Welcome Luton

[Hooped Wizard]

enjoy mid table it’s shit

 

[Kenneth E End]

Wow, thank you for the traditional welcome. I think we'll be aiming for slightly better than that next season.

To start off, I give you a new fan...

https://mobile.twitter.com/Max_Burrell_176/status/987789915747479554/video/1

 

[Lancs@(Bantam)]

The joys...

 

[Kenneth E End]

So we've been away for 10 years - has it changed much?!

In 2007-08, the club had ambitions of getting back to the Championship at the first attempt, but the recruitment and the organisation of the club, under the incompetence of David Pinkney and John Mitchell in the boardroom and Kevin Blackwell, John Carver and Sam Ellis on the pitch was an unmitigated disaster. Players like Chris Perry and Paul Peschisolido tried to take the club for every penny they had, whilst Don Hutchison were helping out the youth teamers.

The club was being run into the ground - a complete mess. The club went into administration within 4 months of the season starting despite the offer of the current owners to take over the club and prevent this.

The current board took over the club in January 2008 up at Liverpool in an FA Cup 3rd Round replay, with the club already 10 points worse off. Luton Town 2020's investment and that replay saved the club, and since then, we've never looked back.

Almost 10 years to the day we lose 2-1 at home to Brighton to relegate us to League Two for the first time since 2001. Over that summer the club were hit with the proverbial hammer blow - a punishment no team suffered previously and will never suffer again.

A ten point deduction for in essence paying players out of the wrong bank account - the holding company rather than the club itself. Its worth pointing out, the club were found not guilty of the headline charges of paying 'bungs'. Then because the club were in its third administration, the club were hit with a further 20 point deduction for not exiting administration with a CVA as at the time, HMRC were wanting to make an example of football clubs - they vetoed it. A precedent that Leeds had received when Ken Bates played the system a year before.

That level of handicap was never going to be overcome. The club had some solace when they lifted the JPT at Wembley, but got relegated to non league a week later.

The non league years were painful, but strangely enjoyable. It acts as a good level for clubs that need to get their shit together. It was kind of nice being the big fish and winning half of games a season. We were good enough to get back at the first attempt, but our old foe the play offs struck three times. Once in a penalty shootout against a team who hadn't scored against us in 5 hours of football that season. And the second time to a massively offside goal. Paul Buckle's tenure resulted in the worst league position in our history, missing out on the top 5, but becoming the first non league side to beat a Premier League side, and away from home was a fillip. John Still came in and pulled the club together - not a style of football that was reminiscent of teams of old, but it was just what the club needed at the level.

Since the messes of the past, the club has got itself on an even keel. The investors have put £20m into the operational side of the club plus a further £20m into land for a new stadium, which as a project will cost £150m and turn the town on its head, let alone the club. Now to get planning permission which has been in the rigamarole for nearly 2 years now as a corporate objector attempt to block everything.

Next season will be an interesting one. I have the belief that this squad in its current guise could more than compete at League One level. They recruited (and spent) for the level and I think the team is more suited to this level than League Two. With a handful of experienced and quality players in the right areas, there would be no shock from me if we did get in the top 6 next season.

We're back.

 

[ProfessorGreen]

I still can’t believe you paid us £150k for Jake Jervis to be honest.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I still can’t believe you paid us £150k for Jake Jervis to be honest.

I can't believe it either.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

I’m not one of the fans fortunate enough to have seen us in our 80s heydays as this is the level we were at when I first starting watching the Town so I’ve always sort of viewed this as our level.

Very excited to be back feels like we have been though a heck of a lot since we were last here! Looking at the teams on paper I’m thinking it’s probably a little stronger than previously at the top end with clubs coming down from the Championship, but interesting to see how we do.

As I’ve said on the League 2 forum a few times, I think this is probably about where we should be and likely our limit until we get the stadium sorted properly, so my expectations would probably be a mid table finish for us and consolidation at this level.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

I still can’t believe you paid us £150k for Jake Jervis to be honest.

Me either, absolute rubbish from what I’ve seen, doesn’t even look like a footballer to me.

Hopefully with a pre season under his belt he’ll make some improvement and settle down but the troubling thing is that he doesn’t really fit our style at all. Think that was a panic buy.

 

[GFC4EVA]

Welcome Luton always good to get southern teams in the league

 

[Maple Hatter]

I’m not one of the fans fortunate enough to have seen us in our 80s heydays

I am one of the fortunate who followed the Town back in the 80s so for me we are still not at the level this club should potentially be at. Hopefully with the board doing great work and the new stadium on the horison (yes I know!) we can get to the championship which I think is our natural level. Will take a few seasons however as we once again consolidate and build up a squad ready to make that challenge. Of course next season we could do well thanks to the momentum we have gained this season and a style of play which may suit us more. The beauty of this game is you never know what might happen.
Looking at league one there is not much difference in the size of club compaired to league two with a couple of exceptions of course. Sunderland being the latest big club to make the fall.

 

[Hatter86]

Alright lads, hows it going?

 

[SMH]

Welcome back Luton, really happy for the fans especially those who kept going in Non League. All the best and hopefully you’ll do well, it’s certainly no big step up.

 

[Bosox]

It's going to be strange being underdogs on a semi-regular basis after the non league years where Luton were the cup final for most of the league and then League 2 where they were always one of the 2-3 biggest teams in the division.

I also first started watching Luton in this division so it's great to finally be back at what feels like a decent level for the club. From my perspective I'd very happily take top 10 pushing for a playoff place this time next year in our first season back. A season like last season's promoted clubs Plymouth and Portsmouth would be nice.

 

[F!RTHY]

Welcome, Hatters!

 

[Lance Stoe]

Gonna smack fuck out the MIGS home and awatf

 

[oakroader]

 

[codaplenty]

Well me old mucker, barring a last minute disaster we look to renew horns after an absence of 7 years. Trying to remember we we met in the Conference ( it was'nt called that I know ) and you won comfortably after we had got promoted, August match and we lost 0-3. Mind you we did nick an away win at your place in fact it might have been 2 ? Delighted for you mate and you can look forward to playing the Cod Army with the nicest sweetest manager in league 1 !!!

 

[oakroader]

Well me old mucker, barring a last minute disaster we look to renew horns after an absence of 7 years. Trying to remember we we met in the Conference ( it was'nt called that I know ) and you won comfortably after we had got promoted, August match and we lost 0-3. Mind you we did nick an away win at your place in fact it might have been 2 ? Delighted for you mate and you can look forward to playing the Cod Army with the nicest sweetest manager in league 1 !!!

At last we meet again mon ami..,,
Not since the blue square bet days have our paths crossed....
Looking forward to our teams playing each other again....perhaps evenly matched since the last occasion??
Eagerly await the oncoming banter my not forgotten friend....
Keep well codaplenty regardless....

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Welcome aboard, great to have a bigger shithole than Bradford in the league.

 

[Meadow]

Congratulations Luton. Hopefully we'll renew hostilities next season.

Please don't try and decapitate Haydon the Womble next season?

 

[Gassy]

Congrats Luton, got a good mate who supports the Hatters - at our summer ball during uni he told everyone he was going to dress as the Mad Hatter. He turned up in a Luton shirt with a sign saying "F*ck the FA"

 

[Kenneth E End]

So question, is there a substantial gap between L2 and L1? I guess the likes of Wigan and Blackburn at the top are a long way ahead than most, but apart from that, the league is a much of a muchness?

Winkelman said yesterday that their budget is £4m+ whereas there are teams doing far better on less than half that! Our budget won't be that high I wouldn't have thought, but not a million miles away.

 

[PuB]

Kenny's mythical maths has long been a feature of his. You'll get on well with Firthy.

Welcome.

 

[Gassy]

I think there is a noticeable different personally in the leagues.

Pompey & Plymouth fans will probably say no because they’ve done well. We went up the year before and all of us that were promoted together did well - it seems 2nd season syndrome has definitely hit the rest of them - Wimbledon and Northampton especially.

 

[Marked Ox]

I think there is a noticeable different personally in the leagues.

Pompey & Plymouth fans will probably say no because they’ve done well. We went up the year before and all of us that were promoted together did well - it seems 2nd season syndrome has definitely hit the rest of them - Wimbledon and Northampton especially.

Pep Clotet syndrome hit us in the 2nd season.

 

[SMH]

Well me old mucker, barring a last minute disaster we look to renew horns after an absence of 7 years. Trying to remember we we met in the Conference ( it was'nt called that I know ) and you won comfortably after we had got promoted, August match and we lost 0-3. Mind you we did nick an away win at your place in fact it might have been 2 ? Delighted for you mate and you can look forward to playing the Cod Army with the nicest sweetest manager in league 1 !!!

I was there when you won 2-1 at Kenilworth Road. A certain Mr Vardy scored that day.

 

[Gaz12321]

It's good to be back in the 3rd tier, looking forward to the challenge that faces us and hoping that we'll see far less obstructive teams in this division and more teams who may be able to engage in a decent football match. Could be way off the mark with those hopes though!

 

[bantamigo]

It's good to be back in the 3rd tier, looking forward to the challenge that faces us and hoping that we'll see far less obstructive teams in this division and more teams who may be able to engage in a decent football match. Could be way off the mark with those hopes though!

Bit of a weird statement, realistically are Luton gonna turn up to away teams in this league and not keep it tight and cautious?

 

[Kenneth E End]

Bit of a weird statement, realistically are Luton gonna turn up to away teams in this league and not keep it tight and cautious?

Didn’t do that up at Newcastle, however foolhardy that was.

There have definitely been times this season when we’ve been reckless rather than conservative.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Kenny's mythical maths has long been a feature of his. You'll get on well with Firthy.

Welcome.

That was a direct quote from Winky.