Wilshere says he understands the strength of feeling among Luton supporters over the club’s history with Milton Keynes, insisting the Hatters must respect differing opinions as some will boycott the fixture, but more than 6,000 fans will make the trip.
The Luton manager acknowledged the controversy surrounding the proposed relocation of the Hatters to Milton Keynes in the 1980s, which was thwarted by protests from supporters determined to keep their club in its home town.
The issue was reignited when Wimbledon were relocated to Buckinghamshire in 2003, later becoming MK Dons, with the decision remaining one of English football’s most contentious episodes.
The Loyal Luton Supporters’ Club had called for a boycott of Saturday’s fixture, saying Milton Keynes remains a threat to the Hatters through, what the groups said, are the Dons’ attempts to encroach on the club’s traditional heartlands and attract young players.
Wilshere, who grew up in Hitchin and was not born when the original protests took place, said he had learned about the history from supporters and people within the club, including chief executive and Town fan Gary Sweet.
“One of the big things I love about this club is the history and how passionate the fans are about that, protecting that and keeping that going,” the manager said.
“My job is to understand that and also try and create a future for us, a future for the club where we can make our own history and have things to cheer about there. So yeah, we’re aware of it. The players are aware of it. But our job is to try and focus on the game and give the fans something to be proud of.”
Asked whether he welcomed the prospect of more than 6,000 Hatters supporters backing his side despite the boycott call, Wilshere said: “Yes. A big thing that I’ve learned is listen to everyone and respect everyone. And it’s the same on this occasion where I understand the history. I also understand the recent history. Probably, some fans weren’t even born at that point, but will have an understanding. So yeah, we have to respect everyone’s opinion.
“The fanbase is a massive part of this football club. They are. I grew up in Hitchin. I go and see my mum and dad who still live in Hitchin and I have conversations with fans all the time.
“At the minute we’re doing the 5K a day [charity run] for prostate cancer, we’re running through Luton and speaking to Luton fans, so we have to respect everyone’s opinion, but ultimately understanding that we are all one. Hopefully we can have a positive result tomorrow.”
The manager also highlighted the influence of Sweet and other figures at the club – as all but one board member are Hatters fans – who experienced the events in the 80s first-hand and have helped him understand what Luton means to its supporters.
Wilshere said: “I’ve got someone [Sweet] who I speak to every single day who understands Luton better than anyone. He tells me about the history. And, yeah, we have a lot of conversations around that and things that aren’t even football related. He tells me all the time about it.
“I think you can also see, when you talk about feeling as a fan, Gary is someone who feels it as a fan. You can see it in his eyes. I can see it when I talk to him. When we win, when we lose, we have a conversation all the time.
“I’m fortunate that I’ve got someone like that. And then, of course, the people around him, the board members who have been all through that journey with the club. I wasn’t born, but I’ve got people around me that can give me that history.”
The Loyal Luton Supporters’ Club has said its committee will not attend the game and urged members and the wider fanbase to boycott the fixture. For those who do go, the fan group has asked supporters not to spend money on merchandise, food, drinks or programmes inside the stadium.
Wilshere, meanwhile, said the scale of the travelling support – which is unusual in a league fixture – was a source of gratitude and reflected the connection the players had been working to build with the fanbase.
“I think about some of the away games last year. I’m not sure how many were there last weekend at Wycombe. But definitely they made it feel like we were playing at home,” he said.
“I think about Bolton last year. It was close to 6,000 there. But to say it doesn’t surprise me, it does surprise me all the time, hear that and people tell me that.
“But we’re really grateful for that because, on a personal level, to try and connect with the fans and build that connection was a big thing when I came here. Credit to the players for doing that and having to go through some tough times, but ultimately I think the fans can see a team that are really honest. We get it wrong sometimes, but we’re really honest and, yeah, we’re willing to fight and the players showed that all the time. [It’s] amazing support and hopefully we can send them home happy.”
Luton head into the fixture on the back of their 4-1 victory at Wycombe Wanderers, and Wilshere wants his players to start Saturday’s game with the same intensity.
He said: “We have to give them [fans] something from the start. I think the game against Wycombe we started the game really well, on the front foot. It’s something that we’ve been speaking about since last season.
“And then the same at half time as well. We almost see it as two different games. We were 2-0 up at half time, but we came out with the same mentality to score the next goal. We scored at a really good time. So, yeah, as much as fans are there and they support us. We also have to get behind and we definitely did that.”
1 Trackback / Pingback