Good afternoon and a very warm festive welcome to Kenilworth Road for our Boxing Day fixture against Wycombe Wanderers.
Firstly, I trust everyone had a happy and enjoyable day yesterday with your families and friends and hope you received a Luton Town gift in your stockings.
A special welcome to everyone who has made the short trip from Buckinghamshire, including Cauley Woodrow – who can’t play this afternoon as he’s still one of ours – and Fred Onyedinma. They are two great lads who we will always be grateful to for the part they played in our promotion to the Premier League.
Christmas football has always carried a special kind of magic, hasn’t it? For many of us, memories of Boxing Day are etched deeply into our love for this club. For me, Watford at their place in 1979 and Basher’s late header still shines brightly. There’s also Big Mick scoring the winner against Arsenal here in 1991 and, more recently, the 5-0 win at Swindon on our way to promotion in 2017.
However, the last time we played here on Boxing Day, against Norwich in 2022, it marked Rob Edwards’ first home game in charge and ended with Cauley’s late winner. What perhaps felt like just another dramatic moment at the time went on to spark our promotion run into life. That victory took us to 12th in the table with 33 points from 23 games. For comparison, as I write these prior to Thursday’s game at Reading, we sit seventh with 29 points from 20 games already played – a reminder that perspective matters, particularly at this time of year.
As we reflect on where we are, it would be remiss of me not to recognise the work Jack, Chris and the entire coaching staff have done with this group. The resilience shown in recent weeks has been clear for all to see. Coming from behind in four consecutive matches and suffering just one defeat in our last 12 in all competitions – counting Fleetwood on penalties as a draw – speaks volumes about the character within the squad.
We’ve seen that resilience most clearly in victories against Northampton, Stockport and Huddersfield, and in the second-half response against Bolton. There is a growing sense of what this group is capable of, particularly with some important players now on their way back from injury.
Clearly, we are all hungry for accelerated success, including our staff and players. But we recognise that any transition will come in phases and we’re in the middle of a process which, in time, I am very confident will see us challenging in the top six before too long.
Momentum is a fragile thing in football, but belief – when earned – can be powerful.
Away from the pitch, the past few weeks have once again reminded me what this football club truly represents, especially at this time of year. Players and staff visited Luton & Dunstable and Bedford Hospitals, and, for the first time, we were able to spend time at Keech Hospice as part of our Christmas visits. I also had the privilege of attending the annual Love Luton Awards recently, and evenings like that bring home just how much of an impact this club has across our town and beyond.
That sense of connection was further reinforced at the Luton Town Supporters’ Trust Meet the Players event in the Eric Morecambe Lounge last Sunday. Kal, Nahki, Teden, Josh and Jordan faced wide-ranging and challenging questions from members, but everyone left with the clear feeling that the supporters are behind this group and willing them on in their promotion push.
Kal, in particular, showed exactly what kind of leader he is. Not just in the way he handled being substituted at Leyton Orient, but in how he spoke that afternoon about his love for this club, the responsibility of the captaincy and his determination to lead us back to the Championship. Leadership isn’t only measured in 90-minute performances, it’s about accountability, humility and belief – and those qualities were evident to all in the room.
Further goodwill and encouragement came during a successful corporate partners event at packed out Eric Morecambe Lounge, where Jack and Chris spoke eloquently on their aims and ambitions going into the New Year.
I also wish to mention Chloe Sheppard, a young supporter of ours who bravely spoke about how video messages she received from Kal, Jordan and Tom Lockyer helped her through her treatment for leukaemia. I’m delighted to report that Chloe is now in remission. These are things our players do quietly, away from the spotlight and without expectation of recognition, but they mean the world to families and supporters like Chloe – and they say everything about the people we have at this Club.
With January now approaching, attention has inevitably turned to the transfer window. Integral work with Jack and Chris has begun on identifying their desires for improvement as the wider team works with the objective of improving our chances of gaining promotion this season.
As in every January window, we always highlight the caution of the winter window. It’s rarely an opening to good value acquisitions but sensible business can be achieved, as we’ve seen before. Last season we added seven players, more than any other January, of which five are valuable members of our current squad. Of course, we are also looking forward to specific players returning from injury during this period, which will feel like new additions too.
Meanwhile, I feel it’s important to address an unfortunate and important topic. Many of you may have seen the recent court outcome regarding the racist abuse Elijah received on social media in October 2024. The perpetrator was fined just £200, despite a year-long ordeal where Elijah gave several statements. Such a penalty hardly seems a meaningful deterrent.
The verdict contained no requirement for education, community service, or even an apology. Whilst the police are pursuing a potential football banning order, it's likely the offender continued to attend matches since committing the offence, as Elijah and others absorb the burden of that abuse.
Our club actively supports campaigns to eradicate all forms of discrimination from football, through practical action, messaging, and unwavering support for targeted players. However, outcomes like this feel incredulously disheartening. Looking ahead to 2026, it is vital that courts, social media companies, and those who believe they can freely abuse others take stronger action. Our players deserve far better.
And finally, looking forward to 2026 and beyond. A number of you have noticed some activity on Power Court leading up to the traditional annual festive break the construction industry enjoys. I’m happy to say that we took delivery of a rather sizeable piling rig and initiated the preliminary test piling before the Christmas break, which means we will continue piling at capacity upon everyone’s return in the new year. This heralds a timely and positive milestone as we enter 2026.
So, on this Boxing Day, as we gather once more at Kenilworth Road, let’s remember what makes this club special – resilience, humility, togetherness and care for one another.
Enjoy the game and get right behind the lads.
Merry Christmas and come on Luton!
Gary
