The traditional English club Luton Town is submitted from the Premier League into the third division. How could it get that far?
It was less than twelve months ago that Luton Town and Nottingham Forest fought against the relegation in the Premier League. Forest saved himself, kept the class with a six -point lead over Luton. The “Hatters” had to go to the second -class championship.
Since then, the paths of both teams could not have moved away from each other. While Forest is fighting to move into the Champions League, Luton Town caught it again.
Jordan Clark gets off with Luton Town
After a 3: 5 against West Bromwich Albion on the 46th and last matchday of the Championship, the descent to the League One was determined. As a fourth team since the Premier League was founded, the team from league one to three was given.
Two years ago in the football sky
But how could it get that far? In May 2023 the club seemed to have arrived at its zenith. After a dramatic victory in the penalty shootout in the playoff final against Coventry City, Luton reached the Premier League for the first time.
And that, in 2009 due to illegal financial transactions, had a record deduction of 30 points and in the meantime disappeared from the first four leagues.
But through hard work and four ascents in nine years, the “Hatters” succeeded in returning to the first class after 31 years – which was a great success, but also a great challenge. The association’s structures were not sufficient to keep up with the giants of the Premier League.
Missing structures in Luton
The Kenilworth Road Stadium, known for the fact that an entrance borders directly on a wall of the house, was representative of it.
The entrance directly on a wall of the house
After the descent, Luton missed to adapt to the enormous changeover of Premier League to Championship. With 46 game days, the second division is extremely exhausting, the quality of the teams is high. “I don’t think we were ready to cope with it,” said a member of the supporter Trust.
In addition, the departures, such as that of the former English international Ross Barkley or by wing player Chiedozie Ogbene, could not be collected. “Ross was impossible to replace,” said Lutons Chief Executive Gary Sweet at The Athletic : “He is a premier League player and does not exist in the championship.”
Capture remains unknown
Nevertheless, the team of promotion coach Rob Edwards was one of the favorites to go back to the season directly. But it quickly became clear that this plan had to be placed. Luton only won three victories from the first ten games, didn’t win a single game from late December to early March – and found himself in the last place twelve game days before the end.
In January, coach Edwards was released and replaced by Matt Bloomfield. “It was heartbreaking,” said Sweet: “We loved Rob for what he did for this football club, and we wanted to keep it here for a long time.” Bloomfield was also unable to tear the helm around despite a catch -up and 24 points in the last 20 games.
How to continue in the League One? “We have a plan that will be fully active from now on,” said Sweet. One of the keys is said to be a new stadium project, which is to be financed, among other things, through the income from the Premier League season: “Everything we do is to reorganize us as a football club and as a football team.”
This should now be started. Luton last played in the third division in 2018/2019, and in the end – of course – the promotion followed.