Hatters skipper wants fans to be allowed back soon

Luton captain Sonny Bradley is desperate to see supporters back at matches as quickly as possible.

The Hatters finished their 2019-20 campaign with games played behind closed doors due to the social distancing measures enforced because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The new term begins in just over a month’s time and it will be without supporters once more, with no date yet given for when they can return.

Bradley wants it to be soon though, saying: “They are the number one priority at any football club and if they’re not then football clubs are doing it wrong as the fans make the game in my opinion.

“It’s not the same without them. Yes we’ve done well and stayed up but we would 100 per cent rather have done that in front of our fans.

“Hopefully October they will be back in some capacity as that’s exactly what we need.

“If that’s a success we can build it up from there and hopefully at the start of next year we will have full capacity and get Kenilworth Road rocking again and they can have at least six months of solid Championship football.”

Playing to empty stadiums during the final nine games of the season did aid Luton’s successful great escape, particularly on the road as they won three and drew one, conceding just one goal in that time.

That came in a mightily impressive 1-1 draw at champions Leeds United, with Swansea City, Huddersfield and Hull City all seen off.

However, it did affect Town’s form at Kenilworth Road, with one win, three draws and one loss, that a 5-0 hammering by Reading.

Bradley continued: “I spoke to someone the other day and they said how it helped without fans being at away games, and it probably has helped.

“Talk about Leeds, Swansea and Huddersfield, you go there and when they don’t have fans, it’s almost like a level playing field from the start and it definitely changes the game.

“Certain decisions if there is fans might go a different way, but that’s just the way it is.

"Looking at it the other way, we haven’t been anywhere near as good as home, so it has its pros and cons.

“But we need the fans back as soon as possible.

"Even if we start at 50 percent and build it up, we need to get them back in as football is not the same without it.”