Luton Town FC.Merger with Wimbledon ??

[Mandrill]

Don't know if anyone has read about this but it's a total mess at Luton Town at the moment...

A mystery consortium brought the club about 2 weeks ago and promptly sacked Kinnier and his assistant Mick Harford ..by post.This caused uproar with the fans and no reason was given untill yesterday when the new owner said that Kinner/Harford's wage's were too much for the club to afford to keep them on....

Before this anouncment the club had asked the supporters to vote on the club's website for who they wanted as manager :nuts:

Latest is that Kinnier was offered his job back ..he refused Harford has been offered hi job back he has yet to decide and the Chairmen and vice Chairmen appointed by the mystery consortium have both decided to decline the offer's after the hostile reception they have recieved from the fan's.

The club have also failed to pay the player's on time this month amid reports that the PFA have been asked to help with the wages.The club have also called off there pre season friendlys in Scotland

[Fat Bloke]

Is your ground worth anything as property?

Sounds a bit worrying to me. Especially if they have only just taken over the club but are already having trouble paying the wages.

[Mandrill]

Originally posted by Fat Bloke
Is your ground worth anything as property?

Sounds a bit worrying to me. Especially if they have only just taken over the club but are already having trouble paying the wages.

I don't actually support Luton but as I live in Luton this has been all ove the Local paper's and Radio :)

But no they don't own the ground they sold it to the council and rent it.They have been trying to build a new ground for year's but have had problems getting planning permission for a ground next to Junction 10 of the M1.

Even if they owned the ground it would'ent be worth much its a small groundbuilt literally in the middle of rows of houses.To get into the away end you walk through a gate built in between two houses

[pillima]

Luton Town ... David Pleat ... Argh!!!!!

Sorry had to get that off my chest. BWOE City fan you know.

Seriously though I don't like to see any club in this sort of trouble.
Good luck to all you hatters.

[smiller]

Originally posted by Mandrill
Even if they owned the ground it would'ent be worth much its a small groundbuilt literally in the middle of rows of houses.To get into the away end you walk through a gate built in between two houses

Ahh, memories. Used to go a lot a few years back, a lot of my family still do and are obviously most upset by these events.

The favourite explanation at one point was that a consortium of Watford fans had bought the club and were going to put Terry Fenwick in charge to ensure the club dropped out of the Football League asap :nuts:

The cloud of secrecy is most worrying :(

[Mandrill]

Another Twist in the tale...






Kinnear kicked out by 'visitor'
Rob Lancaster - 4 Jun 2003 11:25




LUTON TOWN have added a further twist to the sacking of Joe Kinnear and Mick Harford by claiming the firing was done by a 'visitor'.
Northampton Town commercial director Peter Miller signed the dismissal letters on a visit to the Bedfordshire club.

Now a statement has been released explaining these actions were not the wishes of the new owners of Luton.

"The club regrets the actions of Mr Peter Miller who on a brief visit to the club from Northampton Town, took it upon himself to dismiss the club's manager and assistant manager."

The statement, released on the club's official website, also suggested the new owners were looking to bring Kinnear back.

"The club is doing its best to rectify this situation. It has offered Mick Harford a further one-year contract and is in discussion with Joe Kinnear about a possible return.

"The club is committed to the democratic process, however, and any return would have to be subject to selection through the polling system that is currently in place.

"Irretrievable harm has been done to this club by the actions of Mr Miller and we cannot comment further on this because of pending legal action."






:suspect: :suspect:

[NezB]

Wasn't Lee Power (former Norwich Striker) one of the guys brought in but then changed his mind??? :confused:

[Euripedes]

Whoever is running this shower make the Villa Board look like professionals.

All the best to the Luton Town supporters in their protests to get their club back.

[andybhoy]

I've always had a real soft spot for Luton, ever since the days of Mick Harford, Brian Stein and Mike Newell. I hope they get sorted; and back above watford where they belong =D

[Mandrill]

Apparantly there are now talks to merge Luton and Wimbledon together.:nuts:

The guy who sacked Kinnier and Hardford apparantly wasnt supposed too and was working with out the autherization of the owners.This means if proven to be true that Kinnier and Harford are still employed by the club in the eyes of the FA...

The new owner's, who still have yet to identify themselves want to change the name to London Luton (like the airport) as they plan to build the new ground near to the airport and build a carpark there for people using the airport..

With the talk of the Wimbledon Merger I wonder what the outlook is for that project.Would Luton move to MK in the new ground Wimbledon is building..which after seeing picture's look's very nice.Or will Wimbledon move to Luton.

To me look's like a merger benifits all.Wimbledon merge with Luton this I would imagine would make Luton/Wimbledon a first division club/.Wimbledon have few fan's a merger would mean the Luton fan's would then effectivley become their fanbase...

Luton and Wimbledon are not like Man city and Man U merging thier not really rivals as such and I could'ent see the Luton fans being too opposed to it and it would be closer to London for the Wimbledon fan's.

Obviously it's not a traditional approach and in an ideal world this kind of thing would'ent happen but both club's are broke and risk going out of existence both have no ground and no money and this could be the only way for them to survive...

Of course this is just speculation right now so we will have to wait and see how it play's out


On Tuesday 10 June 2003, a full report will be produced based on the work done inside the club over the past 2 weeks by myself and a group of consultants. That report will answer all the questions currently being asked, and many more besides. The report will be a bulky document that will be hard reading but it is basically about how we turn the present bankrupt club in to the largest football club in the country. Yes I hear everyone laughing and I would have been laughing with them until I understood the facts.


Luton has a unique opportunity to make the club one of THE forces in football. The question everyone will be asking is how? This is a very brief outline. When the full report is published, I and other professionals will be available to answer all media and supporters’ questions and we hope install new confidence in the club and its stewardship.

We apologise for appearing to go to ground. The Club is currently bankrupt and we had a lot to do to prove that Luton could be viable. We initially left the football side of the club to Peter Miller and his team and we accept they could not have made a bigger mess of it if they tried. Again a full account of this is in the report and all I would say at this stage is that we got it wrong and we are very sorry. That left me to take on the football side as well as the development and commercial sides

We would love to have Joe and Mick back working with us to make a success of Luton. We are, however, fully committed to the democratic election of the manager. The nomination process has now finished and some outstanding names have been put forward. Despite the gloom and doom merchants’ forecast that the choice would be between Donald Duck and Alex Ferguson, the process has been very productive. Cherry Newbery received as many nominations for the manager’s job as Alex Ferguson did. It has produced very good quality nominations from all around the world. Few would be the surprised that Joe and Mick are slightly ahead of all the other candidates but please accept that this is being done to raise the profile of the club and the results so far are outstanding. They are much better than we anticipated with more 50 names being put forward. Nominations include Mike Newell, Gardner Speirs, Terry Fenwick, Iain Dowie, Bruce Rioch, Nigel Clough, Jan Molby, Steve Coppell, John Hollins, Stuart Pearce, Alan Ball, Gudjon Thordarson, Brian Stein, Paul Parker, Kevin Blackwell, Danny Wilson etc etc


Next week, eight names will go forward for voting. Obviously Joe and Mick’s names will be there together with some other really outstanding candidates. At the end of next week, we will take the three candidates with the most votes and form a shortlist. The club will agree terms in advance with all three candidates so that if they are elected, they will be appointed. There will be a function for season ticket holders immediately after votes close to appoint the winning manager. The candidates we have talked to have all said they are willing to participate fully in the process


Our problem will come next week if Joe should be on the short list and refuses to agree terms and come back. We cannot then put him on the short list. I would urge 10,000 fans to vote for Joe this week. Yes the calls cost a little bit of money but so do the calls to Sky, the BBC etc. The club is not making a fortune out of this but if Joe receives an overwhelming vote I can then go to him and show him the results and use these votes to solve the one remaining problem - the cost of Joe.</P><P>Because of the publicity we have received over the last two weeks I have sponsors’ offers to pay the wages of Joe and Mick. This is not one sponsor but a small group who want Joe and Mick to return on the back of popular demand for the good of Luton Town Football Club. If anyone wants to join this cause, please contact Peter Davis at the Club o 01582 411622


Joe and Mick, we got it wrong- please come back if the fans vote you back

Whatever, we will have a new manager in two weeks time and let’s make the coronation of whoever it is a rip-roaring success. Let’s make it a positive media event for Luton Town. We have had enough negative media

The manager next year has a squad of 18 retained players and we have agreed terms this week for Peter Holmes to re-sign. This brings us to 19 players. The football staff of the club are desperately trying to recruit a goalkeeper, a wide player and a left-sided midfielder to add to the squad for next season. These will be quality signings and if they can get another striker as well they will. These signings will take the squad to 22/23 players, which will not leave a lot of room for the new manager to add players to the squad, which will be based largely on last year’s team. Transfer windows are also a problem and we obviously need to make up the squad numbers quickly


Much has been made of the club’s horrific losses. They can be solved if we can implement our plan and create a positive environment around the club

Yes the problem can be solved! The club will have to stay at Kenilworth Road for the next five years and needs a new lease from the Council. I believe they will supply it. The new stadium creates the most amazing opportunity. We have come up with a mind-boggling scheme, which will create in excess of £50 million per year for the football club. This requires a key strategic partnership and alignment with the council and the airport. This can be achieved and yes, I DID SAY £50 MILLION PER YEAR FOR THE FOOTBALL CLUB

is proposed to make some short-term investment in the Kenilworth Road Stadium, some of this has started and Council permitting it will be there to be seen at the start of next season. This will be the first real investment for nearly 10 years and will make the club viable at Kenilworth Road, based on the associated sponsorship that will come now from those wanting to be involved in the new stadium


Much has been said in the press about us wanting to cut players’ wages. We will honour all existing contracts but have suggested ways to the players as to how we could re-schedule those contracts for the benefit of club and player. The players have promised to deal with the matters constructively when the majority of them return from well-deserved holidays. This will not be a problem. The players have a sense of loyalty and responsibility to the club and will wear their shirts with pride next year. We will build a spirit where players will want to die for the club


We can achieve what we want to achieve only if the club, the players, the fans and the sponsors work together. Yes we have made a mess of some things but this does not excuse kicking club officials’ cars, death threats to people’s families, beating up the club solicitor and all the other undesirable matters on the unofficial websites. Is it any wonder that people are reluctant to raise their heads if they are going to be threatened in this way? This is counter-productive and will scare off investors. Just ask yourself what bank is going to offer facilities to Luton Football Town Club at the moment and offer themselves up for the treatment we have been receiving. Seriously - cut out the threats, the message board crap and the intimidation. All you are doing is scarring off investment in the club. Constructive comment is welcome

We have put a tremendous amount of effort into producing a plan that will work, which many would say is turning water into wine, but to do this we need to have everyone moving forward in a positive way for the benefit of Luton Town. We made a mistake over Joe and Mick (or Peter Miller). We will do everything we can do to get Joe and Mick back. We can’t do more than this

If Joe and Mick won’t come back we all have to move on with a new management team. If supporters continue to boycott the club and its activities then there is no point in the club management trying to perform commercial miracles because the club’s own fans will negate all their efforts

Joe Kinnear is a fine football manager and Mick Hartford is a first class coach but the club also has other strengths. The club has the best secretary/everything else in football in Cherry Newbery. We are fortunate that we also have one of the best commercial managers in the League in Peter Davis, who will raise the money the club needs, if the fans let him. We also have a financial director in Andrew Zimbler who will raise the money for the development of the old and new grounds. He will also create a sensible financial structure in the club, which will include the club owning the land at Junction 10/10a.

The fans ask for a representative on the Board. They have one in Yvonne Fletcher. The fans ask for transparency. If we are to make the most of matters, Yvonne has to be a full part of the team and handle the liaison with the fans. I will meet with her weekly, together with appropriate consultants and managers, to go though the events of the week


We need the full force of the fans behind the club. We need a new lease at Kenilworth Road, we need planning permission for Junction 10/10a, and we need the strategic alliance with the airport and the council

Yes there will be differences. If we are to build a strategic alliance with the airport there will be a case for changing the name of the club to London Luton Football Club. This is a well established brand that we can cash in on and make money from, but this is a down-the-road decision that we can all debate and democratically take a decision on in the future. The process is consultative only at this point


Other issues will arise. The Milton Keynes Wombles are in Administration. Should we buy them, merge them with Luton (kill them off) and call the new club Luton Town (or London Luton), play at Luton and effectively buy a back door promotion to Division One? If we decide that is what we want to do let’s go and raise the money to do it. If it’s a bad idea, let’s forget it and slog at winning a place in the First Division the hard way. Whatever we will make an approach to the Administrator to find out the terms and Yvonne Fletcher with be fully briefed. It does no harm to ask the question


If we are going to build a major new ground we need to fill it, let the 4,000 people who have bought Wimbledon season tickets at Milton Keynes come and watch the regional team called Luton play at Luton

With or without Joe (and we hope it is with), can everyone start to pull together to bring about the day when Luton becomes a Premier League club again and takes its rightful place in Europe

Again I apologise for how things have started off but it is often true in life that the best long-term relationships have bad starts

Up the Hatters’
John Gurney
Chief Executive (Designate
Luton Town Football Club

[Mr Dubby]

I was thinking this is an absolute crazy statement to be printing/publishing for a Chief Executive and that none of it can be for real? But then I got to the bit where he says :

4,000 people who have bought Wimbledon season tickets at Milton Keynes

and now I know it's utter nonsense !:nuts:

[andybhoy]

What would be funny and ironic about luton and wimbledon merging, is that whenever those two played against each other in the top flight, they would set an all time low attendance for the division :nuts:

[IanJHicks]

I feel sad for Luton fans if this happens......

[IanJHicks]

....if they're forced to go to Milton Keynes that is!

[Mandrill]

Originally posted by IanJHicks
....if they're forced to go to Milton Keynes that is!

I think if it goes through Wimbledon would move to Luton as Luton are looking to increase the lease on Kenilworth road for another 5 year's whilst they sort out a new home..

Wimbledon only have a lease for 2 season's on the Hockey stadium and are still to get planning permission for a new staduim..

[IanJHicks]

The best option is Franchise get taken over by Luton, the team get called Luton and MK don't end up getting a league club. Then there will be only one true Wimbledon and we can get our history back.

[IanJHicks]

Also this Luton chief exec guy hasn't got his facts right. FA rules state that if 2 clubs merge then the new club takes the position of the original club furthest down the pyramid. So it woulf take Luton's place in Div 2

[Euripedes]

Unfortunately this is the state of football in this country at the moment. The wheels have fallen off the gravy train and who suffers! Not the money men, but the heart and soul of the clubs ...the fans.

This is happenning at all levels and the Premier and Nationwide Leagues need to do somethng about this farce ... or are they too scared to stand up to the Murdoch Empire.

:mad:

[IanJHicks]

Euripedes....they are all in it for the money mate....they don't care a stuff about te fans, and a lot of true footie fans (not your glory hunters) have had enough and are setting up Supporters Trusts to either take control of their clubs or have some presence on the Board.

[Euripedes]

Originally posted by IanJHicks
Euripedes....they are all in it for the money mate....they don't care a stuff about te fans, and a lot of true footie fans (not your glory hunters) have had enough and are setting up Supporters Trusts to either take control of their clubs or have some presence on the Board.

I'm an Aston Villa fan for my sins, and they are still classed as one of the big clubs. However, the media only give a stuff about the top 3 or 4 clubs in the Premier league and the Champions League.

This is not a criticism of Manu Utd, but due to the way that football is broadcast now, there are only 2 teams that I can see winning the Premier League and thats them or Arsenal. Even Liverpool are finding it hard to stay with them. The contracts that have been signed in recent history with Sky, et all, have souled the normal football fans down the river. This has affected the Man U fans (not the armchair brigade) as they hardly have a 3.00 PM kickm off on a Saturday now.

Supporters Trusts seem the only way forward. I am a member of the Aston Villa Supporters Trust and I employ anyone who has a team that has one of these to sign up, or your club could be next.

My Club has too taken the Murdoch shilling and do you really think that Premiership Chairman give a stuff about the lower leagues and grass roots football in the UK. They are all in it for themselves, apart from the odd few.

[camaj]

Originally posted by Mandrill
Apparantly there are now talks to merge Luton and Wimbledon together.:nuts:

That IS nuts. If I were one of the 3 Don's fans I'd be gutted. See this is the sort of thing that would make me want to set up my own club. A merged club certainly is an offense to fans and nothing to do with the club you support.

I don't think it matters that it's not a rival, it's another club and effectivly ends the life of 2 clubs

[garethimh]

If you want a good laugh the new Chief Exec (designate) has put his plans for the club on the website... <a href="http://www.lutontown.premiumtv.co.uk/today/view/breaking_news_detail/0,,10372~389702,00.html">here</a>.

We're going to be the biggest club in Europe...a 50,000 seater covered stadium with an NFL franchise, a F1 Grand Prix, basketball, rugby...and of course the London Luton Hatters.

Nice one Mr Gurney...I laughed for ages after reading it.

:wave:

Now how do we get our club back?:help:

[camaj]

Originally posted by garethimh
Nice one Mr Gurney...I laughed for ages after reading it.

I don't think I'd be laughing if it were my club.

Incidentally Hatters might be a good name, seeing as your Chairman is clearly mad as one.

[Mandrill]

Originally posted by garethimh
If you want a good laugh the new Chief Exec (designate) has put his plans for the club on the website... <a href="http://www.lutontown.premiumtv.co.uk/today/view/breaking_news_detail/0,,10372~389702,00.html">here</a>.

We're going to be the biggest club in Europe...a 50,000 seater covered stadium with an NFL franchise, a F1 Grand Prix, basketball, rugby...and of course the London Luton Hatters.

Nice one Mr Gurney...I laughed for ages after reading it.

:wave:

Now how do we get our club back?:help:

I don't know the full detail's as I'm not a Luton fan but it looks like the departing chairmen has left a mess the new board are struggling to deal with.

The fact that the former chairmen has been avoiding taking phone call's speak's for it's self...

The news of the world yesterday suggested that Luton are up to £19mil in debt :eek:

[Mandrill]

Originally posted by Euripedes
I'm an Aston Villa fan for my sins, and they are still classed as one of the big clubs. However, the media only give a stuff about the top 3 or 4 clubs in the Premier league and the Champions League.

This is not a criticism of Manu Utd, but due to the way that football is broadcast now, there are only 2 teams that I can see winning the Premier League and thats them or Arsenal. Even Liverpool are finding it hard to stay with them. The contracts that have been signed in recent history with Sky, et all, have souled the normal football fans down the river. This has affected the Man U fans (not the armchair brigade) as they hardly have a 3.00 PM kickm off on a Saturday now.

Supporters Trusts seem the only way forward. I am a member of the Aston Villa Supporters Trust and I employ anyone who has a team that has one of these to sign up, or your club could be next.

My Club has too taken the Murdoch shilling and do you really think that Premiership Chairman give a stuff about the lower leagues and grass roots football in the UK. They are all in it for themselves, apart from the odd few.

Apparantly the Luon board have allowed a Trust rep onto the board and pledged £1000 to help the trust which after the recent event's seem's a token gesture ,but to my Knowledge is more than Villa have done for our trust

[Andrew70]

Someone in the office told me this morning that the departed chairman sold the club to the new consortium for the princely sum of....£4.

A.

So Mandrill, which is your club then?

[Euripedes]

Originally posted by Andrew70
Someone in the office told me this morning that the departed chairman sold the club to the new consortium for the princely sum of....£4.

A.

So Mandrill, which is your club then?

Mandrill is a Villa Fan ... who lives in Luton.

[Mandrill]

Originally posted by Euripedes
Mandrill is a Villa Fan ... who lives in Luton.

I used to live in Brum before I get called a glory hunter :wave:

[Mandrill]

Originally posted by Andrew70
Someone in the office told me this morning that the departed chairman sold the club to the new consortium for the princely sum of....£4.

A.

So Mandrill, which is your club then?

£4 ....There has to be a reason he sold it for such a small sum IMO

[Mr Dubby]

from Yahoo

Luton director Yvonne Fletcher has resigned because of what she sees as the "chaos" engulfing the club.
The Hatters have had an incredibly turbulent last few weeks with manager Joe Kinnear and first-team coach Mick Harford being sacked by letter and the club's ownership and direction remaining unresolved.

Fletcher, a journalist with The Guardian, said in a statement: "With deep regret I have tendered my resignation as a director from the board of Luton Town Football Club. I feel my position has become completely untenable.

"My role over the last three years has been difficult at times but became increasingly so this year when very little information was available from the chairman or his deputy and there was a complete lack of openness about their future plans for the club. I cannot continue to serve on the board while; the owners of the club are unknown; the ownership of, and plans for, the land at Junction 10 are unknown; the proposed make-up of a new board is unknown; and the plans for financing the club are unknown.

"The club's management seems to be in chaos with no professional leadership emerging from the business consortium which, we are led to believe, has bought the club from Mike Watson-Challis. Business is seemingly being conducted via late night website postings rather than through the usual commercial channels.

"I was delighted to be one of some 3,000 supporters who were at Kenilworth Road on Saturday to give a unanimous mandate to set up a supporters' trust. I look forward to giving the embryonic organisation, Trust in Luton, any assistance I can to ensure the supporters have a real say in the running of their football club in the future."

[Mr Dubby]

oh and Wimbledon reported this morning to have said that as their Hockey Stadium won't be ready in time "please can we play all next season's games AWAY FROM HOME!"

How ironic is that?

[Andrew70]

Originally posted by Mandrill
£4 ....There has to be a reason he sold it for such a small sum IMO
Watson-Challis is a wealthy man but weekly losses of £40k have been whispered about. I suppose you eventually tire of putting your hand in your pocket week after week.

A.

[andybhoy]

Originally posted by Mandrill
I used to live in Brum before I get called a glory hunter :wave:

Wouldn't Villa need to win something, for you to be a glory hunter?

;)

[IanJHicks]

We (AFC Wimbledon) had representatives up at the Luton meeting (as we have the biggest Supporter's Trust in the country) and got a brilliant reception by all accounts.

As to the Franchise debacle...the administrators are now saying they hope to set 6000 fans a week (home and away) at MK which is workable and great news. So why the hell move the club from it's HOME in South London where it was getting 10000 fans a week. The FA should be brought to account for letting this complete farce happen in the first place.

[Mandrill]

Originally posted by andybhoy
Wouldn't Villa need to win something, for you to be a glory hunter?

;)

:mad: Oi we won the Intertobob a season ago :suspect:

[Euripedes]

Originally posted by andybhoy
Wouldn't Villa need to win something, for you to be a glory hunter?

;)

But we don't play in a Mickey Mouse League ;)

[camaj]

Originally posted by IanJHicks
We (AFC Wimbledon) had representatives up at the Luton meeting (as we have the biggest Supporter's Trust in the country) and got a brilliant reception by all accounts.

As to the Franchise debacle...the administrators are now saying they hope to set 6000 fans a week (home and away) at MK which is workable and great news. So why the hell move the club from it's HOME in South London where it was getting 10000 fans a week.

It was? I thought it usually had trouble breaking 10k in the Premiership.

Anyway I think they're hoping for a lot more than 6000 in the long term. Clearly they won't get that now but who knows in 10 years. I don't think they'd have improved on their previous best back in Wimbledon.

[IanJHicks]

And how do you come to that sweeping conclusion camaj?:nono:

[Mandrill]

Because in MK there is no other proffesional club to support where as in London there are what 9-10 ????

[NezB]

Here we go again! :lol:

[camaj]

Originally posted by IanJHicks
And how do you come to that sweeping conclusion camaj?:nono:

What that they'd hit the attendence celing? Unless you had a hugh number of glory hunters waiting in the wings, for god knows what, it would be hard to see where the dons would go. Their attendences were always a joke, I used to check them just to see if they were still as low as the previous week. The potential to gain more fans was there but it would have taken a very long time for a very small increase.

Mandrill's correct, there's a chance that MK-ites will be lured from supporting Man U or whoever to watch 1st division football (or the premiership). They may carrry on supporting their existing team but go to matches for the specticle.

[IanJHicks]

Well we moved from our our own ground, Plough Lane, in 1990 so why the hell do you think the crowds went down, we didn't have our own ground for 10 YEARS. When Charlton played at Selhurst they were getting crowds of 4500 in the Premiership. Now they've moved back to the Valley look at the crowds they are getting. So if we had moved back to Merton which had been promised by Hammam it would have been different instead we had to indure talk of Dublin, Cardiff, Hull, Gatwick and finally dump of the UK Miton Keynes. And you wonder why Dons fans were fed up?

[IanJHicks]

Also camaj you have said in numerous other posts that you have not seen or been given any good reasons why the Franchise FC move to MK is a bad thing. Well please go to www.wisa.org.uk and entighten yourself!!:|

[IanJHicks]

Sorry that should have read enlighten yourself:dork:

[camaj]

Originally posted by IanJHicks
Well please go to www.wisa.org.uk and entighten yourself!!:|

Did you really need to pad three times to tell me that? You mentioned that site last time and I couldn't see anything that stood out as another reason.

I also never said the attendence went down, just that it was always very low. Fair enough the move might not have helped but I'd imagine that some matches would not be effected by the distance. The record attendence was quite a lot less than you'd expect and can't simply be explained by playing at Selhurst. I think the numbers would have been virtually identical at Plough Lane

[IanJHicks]

So how do you explain Charlton's attendences then? An I wouldn't say i was padding thank you very much :p

[camaj]

Originally posted by IanJHicks
So how do you explain Charlton's attendences then? An I wouldn't say i was padding thank you very much :p

Sorry, the 3 posts in a row in 7 minutes threw me :wave:

How do I explain Charlton's attendences? Well I don't really because I don't know anything about them. There a club on the up that's all I can say.

Explain how the don's always had the lowest attendences when they were in the top flight. The clearly had reached a celing becuase everyone else supported other clubs already. The only new supporters would be those who had no other affiliation or those who supported the dons but didn't go to matches. I suspect there'd be very few of either

[IanJHicks]

One problem agree that we did have was that we were too successful too quickly. Elected to the league in 1977, 1st Division by 1987 FA Cup 1988. Your success was totally unsuppassed. But You seem to forget one thing. We have a team playing in League 8 with crowds of 4500. We have already sold 1500 ST for next season. We have now purchased a ground of our own, I mile from Merton, something Koppell said was impossible. I think you can say that we are a team on the up. I know you lot want us to fail and to be honest I'm flattered by that. I was used to it as a Wimbledon FC supporter. Everyone wanted us to fail cos we we're playing by the rules. How dare we not spend loads of money have a large support base and still be successful. Anyway this is my last post on this matter. Franchise FC will fail, I hope MK get behind their team MK City and build them up into a force. AFC Wimbledon will become the only Wimbledon team and we will go from strength to strength whether you lot like it for not. I'm loving my football at the moment and you lot sniping won't ever takethat away from me. Keep your Premiership allstars and your Div 1 also-rans (NezB I'm talking to you :wave: )

Thank you and goodnight!!!!:thumbs:

[andybhoy]

You want some salt with that chip?

[IanJHicks]

No, too much salt is bad for you!

[NezB]

Originally posted by IanJHicks
Anyway this is my last post on this matter.
If only that were true :oh-hum:

I know you lot want us to fail
I don't want AFC to fail, I just want stop hearing you slate Wimbledon FC when you've made up your mind to change clubs.

Franchise FC will fail, I hope MK get behind their team MK City and build them up into a force.
:confused:

I'm loving my football at the moment and you lot sniping won't ever takethat away from me. Keep your Premiership allstars and your Div 1 also-rans (NezB I'm talking to you :wave: )

Hello sweetheart! Seriously do you fancy me or something! :help:

[IanJHicks]

Sorry NezB farmyard animals are not my style :thumbs:

[Mandrill]

John Gurney the chief executive designate has some erm intresting plan's for the club..

~Premiership Fooball within 2 years

~A 50,00 to 75,000 seater covered staduim over the slip road off junction 10 of the M1

~A potential partnership with the airport and changing th name of the club to London Luton plus a possible merger with Wimbledon to create a reginal superclub

~Building a Formula one race track,a 20,000 space undeground car park,nightclubs a casino,hotal and conferance centre and more around the staduim giving the club an annual income of £50-£100 mil per year ,making it 1 of the largest in Europe

~American Football,Baseball,icehockey and basketball at Luton to play as Team Europe....


:nuts: :nuts: :nuts: :nuts:

[camaj]

Originally posted by Mandrill
John Gurney the chief executive designate has some erm intresting plan's for the club..

Great plans. If it happen's he'll be a god.

Your success was totally unsuppassed. But You seem to forget one thing. We have a team playing in League 8 with crowds of 4500

What's you point? I'm sure everyone of those were Wimbledon fans so it's not like they've started from nothing. I don't think you'll end up with more fans than if you'd stayed with wimbledon in London.

They may succeed. They may do very well. They'll never get to where wimbledon were.


Let's not get this thread closed either :nono:

[IanJHicks]

Ahhhhh......watch this space.....they said that about the original Wimbledon.

[Mandrill]

Another intresting thing Gurney said when questioned about the possible merger and that the two club's would become franchises which is the case in the US..

''American Football club's make alot of money,English soccer club's lose money''

Are the unknown invester's American's?????

Those plan's are a little out there but with the airport nearby and quick access to London and the M1 these idea's MAY work...It will depend on how many fan's they can entice ...but merging the two clubs woul;d bring in more fan's.A new ground would also entice fan's as the current ground is a dump....

If they can get the ground up and the team doing well I'm sure the fan base will increase...

I would like to see it happen new night club's,possible concert's at the ground...sound's good to me :thumbs:

[IanJHicks]

Yeah, all well and good but the culture of football in theis country isn't the same as that of American Football, and if it becomes like that it'll be very sad indeed. Football clubs being moved around the country to follow the Franchise. Man Utd moving to the McDonalds\Nike Super Stadium just outside Gatwick anyone?

[Mandrill]

Originally posted by IanJHicks
Yeah, all well and good but the culture of football in theis country isn't the same as that of American Football, and if it becomes like that it'll be very sad indeed. Football clubs being moved around the country to follow the Franchise. Man Utd moving to the McDonalds\Nike Super Stadium just outside Gatwick anyone?

I agree but there is so many club's in debt now that other option's have to be pursuade if they are to stay in existence ..in one form or another...

Man U moving staduim will never happen ..but right now Wimbledon have a staduim that isnt ready and Luton are £4mil in debt and also dont own a ground...

[Andrew70]

I keep wondering where he plans to build all these things. As far as I know, the land at Junction 10 is the same piece that the proposed 20,000 seat Kohlerdome was going to be built on.
Now, that same piece of land is going to have a 50-70,000+ seat stadium, a 20,000 space U/G car park, a 5,000 bed hotel, a Grand Prix track......

A.

[IanJHicks]

Great article in The Times today from Martin Samuel. One Journo who really gets it!!!:clap:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/artic le/0,,4921-717225,00.html

[IanJHicks]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4921-717225,00.html

[IanJHicks]

sorry guys they seem to have moved the page. If I can find it again I'll let you know...it's worth a read

[John Hodson]

Still there Ian...interesting.

---
So many films, so little time...

[IanJHicks]

John. It's good so may journos have been non commital about it, but I think Martin Samual as written the piece so well and it really shows that he is a 'football fan'.

[Mandrill]

Kinnier has apparantly agreed to come back as manager

[morleyian]

Originally posted by Mandrill
Kinnier has apparantly agreed to come back as manager

If that is true then that's great news. Div 1 for the Hatters the season after next I feel :thumbs:

[Mandrill]

I hope so for my friends who support them..

They had a chance of going up this year but never replaced Matt Taylor and Valouis which left the left hand side a lot weaker than the promtion season previously

[Andrew70]

Nick Owen ( of TV-AM fame) was on Three Counties Radio this morning and said that he'd spoken to Joe Kinnear yesterday afternoon.
He said Joe told him that he will not come back as manager under the current owners because all they want to talk about are commerical matters and not football.

A.

[herrslick]

Great article Ian, I like samuel he really likes to tell it like it is.

[Mandrill]

Mike Newell the new Luton Boss

[IanJHicks]

Glad you liked it herrslick, I think think it's the best piece I have read on the subject so far...the man is a star!

[movaado]

Originally posted by Mandrill
Mike Newell the new Luton Boss

Apparently a load of watford fans phoned up and voted for him, the Luton fans wanted Kinnear back :lol:

[Mandrill]

Originally posted by movaado
Apparently a load of watford fans phoned up and voted for him, the Luton fans wanted Kinnear back :lol:

:lol: :lol:

[movaado]

BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/luton_town/3017764.stm) reckons that Newell beat Kinnear by 4 votes, so those Watford votes (if true) did make the difference :lol: