Wharton 100 per cent behind Iron

Last updated : 09 May 2005 By Luke Thornhill
Wharton
The will be given a civic reception at Normanby Hall on Thursday to celebrate promotion to League One - sealed with a goalless draw at Shrewsbury on Saturday.

Coun William Eckhardt, due to be installed as new Mayor of North Lincolnshire on Wednesday, will oversee the celebrations.

And Wharton has confirmed his committment to the club, despite selling his family shipping business - news which first broke on the Iron-Bru.net messageboard late last week.

He told the Scunthorpe Telegraph: "This one of the proudest moments I have been involved in with Scunthorpe United - and hopefully we can go from strength to strength and have another good season next year.

"I know that when this club has been promoted before it has come straight back down but I am confident that will not happen next season.

"My committment to Scunthorpe United remains absolutely 100 per cent and the thing I really want to concentrate on is the club's community projects, training facilities, and multi-sports facilities.

"That's my ambition, and to take Scunthorpe United as far as we can go.

"I think the fans have been absolutely fantastic this season. To get the crowds we have had, averaging five-and-a-half thousand, is unbelievable. And they have been so supportive.

"I know it took a while to get some of them back, but you can understand that. But I think at the end they are all behind Brian Laws - and I cannot speak too highly of him."