Scunthorpe Utd would 'embrace' Tinie Tempah visit

The co-owner of Scunthorpe United FC says the club would "love to embrace" rapper Tinie Tempah if he were to visit the town.

His 2010 number 1 hit Pass Out included the lyrics "I been Southampton, but I've never been to Scunthorpe", and efforts are being made to put that right.

An online campaign to get him to perform in North Lincolnshire was started recently by local fan Ben Johns.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight earlier this month, the rapper said he thought "this is the time" to visit the town.

"I've said I'm more than excited to come to Scunthorpe," he said.

"I'm happy to add that date to my tour. But we need a certain amount of pre-saves on the new album.

"If we can achieve that I will – just like that, at the click of a finger – add a Scunthorpe date, and we'll see you there in November or December."

Michelle Harness, the football club's chairwoman, told BBC Radio Humberside that "we'd love to embrace" a show by Tinie, although the club would need to explore how best to host the gig at The Attis Arena.

She said: "I don't know how they run big concerts at big stadiums. They put something over the pitch, they raise it off the actual grass... We wouldn't do anything without protecting the pitch."

Johns, who is behind the campaign and is from Scunthorpe, previously told BBC Radio Humberside that it "feels like it's been a story 16 years in the making".

"I don't really know where we could have the venue. There's a really great independent venue in Scunthorpe called Café Indie, but I think the demand is going to be so big we might need to have it at The Attis Arena... So many people want to come!"

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds , and watch the latest episode of Look North .

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices