Preview: Southend United V Luton Town

THE BLUES

A game we have to win. Oh no, not that again, but look at the fixtures for the rest of the month, we need points to make up on the top six, especially if the league give Leeds back a few, if we do not get three against the struggling Hatters, then it could be a long month. In this week of good news re the new stadium, if not Captain Kev's proposed loan move to the Gills, we need to see the Southend of Leeds, not the lot that turned up at Millwall and Cheltenham. I'm confident we will, 2-0!

It has been confirmed that we will be without Che Wilson after the full-back was ruled out for the rest of the season. The former Norwich defender has been forced to undergo surgery on a troublesome Achilles injury this week. On-loan Reading midfielder Hal Robson-Kanu has recovered from a hamstring strain and should be available after returning to training on Monday. However, Saturday's clash comes too soon for Alex Revell, who is continuing with his rehabilitation after a hernia operation while fellow frontman Charlie MacDonald is back in training after overcoming an ankle injury. Damien Scannell scored on his return to the reserves and should be on the bench.

With Captain Kev presumably sacrificed on the altar on youth will it be the two goal reserve hero Moose or loanne Anthony Grant that gets the nod to play with in-form Nick Bailey, replacing two-game suspended Macca, who picked up his 10th booking v Cheltenham. An important choice as there will be a tougher test awaiting the squad only 72 hours later when Notts. Forest hit town.

THE OPPOSITION

Not a great time to be a Luton Town supporter, see The History below, as the side look doomed to a second succesive relegation after being forced into administration and joining Bournemouth in suffering a ten point deduction. Now in 23rd position on 25 points, eleven points from safety, the Hatters fans will be looking to a new board to start the comeback from League Two in August. (We even beat their reserves 4-0 in the week, the Moose with two, Scannell on his return and Liptak, the scorers.)

A fair home record, they have struggled away from Kenilworth Road with one win all season. Apart from Millwall with nine Luton are the lowest away scorers in League One with eleven, letting in twenty-two.

In a dreadful run that started after a 1-0 home win v Yeovil on New Year's Day, 13 cup and league games have come and gone with only three draws amongst that lot. (Though one of those was a 1-1 draw with five times Euro champs Liverpool in the cup, followed by a 0-5 defeat in the replay!)

In Sam Parkin, ex-Blue loannee Dean Morgan and 39 year old Paul Furlong, a target of a cheeky loan bid from Wycombe Wanderers this week and is still Luton's top scorer with 12 goals, they have players who could punish us if minds wander at the back as they tend to do.

Luton manager Mick Harford will welcome back midfielder Steve Robinson. Robinson has missed the last two games through suspension but is in contention to return. Left-back Lewis Emanuel could also come back into the frame after his groin injury while Sam Parkin has fully recovered from his recent illness and is fit enough to start. Stephen O'Leary has missed training with his own bout of illness but could be healthy enough to feature while Darren Currie (knee) and Don Hutchison (leg) made appearances for the reserves in midweek and could return to the squad. Richard Langley (broken leg) and Paul Underwood - who is approaching two years out of action - remain long-term absentees while Paul Peschisolido has been ruled out for the season with an ankle injury.

THE MATCHES

Played 66: WON 19 DRAWN 16 LOST 31

Certainly the coldest match of the season when we lost at their place 0-1 on Nov. 24 07, a Harry missed penalty the 'highlight' for the Blues. Before that, taking away success in the cups, a 3-0 home win in the LDV R3, when Constantine, Kightly and Broughton all scored, and a FA Cup R1 3-2 victory at the Hall on Nov. 17 01, Rawle and Bramble(2) the scorers, we have not beaten Luton on the league since March 11 1995! That was a 3-0 victory in the old Division One, JonesG, Thompson and Dublin grabbed the goals that day.

Since then there we have gone seven league games without a win, only a goaless draw on Dec. 15 06 in there amongst six defeats. A change of luck needed here then, especially after the last home game on April 28 2007 saw us relegated from the Championship by the already relegated Luton 1-3, Bradbury with the consolation.

THE HISTORY

Created by the merger of Luton Wanderers and Luton Excelsior in 1885, they were one of the founder members of the Southern League in 1894, and were the first professional football club in the South of England. Arthur Taylor of Bedford, who played for the Club from 1885 until 1894, was their first professional captain in the 1891-92 season.

Luton Town applied for membership of the Football League in 1896, joining in 1897 but resigned from the League in 1900 to re-join the Southern League. They moved to their Kenilworth Road grounds in 1905.

They are nicknamed The Hatters due to the historical association of the town with the hat making trade. The club competes in the League 1 division in the 2007-08 season, following their relegation from Football League Championship just two seasons after winning promotion. They are currently managed by Luton Town legend Mick Harford, who has been appointed until the end of the 2007/08 season.

The club is fondly remembered by many for David Pleat's running across the Maine Road pitch in May 1983, following Luton's successful triumph over relegation. They won their first piece of major silverware in 1988, when they won the League Cup, under the management of Ray Harford.

Luton are one of a relatively small number of teams to have played in all four divisions of the Football League. Rarer still is the fact that Luton have achieved this twice, and are only two promotions away from doing it a third time. Their most recent spell as a top division club was from 1982 to 1992. They then fell through the leagues and were relegated to the basement division again in 2001.

The start of the 2006/07 season saw club captain Kevin Nicholls move to Leeds United for £700,000, and top scorer for the last five seasons Steve Howard move to Derby County for £1 million. Mike Newell assured supporters that replacements would be made with the funds generated, and Adam Boyd was signed for £500,000 from Hartlepool United soon after. Other players coming in to Luton in the pre-season include Richard Langley on a free transfer from QPR, Sam Parkin for £340,000 from Ipswich Town and Lewis Emanuel on a free transfer from Bradford City. Trinidad & Tobago winger Carlos Edwards was sold to Sunderland for £1.5 million on the second day of the January transfer window. The winger was signed on a free and a £1.5 million profit was one manager Newell couldn't turn down. On 11 January 2007, Luton sold forward Rowan Vine for £2.5m to Birmingham. It was proposed that if Birmingham gained promotion in the 2006-07 season that Luton Town would receive a further £500,000, however this was cancelled as the club were relegated.

Following a letter Newell sent to the board of directors on 14 March 2007 asking many questions of the board, one of which is believed to be an exact break-down of the finances made through the sales of five key first-team players amongst other questions. This letter followed up Newell's interview after the home defeat to Hull City on 13 March, 2007 in which Newell criticised the lack of funds given to him following the player exodus and also told the surrounding journalists that they should be investigating what is happening at the club. On 15 March, 2007 two directors from the board decided to sack Newell for gross misconduct following his comments.

Following this, both Martin King and Liam Day, the supporters trust's representative, resigned from the board, feeling the process was undemocratic. Newell has hinted that he will challenge the decision. First-team coach Brian Stein was then appointed caretaker manager before Kevin Blackwell's appointment on March 27. Luton's relegation to League One was confirmed on 20 April in a 1-0 defeat away to Derby County, before they eventually finished 23rd in the league following Leeds United's descent into administration, resulting in a ten-point reduction.

Following a spontaneous protest following Ipswich Town's second goal in their 2-0 victory at Kenilworth Road on 17 March, in which Luton supporters chanted "Sack the board" and "Where's the money gone", the board published a financial report on 19 March. This report failed to specify income generated outside of player sales and showed how the player budget began to spiral out of control, rising yearly despite the continual sale of the higher earners at the club. Following this confidential details from Newell's contract were alleged by board member Derek Peter, such as Newell receiving, what is stipulated as, 10% of the transfer fees.

On 11 April, Chairman Bill Tomlins resigned following an investigation by the Football Association into irregular payments made by the Football Club's parent company J10. Tomlins resigned as a director of both companies also, and confirmed that illegal payments had been made to incoming player's agents.

Following the speculation, David Pinkney was confirmed as the new Chairman of the club on 13 April, promising to build a new stadium many miles outside the town. Prior to the start of this season, Luton Town made a large number of changes both on and off the pitch. Players in consisted of David Edwards from Shrewsbury Town, who was shortly followed by Alan Goodall of Rochdale. Darren Currie came in from Ipswich Town, Paul Furlong from QPR, Chris Perry from West Bromwich Albion, Don Hutchison from Coventry City, Paul McVeigh from Norwich City, and Richard Jackson and Paul Peschisolido both from Derby County. Players out were Leon Barnett who was sold to West Brom for £2.5 million, Kevin Foley who was bought by Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) for a fee believed to be around £1.2 million, and Russell Perrett, Michael Leary, Peter Holmes and Markus Heikkinen, all of whom were released or whose contract had expired. Additionally Marlon Beresford, Sol Davis and Adam Boyd were all placed on the transfer list, although Davis was listed at his own request. Boyd was later released by the club by mutual contract termination, moving to Leyton Orient.

Off the pitch, Brian Stein, Marvin Johnson, Mark Ridgeway, Steve Sedgley, Jon Bowden and John Murray were relieved of their staff or board positions. Sam Ellis was bought in as Assistant Manager, John Carver took over from Stein as first team coach, Jon Edmondson was appointed as Head Physiotherapist, Harry Stackman as Physiotherapist, Neil Lewis joined as a Sport Scientist, and Chris Cummins became Director Of Youth.

The club went into administration on 22 November with Pinkney stating he would fund the club's overheads. Luton started the season disappointingly, lying in the wrong half of the table by mid-October after a host of inconsistent performances. This was epitomised in their second round Johnstone's Paint Trophy game against Gillingham, where they conceded 3 goals in the final 20 minutes of the match, to go crashing out 4-3. However, they continued their recent trend of delivering memorable cup ties, by producing the big shock of the 2nd round of the League Cup by beating Sunderland 3-0 at home, and then beating Charlton 3-1, also at home, to remain the only side outside of the top two divisions going into the 4th round where they were defeated 1-0 by Everton, again at home, in a close encounter that went into Extra Time.

In late November the club entered administration once again, and so 10 points were deducted from the club as punishment. However, this saw the team group together as they went through a period of playing without receiving any pay. A FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest enabled the administrator to pay a fraction of the players wages, as the club would be playing Premier League side Liverpool. Live on Sky Sports, the Hatters forced a well deserved replay at Anfield, in a game that saw the League One side push Liverpool all the way. Yet on the Friday before the replay, manager Kevin Blackwell and his assistants Sam Ellis and John Carver, announced their intention to resign from the club on the 9th February, 2008 after the Administrator had sold captain Chris Coyne to Colchester United and midfielder David Edwards to Wolves for £350,00 and £675,000 respectively.

After the 5-0 drubbing at Anfield, the management team of Blackwell, Ellis and Carver were all sacked by the administrator, who had earlier awarded preferred bidder status to a bid fronted by Nick Owen, called Luton Town FC 2020. Blackwell was replaced by Mick Harford, with Warren Neill as his assistant, until the end of the current season.

On 15 January 2008, the administrator awarded "preferred bidder" status to Luton Town FC 2020, a consortium headed by Nick Owen. They were given until the end of February to agree a deal with the club's creditors.

On 26 February 2008, the Luton Town FC 2020 consortium had their bid for the club conditionally accepted by the administrator. This meant that they are now custodians of the club until the bid is finalised by the football league and that the consortium will be in full control of the Luton Town Football Club until the end of the season.

(Thanks to the usual suspects for all their help with this article)