Luton Town Supporters’ Trust say they have been given firm assurances from the club that their stadium construction partner Limak bears no responsibility for delays at Barcelona’s Nou Camp redevelopment, and have been “misrepresented by sensationalist press”.
The Trust have had meetings with senior Hatters officials after media reports linked Limak to setbacks in the Catalan project, which is undergoing major reconstruction. It also led to some online speculation among Luton fans about how and why the Turkish firm was chosen for the Power Court build.
Trust chairman Paul Stephens met with the club’s hierarchy to raise those questions directly and in a statement the fan group said of the Barcelona reports: “We were assured that Limak were in no way responsible for the delays, nor were they liable for any fines – contrary to the report picked up by various news outlets.
“To put the story in context, the delays have been caused by a disagreement between the club and the [Barcelona] city planning authorities – and to put that into further context, it’s against a background of disruptive local politics resulting in ‘smear’ campaigns about how Limak were selected.”
The Trust said it was also satisfied that Luton’s own selection process for Power Court had been both lengthy and rigorous, refuting claims that only one contractor was considered. Luton Town’s property arm carried, 2020 Developments, carried out what it called “a robust selection process”, lasting 18 months of monitoring and a six-month evaluation phase led by the global construction consultancy Atkins Réalis.
From that, four firms were shortlisted and assessed across key areas such as design, quality, flexibility, methodology and cost. Luton’s chief operating officer of 2020 Developments, Michael Moran, oversaw the process alongside other senior executives before the final recommendation went to the club’s board.
As Moran told the Trust: “Limak scored very well on all criteria. They are one of the world’s leading construction companies with an immense level of experience and demonstrated real energy, creativity and investment in their proposal to us. What appealed the most was how they wanted to approach the project and work with us and with our communities demonstrating a commitment to working with local trade contractors along the way.
“Also to be clear, the nature of the contract, means we can ensure that our design concepts stay true, and we can be loyal to our culture and philosophy across the whole supply chain. It’s naturally a very challenging project but thus far Limak have been highly professional and reliable.”
The Trust said the decision to appoint Limak had been “categorically not made by any single individual alone” but followed internal approval policies that ensure no independent decisions can be taken on major tenders. It added that financial oversight and regulatory scrutiny remain in place at every stage of the Power Court project.
Stephens welcomed the club’s transparency, saying: “I am delighted that the club were so transparent to Trust members’ questions and concerns, and that they will continue to be, with structures in place to ensure improved communications. Please don’t absorb and repeat rumours and accusations – talk to the club through the Trust. Ask the questions you want answering. Misinformation is poisonous, spreads rapidly and can cause immense damage. Please be mindful of that.”
The Trust said it left the meeting with Luton Town assured that “all is on course with Power Court”, and that the club’s process for selecting the company was “wide ranging, fair and scrupulously overseen”.
Luton chief executive Gary Sweet has offered for both club officials and Limak representatives to take questions directly from Trust members or supporters to help maintain transparency and confidence in the stadium project.
The Trust concluded by saying it looked forward to further open communication with the club “as representatives of members and all supporters”, adding that “the future is bright with Power Court on the way – and hopefully rapidly improving results under the new team of Jack [Wilshere – new manager] and Chris [Powell – assistant manager], too.”
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