Hatters players ask for fans backing after meeting with Loyal Luton Supporters Club

Despite yet another body blow to the club’s hopes of reaching the play-offs at the weekend, Luton boss Jack Wilshere has once more called on fans to stay behind the players during the final few months of the season, after a number of the squad spoke to Loyal Luton Supporters Club about the disappointing campaign at the training ground last week.

The Hatters have faced growing criticism this term from an increasingly despondent following regarding their efforts to get back to the Championship at the first attempt, although they did finally give the Kenilworth Road faithful something to smile about when sealing a trip to Wembley in the Vertu Trophy final on Wednesday evening by beating Northampton Town 2-1.

However, with the league form patchy at best, Town have suffered numerous negative reactions on home soil, none worse than the 1-1 draw against Burton Albion last month, while outside of Bedfordshire it was been a miserable experience for those supporting the club, no wins in nine, suffering seven defeats in that time.

With answers wanted from the club and the board by several supporters, then members from Loyal Luton were invited in ahead of Saturday’s match against Reading, while the players involved put a message in the club programme afterwards as well, which led to a much-improved atmosphere for large parts at the weekend.

However, with Town conceding twice in the final 10 minutes to suffer yet another morale-draining 3-2 defeat, which left the majority of the 11,000 crowd in attendance with that same sinking feeling that hopes of a top six finish had indeed disintegrated, although accepting the criticism, Wilshere hoped they would still back their side for the last 11 league games in the hoping of somehow reaching the play-offs, saying afterwards: “I want the fans to stay with us, I really do, and they have been.

"I know it is very difficult after something like that, but we had a really positive week with Loyal Luton coming in and sitting down and talking and explaining some things, hearing their frustrations. I thought the players were excellent I thought the players’ message in the programme was really good and that doesn’t go away. We still keep moving forward, we still keep trying to build something and keep trying to improve and get as many points as we can on the board, but of course I understand their frustrations.”

After their meeting with the supporters, the players senior group of captain Kal Naismith, Nahki Wells, George Saville, Ali Al-Hamadi, Jordan Clark and James Shea, opted to put a joint message in the club’s programme for the Reading game, in which they apologised for what have been far too many unacceptable results this term, also highlighting just how important the unity is between those on the pitch and those in the stands if they are to achieve their goal.

It read: “As a leadership group we wanted to speak as a collective and share our feelings with you all ahead of today’s huge game in our bid to secure a play-off spot. Let us start by saying thank you, not only for your support throughout what we all recognise has been a difficult season at times, but for the atmosphere you created and backing you showed us on Wednesday night.

“It’s not every season that you get to go to Wembley, but we now have that day to look forward to next month in the Vertu Trophy final and we got there together with you all. We fell behind early on, but you stuck with us. Whether on the pitch or sitting on the bench, we all felt that patience and support. That is no small achievement, and the players who were here, and the staff around the club who went to Wembley three years ago, know only too well the feel-good factor that created for everyone connected with Luton Town.

“We need to take that on now and use it as a galvanising factor to get results in the league. This club has seen in the past how that connection from the stands to the team out on the pitch can produce results that defy the odds. We are determined as a squad to not just get to Wembley once, but twice, because we all believe that the play-offs are a possibility. People are writing us off, but that’s when Luton Town are at their best, isn’t it?

“We all take full responsibility for performances that haven’t been up to standard this season. Every single one of us has at times made mistakes, but we can assure you it is not through a lack of effort or desire. We all came to Luton Town because we wanted to be part of the kind of success that everyone has enjoyed in recent years. We all want to be part of the club’s history for positive reasons. Not one of us wants to leave Luton Town in League One.

“We all understand the frustration you feel. You work all week to come to football on a Saturday, spending your hard-earned money to get some enjoyment. We know that hasn’t always been the case this season. We guarantee that every single member of this squad wants to be here, and with the window closed, you know that we are the group that are here for what we all hope will be the last 11 weeks of the season. We aren’t going anywhere and no-one else is coming in, so we are asking for one thing.

“Please, like on Wednesday night, give us 90 minutes. Make Kenilworth Road horrible for opposition teams, which is what it’s famous for. But please sing your songs, and let some of the young players, especially, know they are loved. We know that our performances will also dictate that, and you need us to give you something to get behind. We are working every day on the training ground with Jack, Chris (Powell, assistant) and the coaches to improve as individuals, but most importantly as a team.

“At the end of the game, if we haven’t performed, we will all take criticism. We all know what’s fair. Personal abuse that crosses a line isn’t, but we are all big enough to hold our hands up when we haven’t been good enough as footballers. Over the next three months we have an opportunity to achieve a double, and we are all desperate to do that. The only way we can do that is with you, and everyone that has Luton Town at heart, sticking together.

“Wednesday night was special. Some of us have been part of it before. For others it was the first time of feeling Kenilworth Road rock. We all want to experience it again, and of course on the road, where we know we simply have to improve if we are to do anything. On Thursday, some of us met with Loyal Luton members at the training ground and we listened to their views, as they did to ours. We always welcome chats with fans, just as a group of us did with the Supporters’ Trust event at the stadium just before Christmas. Those conversations told us that we all want the same thing. We’re all Luton. And we can do this together. COYH!”

Meanwhile, writing a statement on their Facebook page, Loyal Luton chairman Kevin Rouse said: “On Thursday some of the Loyal Luton committee met with members of the player leadership group and senior management for a long, honest and frank discussion about where we are and how we move forward. The players were clear about one thing - they know they must step up.

“They openly acknowledged that recent performances, particularly away from home, have not been good enough and that the standards expected at Luton Town are far higher. They spoke about the need to improve tactically, in organisation on the pitch and in the standards within the squad. Most importantly, they made it clear they are determined to improve, determined to raise their levels and determined to fight for this club.

“They also spoke of mistakes being made during games but this is part and parcel of the game, when they are made get behind the players encourage them to be better. They know words alone are not enough; supporters now expect to see that commitment shown on the pitch. They also spoke about Kenilworth Road. Not long ago it was a fortress where teams hated coming. The players want that atmosphere back.

“The play-offs are still possible, and the players believe they can still achieve it. But everyone knows this; Luton Town has never been about the easy road. It has always been about sticking together and fighting our way forward. We need to stand together and give ourselves the best chance of getting out of this league. Let’s make Kenilworth Road a fortress again.”