David Hilton cleared a six-figure tax bill and pledged to take Scunthorpe back to the EFL, but his suitability to be owner is under scrutiny
And if that was not reason enough to be cheerful, an announcement came over the public address system telling them that the price of a pint in the Iron Bar had just been cut to £2.50.
The real deal was for the club’s property assets. For those, Hilton agreed to pay Swann a figure in the region of £3million, with a completion deadline of May 24. Swann, who owned the club between 2013 and 2022, believes that is illegal and wants Hilton, and therefore the club, off his land. Scunthorpe, an industrial town in north Lincolnshire and still England’s largest steel processing centre, might be eligible for such financial assistance, but there will be many in the region who think it should not be used to replace a perfectly adequate football stadium.
However, Hilton has since made a U-turn on the U-turn and the youth setup has been closed, with staff laid off. It was not, however, decisive. In fact, it quickly became clear that nobody would be turfing anyone out of anywhere anytime soon. So, the fight for Glanford Park will now take place over three days at a court and date to be found somewhere in the three-month window between January 2 and March 29.Unlike Swann, Hilton turned up for this fixture and watched it from the row behind the barristers. On his left was Tahina Akther, a barrister and one of the six new directors Hilton appointed to Scunthorpe’s board this month.when all was said and done.
The trust now has until October 11 — six weeks from the end of August — to submit a written request to be treated as a potential bidder. If that request is received, a six-month “moratorium” is triggered, giving the community group time to raise money for a serious bid. That window would last until February 28, 2024.
A small section of fans sang “There’s only one David Hilton” during the win over Scarborough and a GoFundMe page was set up last week to help cover the costs of Hilton’s legal battles with Swann.