The chairman of the Luton Town Supporters’ Trust has urged the Hatters to communicate openly with fans in the wake of Saturday’s 5-3 defeat at West Bromwich Albion – a result that confirmed the Hatters’ relegation to League One and sealed a second successive drop after falling out of the Premier League last season.
In an open letter to fans and members, Paul Stephens, who said he had taken “a couple of days to take stock of everything and allow some of the emotion of Saturday to settle,” insisted now is the time for the club to follow through on promises to speak to supporters.
“The club have openly promised to communicate more and the time for that to happen is now,” he said.
Luton’s demotion makes them only the fourth club ever to suffer back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One, and Stephens admitted the manner of the final-day defeat added to fans’ pain.
“Like you I’m sure, my emotions on Saturday were a mixture of upset, frustration, disappointment and annoyance, all borne out from a terrible season, one we expected so much more from having come down from the Premier League, but also because of the manner of the loss on Saturday in particular,” he told supporters.
“I hoped this statement would be referencing a great escape… but ultimately, like everyone else I am left scratching my head to understand how we could be so poor in such a big game.
“As hurtful as it is, relegation has happened. The club can’t change the past, all the club can do is ensure that they learn from the mistakes that were made and make sure a repeat doesn’t happen.”
Stephens called on the Hatters to use relegation as a chance to “get back to what made us so successful on the way up. A reset for everyone that allows the entire club to come together again on and off the pitch and make us stronger.”
He also laid out early steps the Trust is taking to open a dialogue with the club, confirming a meeting with Luton’s finance team in two weeks to discuss the recently published accounts and plans to press for further discussions with CEO Gary Sweet.
“When I became chair of the Trust, I promised our members that I would ask the club questions and challenge them,” he said. “I will also continue to push for a similar meeting with Gary Sweet where I will put forward concerns of our members and supporters.”
Looking ahead, Stephens expressed hope that early transfer business and a full pre-season could help lay the foundations for a swift return to the Championship.
“I am hoping to see as much of our transfer business as possible done early so that the squad can have a complete and better pre-season, be put through their paces and be much fitter to hit the ground running on the first weekend in August,” he said.
Despite the dismal end to the campaign, Stephens struck an optimistic note about the club’s wider future, highlighting the progress of the academy, the club’s financial footing and the long-awaited new stadium, after news last week that announced the contractor behind Barcelona’s Nou Camp redevelopment and the first competitive game planned for the start of the 2028/29 campaign.
“This has been a tough season, but the future of our club looks very bright with January signings that look like they can take us forward, a much-needed new stadium on the horizon, an academy which is progressing and winning plenty of trophies and a positive financial outlook,” he said.
“It is perfectly acceptable to be upset, frustrated and even angry at how Saturday and the season panned out, but in the coming days when the emotions are hopefully less raw, our focus must collectively be on coming together as one to get our club back in the Championship as soon as possible.”
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