All aboard...
This time last season we were excited by the challenge of pitting ourselves against the opposition of the Blue Square Premier for the first time in our history.
Fast forward 12 months and, while we're still face the same prospect this time round, we couldn't be more enthusiastic about our second experience of competing at this level.
It was with trepidation that we kicked-off our campaign at AFC Wimbledon a year ago. Despite our valiant efforts, we're back and this time with even more guns a-blazing, eager to hit the ground running.
So, a warm welcome all supporters, and those from our visitors, Altrincham, together with their directors, staff, management, players and supporters to Kenilworth Road.
The summer has flown by for us in what is our busiest period of the year with investments in improvements, changes, alterations and repairs which you will learn about more inside today's new-look programme.
During the summer changes and alterations off the pitch and on the pitch itself have been matched by our ambition in the dressing room when board, together with Richard, Gary and Alan, have looked at a variety of ways of improving the squad in a unique and creative way.
Eight new faces have joined the dressing room including two from the Czech Republic - further enforcing our creative methods of procuring players for the first team squad.
I would like to welcome all eight and wish them every success in their careers with Luton Town. It goes without saying that we all hope it begins this season.
To support the squad's chances of success this season we have embarked upon implementing a range of detailed enhancements focused upon 'peak performance'.
Further investment into getting the most out of the talent from each and every member of the squad has been made, starting with our fitness week in Portugal, to using sophisticated Heart Rate Monitors to measure and analyse optimum fitness, right the way through to establishing a balanced intake of food and nutrients.
We would like to thank Bobbers Travel and Shallowford for kindly kicking off a sponsorship campaign in this area, where we will be seeking further help to ensure that our peak performance is fully optimised throughout the season.
Talking of sponsors, I would like to extend a massive thank you to easyJet for being our club sponsor for their second season. A relationship which we hope will continue.
It couldn't have escaped your attention that this season we will be celebrating the magnificent anniversary landmark of 125 years of history of Luton Town.
Throughout the course of this season we will look to celebrate this wonderful milestone in a variety of ways.
The most striking of these will be seen at 3pm when the team walk out in a kit of pink and blue halves which pays homage to the colours first worn by the "new" Luton Town when Wanderers and Excelsior merged in 1885.
The volume of positive feedback we have received from you with regards to this kit has been staggering. I am delighted to announce today that this kit has already been ordered as a limited edition garment.
It will go on sale from the club shop from October, in time to celebrate the 125th anniversary of our first competitive game against Marlow on 30th October 1885.
More details about the kit plus news on other special anniversary items and how to order them, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Our '125' projects behind the scenes have been enthusiastically developed by all departments at the club.
Further information regarding the celebration plans will be announced during the next couple of weeks, suffice to say that we hope that our birthday isn't the only thing we'll be celebrating this season.
So, from our colourful history to our bright future and onto today's enthralling opener, a day which is always a great day for football supporters across the globe.
As a supporter there are two opening day fixtures that stick in my mind for this very reason.
The first was away at Tottenham at the start of the 1982/83 season, when a fearless Hatters side announced themselves on the First Division stage with a wonderful display of attacking football which rightly declared us as one of the most attractive sides to watch in the country.
The next was in very similar circumstances when we travelled to Crystal Palace in 2005/06, fresh after winning League One the previous season.
Yet again we played an exciting brand of flowing attacking football to beat Iain Dowie's title favourites with goals from Steve Howard and Ahmet Brkovic.
I can't quite remember ever feeling such emotions previously to that day: pride, anxiety, optimism and pure excitement.
Not least, until today.
Having been around Richard, Gary, Alan and the players during pre-season, and watched their performances so far, I can tell you I have been haunted by those emotions for the whole of this week.
I hope that in years to come someone's programme notes wax lyrical about the 2010/11 season and the opening day fixture against Altrincham.
Finally, on behalf of everyone connected with Luton Town, I would like to offer our condolences to the family of Exeter City striker Adam Stansfield, who tragically died this week at the age of 31. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and team-mates at this time.
Gary.
