The Trust Interview... Wayne Turner, Head of Academy Development

Apprentice, player, coach, assistant manager, academy manager and now Head of Academy Development – and a Lutonian through and through – Wayne Turner is a legend in Luton Town circles, and we were delighted that he took time out from his busy schedule (he’s a family man and grandpops too!) to talk to the Trust.

Hi Wayne, let’s start by you telling us a bit about yourself…

I was born in Luton, brought up in the Lewsey area and played a lot of football from when I was young. We didn’t have a lot of money so my first boots were cut-downs that made me look like Coco the Clown and my nan bought me my first kit – Luton colours – but she got them the wrong way round, black top, white shorts, black socks – so my mates in the park laughed and called me a ref! I didn’t get to watch games as I was always playing but when I did my early heroes were Jimmy Johnson at Celtic with his jinks and shimmies – I was a winger then – and George Best, as I liked Manchester United, and watched the 1968 European Cup winning team on TV. The first game I saw at Kenilworth Road was Luton versus Fulham in 1976 with Best, Bobby Moore and Rodney Marsh playing.

I was playing for Luton Schoolboys under Dave Morton and three of us from Challney School signed up as apprentices at Luton. There’s not many Luton born and bred who have gone on to play regularly for the first team – me, Mitchell Thomas, Kingsley Black in my time, Kerry Dixon – another Challney boy, who came the long way round! – and recently James Justin who has gone on to be having a fantastic career. I went to school with his dad, Mick, another Lewsey lad and a brilliant person – sadly no longer with us.

All my early years, from as young as eight, I was involved in the building trade with my dad and my older brother Gary. I did that every summer when I was a Luton apprentice and for a further three years as a full-time pro. Learning that stood me in good stead for the whole of my working life.

What made that brilliant David Pleat team you were part of tick? What was training like back then?

Training was a bit different then than now, where we have fantastic facilities for the first team and the academy at The Brache. We were based at Kenilworth Road, used to meet there to get changed and then it was onto the bus to go training wherever we could beg, steal or borrow some grass to play on – the Vauxhall ground, the public parks at Ely Way and Pope’s Meadow, wherever we could find. It was a magical mystery tour every day with everyone scrambling for seats on the bus, that was always a laugh! When the weather turned bad, we would try to get into the sports centre at Stopsley. The coach at the time, David Coates, had a brilliant, simple but strict, two-touch philosophy. The 80’s team could pass the ball so well because of the way we passed in training. You’d be in the five-a-side gym and rotating in groups, you couldn't score from a rebound off the wall and you couldn't pass the ball off the wall, so you had to make angles and pass it. We did the same in the gym under the Oak Road end where we had the swing ball for heading and head tennis and more two-touch training.

Another thing that made that team so good was the system we played, playing wonderful triangle football. As a full-back I had a winger outside me, David Moss, who was outstanding. I call that system 4- 3 ½ - 2 ½. I loved it, and it’s always been one of my favourites as a coach. We did that and we became one of the best Luton teams ever.

How did your career progress at Luton?

I was seen as a handy utility player and was mostly used as a left-back, which was not really my position. I wasn’t lightning quick, though I could run all day – so I had to be smart to try to block out the angles. I ended up being perceived by some fans as a weak point in the team and used to get some real stick from sections of the crowd.

In my role now, I do a presentation at the start of the season to the under-16s coming into the club. I tell them that up to that date, they’re probably the best players in the playground and 90 per cent of the reason they’re coming into the building is their ability, with 10 per cent mental strength and dedication and desire. The minute they’re in the building it flips to 90 per cent mental strength, desire and application and 10 per cent ability because if you don't have the mentality to release your ability you've got no chance. That’s what I encourage with our young players – and the current group are very receptive.

There are many players who take an easy way out though, and don't make their potential, but when I was on the receiving end of that negativity in the early years I turned to my determination and self-belief. You’re going to be judged when you’re playing in a team with top players, at the top level, and I had to be massively mentally strong. But I don’t regret any of it as it gave me a great understanding for the rest of my life. It’s helped me in everything I've ever done, in football and in my development business too.

However, I wasn’t really progressing fully for those first couple of years, going in and out of the team, so David Pleat sent me out on loan to Lincoln, under his great friend Colin Murphy. I was there for four months, and we went from third from bottom to third from top. I had a great run of first-team football, then came back to Luton and played seven of the last nine games of our brilliant 1981/82 promotion season. We ended up as clear champions but I didn’t get a medal as I hadn’t played enough games at the time – that’s changed these days. I was hoping that Lincoln would go up as I had played enough for them and, while our promotion party was going on at the Town Hall, I was sitting in my car listening to their final game against Fulham, which they needed to win. They drew, finished third and I got no medal there either!

I came back to Luton and I was still trying to win the crowd over. But then, luckily, Nobby Horton left and I got to play regularly in midfield, which is where I wanted to play all along, and the fans got to see a better version of Wayne Turner.

That was the 1984/85 season wasn’t it?

Yes. In our first season back in the top division in 1982/83, we had established ourselves as one of the most exciting teams in the country. We played some incredible fearless football – 3-3 at Liverpool, 4-4 at Stoke, lots of goals and, of course, that last day drama at Maine Road, and we’d built on that over the next couple of seasons.

So, in 1984/85 we had the FA Cup run with three games in a week against Watford. I scored the winner in the third one and suddenly I was the hero, which I have to say I found quite difficult with the adulation after the criticism. Then there was the notorious Millwall game – dodging seats being thrown during the warm-up, trying to take a corner while surrounded by their fans on the pitch, but we won and were into that semi-final against Everton at Villa Park. They hadn’t lost in over 20 games up to that semi-final, they were on an incredible winning streak and we took them to the wire. It was heartbreaking, so many turning points from bad refereeing decisions like the free-kick that should never have been leading to their extra-time winner. But there was a moment before the game I’ll never forget. I went out to look at the pitch an hour before kick-off. I looked around and the end is full of Luton fans, 7,000 I think it holds. I put my hand up to wave and the whole place erupted. It still makes me tingle today. I turned around and there’s nobody else there on the pitch. It was only me and I got that amazing reception, which was mind-blowing when you think of what I've been through before. That was an incredible feeling.

Our cup run came to an end and soon my time as a Luton player did too. David had signed Peter Nicholas, he was Wales captain and even though I’d had my best season, it wasn’t quite good enough. I’d wanted a new two-year deal, but David said no, not for me.

So I got a move to Coventry, a two-year deal on the money I’d wanted at Luton plus a signing-on fee, all sorted in a 10-minute conversation with Coventry, after eight years at Luton. It was surreal. I never wanted to move. I’d turned my career around at Luton and was looking forward to the next season, and it was all gone. I remember driving home after signing and shedding a tear or two. I didn't want to leave Luton but Coventry was actually a great move. I stayed in the top division, became their captain, but then I unfortunately got two serious injuries and, after 13 months, I was moving on again. A new manager had come in and everything changed. The sad thing was starting that season as captain on the team photo and then at the end they won the FA Cup and I was the only one from that picture not still there. So that’s another medal I didn’t get!

What got you into coaching?

I spent four more years playing – at Brentford, then Barnet – before hanging my boots up and then I was invited back to Luton by David Pleat as a coach, initially with the reserves, then the first team. I’d got my A licence coaching badge, the highest you could get, in the early 90s – I was one of the first to get that, alongside Steve McLaren. I moved on to assistant manager at Wycombe, then Peterborough with Barry Fry – we won one of the last play-off finals at the old Wembley, the weekend before it was demolished. I’m proud of that!

I ended up back at Luton for seven happy years, as a volunteer for three of them from 2009, then part-time between 2012 and 2015 – protecting the 103 young players we had under our wings from being snapped up by other clubs, as when we were in the National League we couldn’t sign them up on contracts. I was also doing development work with my building company very successfully.

I’ve always wanted to be involved with football but could never be blackmailed into a job for the money as I had my outside interests. That gave me a sense of independence and strength.

I’d like to say here something fans should maybe think of when they’re getting onto players’ backs – it can really affect their confidence, and the teams’.  Young players might hold back from making those momentary decisions that make all the difference because they’re nervous of making a mistake when every failed pass or tackle, or positioning, gets a negative reaction. So just bear that in mind when venting your frustrations.

I know that because I went through it but luckily I was mentally very strong enough to come out the other side. And if I was strong, Jack Wilshere must be 100 times that because you don’t play for Arsenal and England, and survive all those serious injuries, without being incredibly resilient between the ears. Jack and his staff are working so hard and doing a great job on the training ground turning things around, but it will take time to get things exactly the way he wants it. His support for the Academy is incredible too, using our young players in training and giving them experience with the first team squad. It’s a delight to witness that in my role as Head of Academy Development, where I work part-time supporting Paul Benson, Academy Manager, and mentoring the coaches – Alex, Joe, Ronnie, Jack and Ben, who are doing an outstanding job.

It was always going to be incredibly tough dropping down into the Championship after living the dream in the Premier League – everyone in football knows that, and we’ve had lots of setbacks and two changes of manager trying to sort out the hangover. But if we’re strong and stick together to fully support Jack and his team, we’ll get back to where we belong. I’m sure of that.

And finally, what are your thoughts about Power Court?

I love Kenilworth Road, of course, but Power Court is such a massive thing for this club. I’ve had 27 years with Luton Town off and on, and been in the building game all that time too. I’ll happily put my hard hat on once again as it’s getting towards opening day to look after all the stadium snagging!

Me and the family will be proudly taking our seats to watch the Town at our new home and we’ll be at Wembley, too, in a few weeks’ time – along with a huge following of Luton fans. Let’s all make the most of that day and hopefully add another bit of silverware. Speaking of which, I haven’t told you yet about the time when the late Graham Taylor approached me about joining ‘the club without a trophy cabinet’ as a coach… now, that was a strange one, maybe for another day…

Fantastic! Thanks Wayne – you had so many anecdotes and experiences that we could only fit a few in, so let’s do this again!