In the end, it all happened very quickly.
Wrangles and rancour have surrounded the ownership at Scunthorpe United. making them an almost weekly discussion point of the NL Full Time podcast; however, the saga appears to have reached a resolution of sorts.
David Hilton's acquisition of The Iron released a wave of gratitude, relief and even a little cautious optimism in North Lincolnshire, with the former Ilkeston Town chairman installed as the new owner as other potential ownership groups hesitated or withdrew their interest altogether.
At one point, Alan Hardy, the former Notts County owner and, by a strange coincidence, also a former owner of Ilkeston Town, was rumoured to be in the running; however, it was Hilton who satisfied outgoing chairman Peter Swann that it was he with whom The Iron's future lay.
However, the winds of change blowing through Scunthorpe could be an ill wind for the Turbines.
Peterborough Sports are the team who carries that nickname, a legacy of their beginnings as Brotherhood Engineering Works, manufacturers of, you've guessed it, turbines. Promoted to the Vanarama National League North for this season, they have performed admirably, and are currently sitting in 13th position.
The Turbines haven't been powered by the wind, but by the finances provided by chairman Grant Biddle and the management skills of Jimmy Dean.
They have benefitted from persuading players of the calibre of Michael Gash and Nathan Fox, promoted from the North with King's Lynn in 2020, to bring their talents to Lincoln Road. In a pre-season chat with our podcast, Biddle revealed that Dean had tempted Connor Kennedy from Kettering Town in the summer as a ‘statement signing', to show that the Turbines should be taken seriously.
His movie star namesake was brooding and enigmatic, whilst Dean is a passionate and naturally ebullient man, more East of Anglia than East of Eden.
Under him, the Turbines have powered their way to four promotions. That sort of record is always likely to attract attention and potential suitors, but Dean and Biddle have been inseparable until now.
The statement released by Sports after their 2-1 home defeat by Kidderminster Harriers confirmed that Dean had, after lengthy deliberations, decided to accept an invitation to help revive the fortunes of another club. Soon, confirmation came that Dean was trading the Turbines for The Iron, and was doing so with Biddle's blessing.
It is only a few weeks since Biddle himself confirmed that he'd welcome investment into Sports, believing the ceiling had been hit in terms of what they could achieve, and unable to commit further funds, estimating he'd ploughed some £600,000 of his own cash into the club.
That may have signalled to Dean that his ambitions might have to be fulfilled elsewhere.
Despite the strides made on the field, Sports haven't caught the imagination of the Peterborough public, and crowds remain in the low hundreds unless boosted by any sizeable away followings. With an established EFL club in the same city, Sports seem destined to remain poor relations compared to ‘The Posh' of Peterborough United.
The Turbines will continue to keep turning, with Gash installed as an interim manager; however, as The Iron and their fans invest their hopes of a brighter future in Dean and Hilton, the Turbines may find themselves slowing down or even coming to a standstill.
Dean may return to the Turbines next season. The Iron are in the teeth of a relegation struggle, and their survival odds aren't good. Should they be relegated, Dean may end up taking Scunthorpe to Sports for a league fixture, but of course, much can happen in football, so that scenario is by no means certain.
The Turbines have, ultimately, paid the price for being ambitious. Their desire to succeed appears to have stretched Biddle's finances to or beyond their limits, and their success has led to Dean being prised away.
Things may now be a little calmer for The Iron, but for the Turbines, their future is blowing in the wind…
The NL Full Time podcast is available weekly throughout the season, sometimes we even throw in a midweek special edition too, and all podcast episodes are available should you fancy a delve into our archive.
Find us on your preferred podcast platform; a selection of popular ones are below:
Spotify: spoti.fi/3XMeUvs
Apple: apple.co/3GuyRj5
Google: bit.ly/3YcpdIY
Subscribe to us on iTunes or Spotify and follow and interact with us on social media: @NLFullTime on Twitter.
