible options for the final stretch to the ground.

Journey Times to Scunthorpe Station:

Getting from Scunthorpe Station to Glanford Park

💡 Top Tip: If arriving by train, factor in the extra time and cost of the onward journey to the ground when planning your trip — this isn’t a walk-from-the-station fixture like some National League grounds.

🔗 Train Times & Tickets: nationalrail.co.uk | thetrainline.com

🚗 BY CAR – Easy M181/M180 Access

Glanford Park was deliberately built near the end of the M181 motorway spur, making it one of the more straightforward grounds in the National League to reach by car. The stadium is surrounded by a retail park with shops, supermarkets and restaurants, giving you plenty of pre-match options if you arrive early.

If You’re Driving:

• From the South/Doncaster (M180): Follow the M180 towards Scunthorpe, then join the M181 spur which leads directly towards the ground — follow signs for Glanford Park or the retail park.
• From the North (M180/A1077): Approach via the A1077 or M180, joining the M181 as above for the final approach.
• From Lincoln/South (A15/A1077): Follow the A15 or A1077 north towards Scunthorpe, picking up signs for the M181 and the retail park area.

Parking Options:

• Stadium & Retail Park Car Parks: Ample parking available around the ground given its retail park location — one of the easier National League grounds for parking, though arrive in good time for the busiest fixtures.

💡 Top Tip: The retail park setting means you can combine the trip with a quick stop at the shops or supermarket before the game if needed — handy if you need any last-minute supplies.

🍺 PUBS & DRINKS NEAR GLANFORD PARK

👍 A Busy Retail Park Setting: With shops, supermarkets and restaurants right outside the ground, matchday at Glanford Park has a genuinely busy, lively feel. The Old Farmhouse, just off the M181 near the ground, is a popular and welcoming option for away fans. The Iron Bar inside the stadium is also worth knowing about.

🍺 Near the Ground (Recommended)

🍻 At the Stadium

🍴 Food Options: With many shops, supermarkets and restaurants right outside the ground, you’re well-placed for food on a Glanford Park matchday. Inside the stadium, refreshments are reasonably priced, with hot dogs, burgers, bacon sandwiches and pies all available, typically under £2.20.

🏭 Local Tip: Scunthorpe’s steel industry heritage is genuinely worth knowing about — the town’s identity, and the club’s claret and blue kit with its iron chain detailing, both nod to this history. A guided Steelworks Tour is available if you want to dig deeper.

🏨 WHERE TO STAY IN SCUNTHORPE

Scunthorpe has a reasonable spread of accommodation, with budget chains particularly well represented near the retail park area around Glanford Park itself — convenient if you want to be close to the ground.

💷 Budget Options (£45-75 per night)

💷💷 Mid-Range Options (£75-120 per night)

💷💷💷 Luxury Options (£120+ per night)

🎯 THINGS TO DO IN SCUNTHORPE

Scunthorpe is, by its own self-image, an industrial town shaped by steel — but there’s a surprising amount on offer for visitors, from genuinely impressive contemporary art to a stately home with parkland and a working farming museum.

Nearby

🏭 THE SCUNTHORPE EXPERIENCE

⚽ MATCHDAY EXPERIENCE

💭 FINAL THOUGHTS

Glanford Park has a genuinely unusual place in English football’s stadium history being the first new purpose-built ground constructed since 1955 at the time, it set a template that countless clubs would later follow with their own out-of-town moves. There’s a uniform, no-nonsense quality to the place: four equal stands, all corners filled, and an atmosphere that can genuinely impress when Scunthorpe’s crowd gets going. The AMS Stand for away fans offers a decent, if pillar-obstructed, view of proceedings.

The retail park setting means everything you might need; shops, food, the Old Farmhouse pub — is genuinely close at hand, and parking is straightforward given the M181 location. The one logistical wrinkle is the two-mile distance from the railway station, so factor in a taxi or bus if you’re arriving by train rather than expecting to walk it.

Scunthorpe the town deserves a bit more credit than its industrial reputation might suggest — the 20-21 Visual Arts Centre is a genuine surprise, and Normanby Hall Country Park is an excellent family day out a short drive away. After a turbulent period off the pitch, the club’s community ownership and new long-term training ground lease provide welcome stability heading into 2026-27. A solid, well-organised away day in a town with a real steel-town identity.

A piece of stadium history, claret and blue, and the spirit of steel-town Scunthorpe. ⚽

⚽ Up the Iron! ⚽

📞 USEFUL CONTACTS

⚡ QUICK REFERENCE – GLANFORD PARK

⚽ Football Nonsense — Your complete guide to English football away days

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