Luton – The Great Power Court Debate Continues On And On

Occasionally, a subject covered on Vital Luton provokes a decent response, sometimes one subject can really open up a healthy debate.

One such subject that has become really debateable in the last few weeks is the subject of the Power Court development.

Already this month, the subject has evolved into the following articles – the-big-power-court-development-question – the-great-power-court-poll-result-revealed and the-great-power-court-debate-continues – all of which have been well received.

Sat in the editorial chair, one of my duties is to make sure any comments posted are not inflammatory, insulting, libellous or suchlike.

Occasionally, an article appears that generates a comment that, I feel, deserves a greater audience, as has been the case when it comes to the title of this article.

In the comment facility, Peter Swain left a wonderful comment that got me thinking it deserved a wider audience than just the comment facility.

Peter, in sharing his thoughts, explores the possibility of seeking an investor to assist the board in financing the development, see what you think:

“Maybe the Luton Board should start looking around locally and internationally to find someone who would be willing to fund the club.

After all they have done very well on one of the smallest budgets if not the smallest in the Championship by buying players at low prices and free agents and developing them together into a solid team structure.

That is the coaches responsibility, and they have been fortunate enough to be able to maintain their championship status via good coaching and planning.

The commercial side of the club is the boards responsibility, and they need to have the right cross section of people on the board who are able to deliver such things as a new stadium etc.

A new stadium has the ability of not only being used for football matches but is a great marketing and income producing tool for things like events etc. plus it’s close locality to London/Luton International Airport offers many possibilities across the board.

There are people out there that could be interested in becoming a financial assist and ultimately a member of the board with Luton FC were they to be approached. A Commercial Director who has the right contacts out there internationally. and has the ability to bring such a person into the Luton FC fold is a must.

It appears fairly obvious that the current board are struggling to finance the new stadium and as hard as they are trying to bring this project to bear, it does not look likely that it is going to happen anytime soon unless there is a dramatic shift in their business model.

Kenilworth Road as it stands now offers nothing from a marketing perspective and surely must be running a loss. If the club have any ambitions of retaining their Championship status over a longer period, or achieving promotion to the Premier League, then the new stadium is a must, and the board need to rack their brains to find a way to achieve all of this. I really do wish them well.”

Indeed, we all do and I’d like nothing better than to walk down Hitchin Road and see our new beginning come to fruition, but getting an investor can be a troubled route, our leagues are littered with clubs that have gone down that route and stumbled into trouble, with the clubs being a plaything the rich often grow tired of.

If Luton do go down that route, like Peter, I to really do wish them well, we’re at a crossroads in our history and I can’t help thinking we must decide whether to stick or twist, how about you?

However, since the above was penned, we’ve become aware of our chairman, David Wilkinson, giving the support an update in his programme notes which have also been reproduced by Luton Today, which offer further encouragement that Power Court will be completed, with the chairman remarking:

“Earthworks and soil testing are progressing and we have committed to UK Power networks to pay to have the substation moved.

“The economy is in a dire state and football finances are a mess, but please be patient and we’ll get there.”

So it seems patience is a virtue we’ll all need to have.

My thanks go to Peter Swain for providing the impetus to, again, cover a subject that is dear to all our hearts and one we’d like to see completed and beginning a new era for our club.

COYH’s

Previous article by Mad Hatter

Luton – A Date For The Diary