Luton Town chairman David Wilkinson has admitted that the Hatters are a “team in transition” as he highlighted a “surreal and incredibly disappointing” 2024, as well as the challenge between achieving a long-term vision and immediate results.
A third straight Championship defeat last night – a 1-0 reverse at home to Norwich – saw fans’ frustrations boil over with a significant number calling for manager Rob Edwards to be sacked and with some in the Main Stand staying behind after the final whistle to remonstrate with CEO Gary Sweet.
As Luton Town fans grapple with the team’s poor form, Wilkinson’s reflective comments, though written before the defeat, for the match programme, sought to address some of the club’s current tensions.
“Our ambition and strategy for this club has always been to play the long game. In order to compete, we simply must have a state-of-the-art stadium with the ability of generating significantly more revenue,” he wrote, in reference to the planning approval granted last month to build Luton’s 25,000-seat new stadium at Power Court.
The chairman also touched on the challenges the team has faced this season, including inconsistent form, while attributing some struggles to a difficult summer transfer window, as part of the fallout from their Premier League relegation.
Wilkinson wrote: “We are proud that we earned respect and impressed so many by the way we played and entertained, but being plucky, gallant losers is not what we are here for.
“A lot has been said about the effect of relegation and the added difficulty of having had a brief foray in the top division, but both going there and coming back down throw up problems we have never experienced before.
“Expectations and attitudes can be so sensitive and everything affects everything else. There is no doubt that all of us expected better this year, after all, the majority of last season’s squad are still with us. Yes, we lost the Premier League quality of Ross (Barkley) and Sambi (Lokonga), who I would argue are impossible to replace, but I’d love to be proved wrong.
“As has previously been reported, the last transfer window was the toughest the team has had, and we didn’t get all the targets we wanted. We are a team in a transition. Often when you make changes, they take time to come into effect and whether that is transfer strategy or sports science and medical or coaching or investment in the academy, they will all make us better.
“One of my great beliefs is that it’s easier to be a critic than an author and mistakes are inevitable, but the only people who don’t make mistakes of those who do nothing. I should be glad to see the back of 2024.”
With eyes now on the January window, which opened yesterday, Wilkinson also highlighted this month’s transfer market as one of the things he’s looking forward to in 2025.
Power Court: A long-awaited milestone
Last month’s approval of planning permission for the new stadium at Power Court is a critical step in the club’s future, which the chairman described as vital to addressing the club’s financial challenges, exacerbated by Kenilworth Road’s limited capacity.
“The importance of it cannot be stressed strongly enough,” he said. “This is the second major plank in our original plan when we (the 2020 board) first got together and invested in the club.
“The importance of it cannot be stressed strongly enough. We bought the club from the administrator. A club that had been bust three times in 10 years, which evidenced its inability to compete fairly at anywhere near the top level. Most periods of success on the pitch have been followed by financial difficulty and we have fought tooth and nail to ensure that this is not repeated.”
Academy: Building for the future
In addition to the stadium project, Wilkinson stressed the importance of developing the club’s academy to create a sustainable pathway for homegrown talent. He pointed to recent examples of young players like Joe Johnson, Zack Nelson, and Josh Phillips making their mark in the first team.
“It is important that we can find and develop players because it’s unlikely that we will ever be able to compete with the gigantic transfer fees and salaries ruling in the Premier League. Therefore scouting, coaching and trading become even more important and rebuilding an academy, literally, takes a generation.
“After years of hard work on this front, it’s such a joy when you see homegrown talent given a chance and deserving it, just as Joe Johnson, Zack Nelson and Josh Phillips did at Bristol. These guys and those like them are our future.”
The chairman revealed plans to secure Category Two status for the academy, a move that would enable participation in the elite games programme and enhance the development framework.
Looking Ahead
Despite the difficulties, Wilkinson struck a hopeful tone as he outlined his aspirations for the remainder of the current campaign and beyond.
“I’m eagerly looking forward to the second half of the season,” he said, while listing other things he’s looking forward to this year, including, “winning Championship away games”, the transfer window, starting building at Power Court, and to seeing more Luton youngsters earning a place in the first-team squad.
Quoting ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, Wilkinson concluded with a message, saying: “A secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
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