Jones: Power Court would make Hatters more '˜bulletproof' in keeping hold of their stars

After winning promotion to League One this season, then the Luton chief is quite prepared to withstand any interest in his squad when the transfer window opens again shortly.

However, although the Luton chief is confident Town’s resolve will remain as strong as it always has since he arrived in January 2016, he believes a new ground will make all the difference in the future.

Jones said: “We’re now a League One club, last year we managed to keep hold of a lot of good players, we lost some, because we were still a League Two club, so we couldn’t say, ‘look we’re only one step away from the Championship.’

“Now we believe that, so as far as I’m concerned, from the conversations I’ve had. It would take massive bids to get players from us.

“It’s up to the board how strong they want to be, at the minute we are susceptible because we haven’t quite got our stadium yet.

“When we get our stadium, then that would make us slightly more, if you like bullet proof, but it will take massive bids to get the players we want to keep at this football club.

“We’ve got fantastic players and the good thing about our players here is I believe that the majority of them believe this is a good place to be and that they will further their career here.

“It maybe a quick jump elsewhere, but this one will further their career.

“The majority of our players I believe could play in the Championship and that’s because of one, the players they were and two, the education we’re giving them, so we’re in a good place.”

Luton Borough Council announced earlier this week that councillors will vote on the Hatters’ plans for a new stadium at Power Court and a mixed use scheme at Newlands Park in the week commencing August 20, two years after the applications were originally submitted in August 2016.

Jones understands full well how such a development takes time having been at Brighton & Hove Albion when they were in the Withdean, but can’t fathom why anyone would try and oppose what is on the table.

He added: “When I signed for Brighton under Micky Adams, he said we’ll have a new ground in two years, and then in 2012 I think they opened the ground, so that was 12 years.

“I understand the processes that have to go on, but I don’t understand if there’d be any objections to not just the ground, but the development, because this place needs it.

“I defy anyone to say that this place doesn’t need a new development and I’m not being disrespectful because I love Luton, I love living here, I love the club I work for, the people are phenomenal, it’s a great place.

“But if we want to do anything, we have to go to Milton Keynes, why should the people of Luton, the people of Bedfordshire have to go to Milton Keynes or anywhere to do anything? To have any kind of diverse entertainment? When we profess to be a great place ourselves.

“And it’s not just the football club. To further the football club and to keep hold of our best players and to attract even better ones and to be playing fantastic teams week in week out, we need the stadium, point blank, but the area needs something different as well.

“If anyone wants to object to that, then for me, I don’t see any rationale.”