Sir Ian Botham appointed as club president at Scunthorpe United

Scunthorpe have announced today that Sir Ian Botham has been appointed as the club’s president.

The former England cricketer made 11 first team appearances during his time with the Iron, which spanned from 1980 to 1985 – where he played at centre-back.

Botham is widely regarded as one of Scunthorpe’s most high-profile fans, and the Sky Sports analyst regularly gives the Iron name drops whilst he is live on TV.

Speaking to the Iron’s official website, Chairman Peter Swann said: “We had a table at the ball to mark his retirement from fundraising walks on Monday.

“I thought it would be great if we could offer him the opportunity to become Scunthorpe United President. He accepted it without hesitation.

“It’s a couple of seasons since we lost John Godfrey (the former President). We spoke as a board and thought Sir Ian would make an ideal ambassador for us.

“Sir Ian’s other work means he’s out of the country a lot, but he comes to watch the Iron when he can and also regularly watches on a feed when away. He’s always very vocal in his support for the club.

“He has a great affinity with the Iron and will be a fantastic ambassador for Scunthorpe United.”