Scunthorpe United FC x OPN: Streamlining medical management and connecting player care across departments
How Scunthorpe United FC is using OPN to simplify medical reporting, improve communication across departments and turn player data into actionable performance insights.
Rosie Margetson, Lead Sports Rehabilitator, Scunthorpe United FC
Scunthorpe United first introduced OPN last season and are now moving through their first full season using the platform across their medical, strength and conditioning, and coaching departments.
With multiple staff members working with the same players, keeping information organised and accessible is an important part of the club’s day-to-day operation.
For Rosie Margetson and the wider team at Scunthorpe United, having one central place to manage medical records, monitor player availability and review performance information has made that process much easier.
Bringing medical information into one place
One of the biggest benefits for Scunthorpe United has been simplifying how medical information is recorded and shared.
When multiple medical staff are working with the same players, notes and updates can quickly become spread across different documents and individual records.
Using OPN as a central system of record means that information can be documented in one place, giving staff a more consistent view of each player’s medical history and ongoing care.
“It’s so much easier for medical notes. When you’ve got different staff members working with the same player, having one system of record makes a big difference.”
Rosie Margetson, Lead Sports Rehabilitator, Scunthorpe United FC
For Rosie, this has helped reduce the time spent managing information while also supporting better medical governance and due diligence.
Rather than piecing together updates from different sources, the medical team can maintain a clearer record of each player, with relevant information available to the staff who need it.
Keeping medical, S&C and coaching staff connected
The benefits of having information in one place extend beyond the medical department.
At Scunthorpe United, medical staff, strength and conditioning coaches and the wider coaching team all need access to different parts of a player’s information.
For S&C staff, understanding a player’s injury status and medical progress helps inform their work. For coaches, having visibility of player availability is important when preparing training sessions and selecting squads.
OPN allows those departments to work from the same information, rather than relying on separate updates or conversations.
“It’s good for everyone to have that overview and be on the same page. The S&C coach can see the records and understand where players are at, which makes working across different departments much easier.”
Rosie Margetson, Lead Sports Rehabilitator, Scunthorpe United FC
How often staff use the platform depends on their role. Rosie uses OPN consistently throughout her working day, but regardless each department gets something different from the platform, and the information remains connected.
Making player availability easier to manage
Player availability is another area where OPN has become particularly useful.
In football, there is an important distinction between a player being available for training and being ready to return to competitive fixtures.
Having that information clearly recorded and regularly updated helps the club understand exactly where each player stands.
“A player might be available for training but not available for a game yet. Being able to update that and see the difference between training and fixture availability is really helpful.”
Rosie Margetson, Lead Sports Rehabilitator, Scunthorpe United FC
For the wider team, this provides a clearer picture of squad numbers and player readiness from the start of the day. Rather than having to check individually with medical or performance staff, coaches can see the relevant availability information and plan accordingly.
It is a relatively simple part of the daily workflow, but one that makes a meaningful difference when multiple departments are working together.
Turning player data into actionable insights
Alongside its day-to-day use, Scunthorpe United are also now using OPN Intelligence to explore the information they collect and better understand the outcomes of their decisions.
The club can now regularly produce reports covering squad availability, physical profiles and player performance.
Bringing that information together helps staff move beyond simply recording data and begin identifying patterns that can inform future decisions.
“We can create reports fast and efficiently around squad availability and physical profiles. OPN Intelligence gives us an overview of the outcomes from our decisions, so we can actually turn that information into something actionable.”
Rosie Margetson, Lead Sports Rehabilitator, Scunthorpe United FC
For Scunthorpe United, the value lies in being able to review what has happened, understand the potential reasons behind it and use those findings to support the club’s ongoing approach to player management.
Connecting injury records with physical performance
One area of particular interest for the club is understanding the relationship between injuries and physical performance data. By linking medical records with S&C testing and GPS information, the team can begin exploring patterns across the squad.
That includes looking beyond players who have suffered injuries and considering what can be learned from those who have remained consistently available.
“It’s also really interesting to look at who’s not been injured and why. Linking S&C testing and GPS data with injuries gives us more information about what’s happening and what we can take from that.”
Rosie Margetson, Lead Sports Rehabilitator, Scunthorpe United FC
This creates opportunities for the medical and performance departments to review player outcomes together, explore potential contributing factors and bring those findings into their reporting.
Rather than treating medical and physical performance information as separate areas, OPN helps the club build a more connected understanding of each player.
Building around a data-led approach
For Scunthorpe United, collecting data is already an established part of how the club operates.
From medical notes and player availability to physical testing and injury analysis, OPN is helping bring those different areas together.
“A data-led approach is the way we operate, so having something like OPN fits perfectly with that.”
Rosie Margetson, Lead Sports Rehabilitator, Scunthorpe United FC
As the club continues its first full season using the platform, the opportunity is to build on those connected workflows and make greater use of the information being collected.
One platform, a more connected approach
For Scunthorpe United, OPN is supporting several areas of the club’s daily performance operation:
- Medical records and injury documentation
- Training and fixture availability
- Communication between medical, S&C and coaching staff
- Squad availability reporting
- Physical profiling and S&C testing
- GPS and injury data analysis
- Performance reporting through OPN Intelligence
For the medical team, it means less time spent organising information and a clearer record of each player.
For S&C and coaching staff, it provides better visibility of the information relevant to their roles.
And for the club as a whole, it creates an opportunity to connect everyday operations with longer-term performance analysis.
For Scunthorpe United, the value of OPN is not just having the information in one place. It’s being able to use that information to keep departments aligned, understand player availability and support a more informed, data-led approach to performance.
