CO-ASSISTANT MANAGER - ANDY CROSBY
It is amazing to think that skipper Andy Crosby has only been here for just over three years, as he has become such an important figure at Glanford Park.

Crosby is 'part of the furniture' at the club now, and is an influential member of the side, as well as co-assistant manager to Nigel Adkins alongside fellow senior pro Ian Baraclough.

A key part of the Iron's two most recent promotion teams, 'Crozzer' was arguably Brian Laws' most important signing during the summer of 2004. Andy was brought in to plug a defence that conceded 73 goals the previous season.

And how that signing worked as United only conceded 42 goals last season and changed from one of the worst defences in the league to the actual best the season after.

Crosby began his career as a Leeds junior but never got a look-in at Elland Road.

He joined Rotherham in the early 1990's, getting the first team football he craved and quickly becoming known as one of the best defenders in the lower leagues.

Crosby since had spells at local rivals Doncaster, as well as Darlington, Brighton, and Oxford where he continued to make his name and became known as a leader.

His signing in May 2004 was a real coup, as the season before he had been chosen for the PFA Division Three select XI, and he did the same a year later as United's defensive rock was selected by his fellow professionals in League Two's team of the season.

Crosby immediately became a fans favourite and quickly became the club captain, taking over from Mark Jackson.

The defender signed a two-year deal and brought the best out of his defensive partner, young Andy Butler. His experience helped the youngster come on in leaps and bounds during the promotion season.

The impact of Andy signing was immediate, with the club unbeaten during pre-season, a lot of that down to the solid spine the club had down the middle - which featured Crosby and Butler in defence, Musselwhite in goal, Baraclough and Kell in midfield, as well as Steve Torpey and Paul Hayes up front.

When you add the pace and solidity of the likes of Nathan Stanton, Lee Ridley, Cleveland Taylor and Peter Beagrie you know you have a side that can trouble any in League Two.

As well as being the leader that Scunthorpe desperately needed at that time, Crozzer also scored vital goals during the promotion campaign, proving adept from the penalty spot tucking spot-kicks home against Northampton and Wycombe, and also proving dangerous in the air from corners scoring bullet headers against Southend and Cambridge.

Admittedly, during the first campaign in League One of 2005/06 Crosby struggled for form midway through, after an excellent start which saw the team flying high. He also received his first red card in an iron shirt during the televised defeat at Blackpool.

He did, however, net important goals in the wins over Barnsley, Oldham, Hartlepool and Chesterfield.

But the arrival of Steve Foster alongside him at the back for the second half of the campaign brought the best out of Crosby, and he played an important part in leading United to their highest league position in 42 years, and the following year things got even better for the duo.

2006/07 saw Crosby at his very best, scoring five invaluable goals, proving a rock on the pitch and a calming influence off it. He proved a steadying influence during the potentially rocky period when Nigel Adkins replaced Brian Laws.

The finale of that season saw Crosby lift a league trophy for the first time as skipper, and he will be eager for more success this season, in which will be his first one in the second tier of English football.

CO-ASSISTANT MANAGER - IAN BARACLOUGH
Considering he arrived at Glanford Park on a free transfer, Ian Baraclough has proved an inspired addition to the Scunthorpe squad by ex-manager Brian Laws. His signing has been said by many to be one of the major factors for the club's promotion to League One in 2004/05.

Eyebrows were raised in the summer of 2004 when Laws signed Baraclough, widely known as an experienced left-back, to play in central midfield. But it soon proved another inspired bit of business. Baraclough led from the front and those around him followed, showing consistency and putting in a large number of all-action displays. With his tough-tackling and immaculate passing he soon became one of the most important members of the team and a firm fan favourite.

He took the number eleven shirt vacated by Alex Calvo-Garcia's departure that summer and, looking back at how he has done at Glanford Park, few people can begrudge Baraclough that. He is one of the first names on the team sheet when fit, everything you need in a central midfielder.

He also has a knack of scoring important goals. The best one, arguably, the thunderbolt that he bulleted in against his former club Mansfield in September 2004.

Though he scored the goal that put United in their highest league position for forty years, his strike against Southend sent United to the top of League One in August of last season.

His match fitness has defied his years. A problem during 2005/06 was that he never had a consistent midfield partner but during the following title-winning campaign, Matt Sparrow made a real impression in the centre and formed a partnership with Baraclough, which added a much needed spark to the team's play.

Baraclough began his career back in 1992 with Lincoln and after two seasons and having notched up over 70 appearances with the Imps he moved on to Mansfield Town.

It was after a successful spell there that he moved onto Notts County, it was to be his first spell at the club. He stayed with the Magpies for nearly three seasons before moving on to QPR in a cut-price £75k deal in March 1998 - during Notts County's title-winning season. But the then left full-back re-signed for the Magpies from the Londoners a little over two seasons later and spent the next four years at Meadow Lane, fighting it out in what was then the Second Division.

An articulate and thoughtful man, whose intelligence spills out onto the pitch, Baraclough is a major player at Glanford Park and it is excellent to see people with the experience of he and Andy Crosby getting the chance to assist boss Nigel Adkins, a challenge that Bara has certainly enjoyed the responsibility of.