Good afternoon everyone and a very warm welcome to Kenilworth Road.
Today’s visitors are Leeds United, who are vying with Burnley and Sheffield United for the two automatic promotion places to the Premier League. All three have had recent spells in the top-flight and have the valuable experience of managing the vast chasm between the Premier League and the Championship. As we have experienced, it can be a lucrative poisoned chalice.
Leeds’ greatest successes were in the 60s and 70s under Don Revie when they won the league twice, the FA Cup once, the League Cup once and were runners-up many times in all competitions. Their style of play wasn’t to everyone’s liking, as demonstrated by the legendary Brian Clough’s 44 days in charge after Revie departed to manage England.
We were well beaten at Elland Road in November and it was clear then that they were the team to beat if you wanted to win the division. We are a different proposition now and, with the added advantage of being here at Kenny, let’s hope we can make a better account of ourselves. We come into today’s game having taken 10 points from the last five games, looking more organised and difficult to beat. Let’s hope that we can start to put away some of the many chances we are creating and continue this run until the end of the season. As Matt has alluded to, the togetherness on and off the pitch has been evident greatly in recent weeks and long may it continue.
While on the subject of football, it is exciting to see the progress being made by our academy teams across several age groups. A few of us regularly watch the Under-18s and Under-21s, who have both enjoyed excellent seasons.
Joe Deeney’s Under-18s are currently top of the Youth Alliance, but have a fight on their hands for the title as Oxford have games in hand and are chasing hard. Furthermore, the Under-17 group have reached the final of the PDL Cup and will face Swansea in May. Good luck, lads!
Alex Lawless’ Under-21s reached the last-16 of the Premier League Cup where, despite an encouraging performance, they were beaten by Category 1 side Nottingham Forest. A number of the players who have excelled this season are now enjoying time out on loan further down the pyramid, giving them vital experience of senior football.
It has taken a while for our academy to catch up, given the first team’s climb up the leagues so quickly over the past decade. As a result, our best players were often picked up cheaply under EPPP rules. We still face a battle to keep hold of players, but the higher quality of our staff and facilities – and a clearly visible pathway to the first team – can hopefully persuade more of our youngsters to stay with us. It’s also wonderful to have so many former players on our coaching staff. They know what we are about and what matters to us.
It is also important that the boys feel wanted by the club and our fans. Supporters of Luton Youth Development (SOLYD) have been unbelievable in their support for the academy since we were relegated to the Conference in 2009 – but you can also play your part. Why not sponsor one of our academy players? You can see availability on the sponsor pages elsewhere in this programme and I would encourage you to support them if you can. I know the players truly appreciate it.
You may have noted that our accounts have been submitted to Companies House for the year ended 30th June 2024. They show record turnover and profits thanks to our brief stay in the Premier League.
They show the huge divide in revenue and costs between the Premier League and the rest, which is clearly unhealthy. If you take the costs of getting to the Premier League with the costs of being in it, including wage costs and bonuses, the results are not all they seem.
In fact, if it wasn’t for parachute payments providing a somewhat softer landing, it could be quite a challenge. When we were at Premier League meetings it was pretty clear that clubs who had been in the division for a while and had built a Premier League quality squad would be very hard-pressed to cope if they were relegated.
In that respect, we were fortunate that we hadn’t ‘bet the farm’. All three clubs that were promoted this season have invested quite heavily in their squads and it hasn’t worked. Is there a lesson? It’s hard to say, but despite the fact that clubs are struggling financially, the latest rules encourage losses and more risk and there is little sign of the gap narrowing.
At Luton Town, our remit has been to rebuild and ensure a stable future for our club. Kenilworth Road is not able to provide sufficient revenue to compete at the level we want to be, so Power Court is essential. It is not just ticket sales, but hospitality and additional revenue-generating activities that make the difference. Once fully operational, it is forecast that the matchday revenue at Power Court will be many more times our current levels here at Kenilworth Road.
As you may have seen in our financial statement release, Mike Herrick has left the Board and sold his shares to an existing shareholder, Rob Stringer. Mike, a proud Lutonian, has been an intrinsic member of the board and a significant shareholder since 2011, providing a loan to help acquire land at Power Court.
Mike is a long-time fan having been to his first game in 1957. He has an amazing memory of all things Luton Town. Mike is, and always will be, a part of the 2020 story. Thank you, Mike.
Back to today and this fixture is dedicated to the EFL’s Green Football Great Save campaign. There are several ways we are becoming more sustainable and helping the environment, which can be seen on the graphic below. This week we were awarded bronze status with the EFL for sustainability and we will be aiming to improve on this further once we are at Power Court.
Turning attention back to the pitch, let’s hope the lads can continue their good form as we aim to preserve our Championship status. The noise your support can generate in this famous old ground of ours has the power to lift the players and intimidate the opposition so – as if you need reminding – get behind the team from the first minute and make this afternoon another special one.
Finally, following the end of Ramadan, may I wish members of our Muslim community Eid Mubarak. Especially those employed at the club, who have worked tirelessly and cheerfully while fasting.
“Fasting is an amazing thing. It gives people heart and soul.” – Rumi
Enjoy the game and come on you Hatters!
David
