Official award-winning Matchday PrOgraMMe Of lutOn Town fOOtball club Issue 30 • £5 TALK OF TH TALK e TOWN • CHAMPION TOWN Zane Banton Jake Howells Andrew Parry David Viana Paul Benson Ryan Inniss Ian Rees Alex Wall Tinashe Chabata Elliot Justham Matt Robinson Shaun Whalley Anthony Charles Alex Lacey Luke Rooney John Still Mark Cullen Alex Lawless Pelly Ruddock Terry Harris s Hakan Hayrettin Joe Davis Brett Longden Jon Shaw e DITION • I Kane Ferdinand David Martin Charlie Smith Jf Wood Dave Fraser Franks Alfie Mawson Jonathan Smith Richardson Andre Gray Cameron McGeehan Jim Stevenson Simon Parsell Scott Griffiths Steve McNulty Solomon Taiwo David James SSUE Luke Guttridge Arnaud Mendy Luke Trotman Darren Cook 30 Ronnie Henry JJ O’Donnell sKRILL PReMIeR CHAMPIONs 2013/14 0254_YEARREVIEW_COVER.indd 1 21/05/2014 14:19 welcome TO KENILWORTH ROAD CHAMPIONES, CHAMPIONES, OLE, OLE, OLE LUTON TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB 2020 LTD What a season it has been! The Town have swept all before them with a Kenilworth Road Stadium, 1 Maple Road, stunning, record-breaking campaign that will live long in the memory but, Luton, Bedfordshire LU4 8AW most importantly, it has been a season that ensures the Hatters will be back Switchboard: 01582 411622 Ticket office: 01582 416976 “in the Football League in 2014/15. How good does that sound? [email protected] | www.lutontown.co.uk To celebrate and document the Hatters’ wonderful achievement, we give you this, a very special edition of Talk of the Town, that looks back on the CLUB OFFICIALS 2013/14 season that saw the Town lift the Conference title. CHAIRMAN: Nick Owen We’ve got all of Gareth Owen’s magnificent photographs from every single MANAGING DIRECTOR: Gary Sweet league and cup game, recording the season from its start in Southport to its DIRECTORS: Paul Ballantyne, David Blakeman, conclusion at Hyde. We’ve also got pictures from the celebrations in the town Bob Curson, David Wilkinson centre at the council’s fantastic civic reception and parade. ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS: Stephen Browne, And, if that wasn’t enough, we have exclusive interviews with those the Mike Herrick, Mick Pattinson matter, including John Still and members of the Town squad, whilst each FINANCE DIRECTOR: Roger Bannister HONORARY LIFE VICE PRESIDENT: John Buttle KEEP player was able to fill out a champions questions-and-answer form. VICE PRESIDENTS: Richard Banks, Cliff Bassett, We’ve got statistics, more photographs and reaction from you – the fans Jack Sapsworth, Rob Stringer – in the wake of what truly has been a season to remember. Flick forward to FIRST TEAM MANAGER: John Still page 137 to see if your comment made it in! ASSISTANT MANAGER: Terry Harris So that’s that- enjoy these pages and enjoy the summer and see you in FIRST TEAM COACH: Hakan Hayrettin League 2 in August! GOALKEEPING COACH: Jeff Wood #COYH #LutonAreBack FITNESS COACH: Dave Richardson CALM SQUAD COACH: David James PHYSIOTHERAPIST: Simon Parsell 4 the boss KIT MAN/MASSEUR: Darren Cook John Still reflects on the title-winning campaign YOUTH TEAM MANAGER: Paul Driver ” HEAD OF YOUTH: Wayne Turner HEAD OF YOUTH OPERATIONS: Marc Tracy 6 the chairman CLUB SECRETARY: Kevan Platt Nick Owen’s delight at the Hatters return to the Football League COMMERCIAL MANAGER: David Hoskins STADIUM MANAGER: Peter Kemp 8 how it happened HEAD GROUNDSMAN: Richard Bird A photographic look-back at the Town’s title-winning campaign RETAIL MANAGER: Mike Hooker WE’RE IN CATERING MANAGER: David Romans 118 a town comes together FINANCIAL CONTROLLER: Tania Buonpane Photographs from the civic reception and champions parade in PRESS OFFICER: Andrew Barringer Luton town centre CLUB DOCTOR: Dr Paul Dealey CLUB CHAPLAIN: Alan West 122 from the dressing room OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME The Hatters players and staff give their thoughts on a season EDITOR: Andrew Barringer to remember LEAGUE 2! PHOTOGRAPHY: Gareth Owen CONTRIBUTORS: Andrew Barringer, Simon Pitts 137 supporter reaction and Mike Simmonds The best tweets and Facebook messages from Hatters fans on PRINT: Bartham Group social media DESIGN: Heather Ellis - Relish Design 142 the champions’ log The views in this programme are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Statistics, fixtures and results from the Town’s wonderful season editor and/or Luton Town. 2 www.lutontown.co.uk facebook.com/lutontown @LTFC_Official #Champions Welcome 3 the manager JOHN STILL Well, where do I start? What a fantastic season. On the flip-side of the coin, there were the gritty A wonderful journey which cumulated in the displays at Macclesfield, Barnet and Cambridge, whilst league title and promotion for this club back to the the home win over Barnet – in the worst conditions Football League. I’ve ever seen in my career – showed all the qualities Our last home match of the season against Forest required to be champions. Green was important for so many reasons, not least I would like to thank, wholeheartedly, the contributions because we wanted to end our campaign at Kenilworth of all the players. Their effort and determination in Road in style. training has pushed others on. So, to the whole squad, a But the manner of the performance typified the massive well done. players’ attitude throughout the season. To go a goal As I’ve said in some interviews, the board’s support down and bounce back to win 4-1 was terrific and it of me has been absolutely first class. It gave me real was the perfect lead-up to the very special celebrations delight to see the smiles on their faces when promotion afterwards that saw us handed the championship trophy. was confirmed. Determination I know it means a great, great deal to all of those involved. A big thanks for their support – and for The celebrations of that day will live long in my employing me in the first place! memory. Indeed the whole season will be etched in the The support from the terraces has been one of the memories of the players and staff and, of course, you biggest highlights of this incredible nine months. the supporters. Having been crowned champions on I think everyone was aware of how much it grew as the a day when we were not playing – and with still three season progressed, and once we came through some games to play – I must take my hat off to the players for early-season adversity it was a snowball effect. It got remaining professional in the pursuit of records. bigger and bigger and bigger and I wonder how much it To then go and show the determination to break them can still grow. The only way is up. by winning 100 points and scoring 100 points is a real testament to this group of young men. Winning the Belief league is fantastic – it was, naturally, the first thing we I don’t particularly want to look too far forward but the wanted to achieve, but to break as many records as we work will continue and it will be done so using the same did added a little bit of cream to what we accomplished. philosophy, the same belief and the same work ethic. The outpouring of emotion of this season’s This club can keep progressing but needs to do so in achievement has been truly unbelievable and the scenes the right way. The right way has proved to be okay this after the Welling, Forest Green and Hyde matches are season. things I will never forget. I’m sure this is also the case In closing I think it would be wrong not to touch on the for my hard-working staff and the players. Winning titles fantastic occasion we enjoyed in Luton town centre for does not happen every day so this season is one to the civic reception and the open-top bus celebrations. cherish and treasure. Some people told me what to expect but I never It is difficult to summarise the whole season but this expected to see so many people – what a fabulous day. is how I see it: We started slowly but steadily picked up We were fortunate weather-wise and it will be one of steam and hit a rich vein of form where we were scoring those things that will stay with me forever. goals at will. It was fantastic to be involved in and even Now, though, is the time for us all to enjoy the summer more exciting to watch. break and look forward to the next step on the ladder I think if I had to pick a highlight, I’d plump for either next season. Alfreton away or Kidderminster, Wrexham and Hereford at home. Those performances are up there with the best. 4 Manager John Still is sponsored by: Thompsons Accountants and Country Properties (Hitchin) 01462 452951 www.lutontown.co.uk facebook.com/lutontown @LTFC_Official #Champions Manager 5 boardroom WITH CHAIRMAN NICK OWEN HONOURS I’ll never forget Looking back now, it is almost unthinkable that we Skrill Premier Champions that brilliant day could have suffered so much as a football club. 2013/14 in October 2006 Thanks to a small group of determined long standing when we thrashed supporters who got together in those darkest hours and Littlewoods Challenge Cup: Leeds United 5-1 in invested substantial amounts of either time or cash or Winners 1988, Runners-up 1989 the Championship both, Luton Town Football Club is now forging back to the FA Cup: in front of 10,000 Promised Land - leaner, hungrier, stronger and wiser. Runners-up 1959 jubilant fans at We will, of course, never forget the draconian penalties Semi-finalists 1959, 1985, 1988, 1994 Kenilworth Road and that could so easily have hammered us into oblivion, were thinking about but right now we can at last look forward, not back, and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy: possibly going up to luxuriate in a tide of hope, optimism and sheer joy at our Winners 2009 the Premier League.