Introduction

This was the first in a cycle of meetings that LTFC2020 have agreed to hold with representatives of TiL.

Although informal conversations regularly take place between TiL and 2020, these meetings give an opportunity for both sides to share news and views more formally.  To support this process, it was deemed appropriate that TiL publicly release regular progress updates, which 2020 has always promised the club would periodically deliver.  This approach has been adopted due to the workload pressures on 2020 combined with the fact that TiL has a shareholding in the football club, meaning it is fitting that it should take a more active role in club-related work, including communications.

The meeting took place before relegation was confirmed at the Easter weekend.

Attendees:

TiL – Simon Gibbs, Phil Doherty and Liam Day.

LTFC2020 – Stephen Browne and Gary Sweet.

6-Month Update

Youth 

• The club now has 25% more scouts working on its youth set up and these scouts will watch around 9,000 players per year.
• The youth management team have slashed costs by 25% but increased income by 30%.
• LTFC has 120 8-18 year-olds on contracts
• 600 players are currently training with the youth.
• Both the FA and the League believe Luton now has its strongest youth set-up since 1998 and two age ranges, in particular, are looking very promising.
• All age groups have travelled to Europe playing their counterparts from the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Dynamo Kiev, Zenit St Petersburg as well as Manchester United and Boca Juniors.
• All youth teams have toured this season and will go on foreign tours again in the summer.
• The posts of Child Welfare/Football Development Officer and Skills Coach have been filled by Alison Owen and Ezon Serginho respectively.
• Although the youth set-up will always be inextricably linked to the club, it is close to attaining the position of being able to stand alone in terms of finance it generates (whilst we have the Football League Youth grant).

First Team 

• The wage bill is on the way down and the latest figure suggests that it has been reduced by over 60%.
• Despite the league position, morale in the dressing room is good.
• Without going into individuals, some of the club’s higher wage earners are out of contract in the summer of 2009.
• Mick Harford is already planning for next season – both in terms of identifying possible new players and also thinking about those players he wants to retain.  The first team’s management are confident about keeping those players they want to hang on to if we go down.

Investment and Income 

• There are 3 phases to investment into the football club with Phase 1 being completed when the club was saved from extinction.  Phase 2 is due shortly.
• While the club is well on the road to financial stability and sustainability, new investors are always welcome and work in this area is ongoing. It should be noted that whilst the club is debt free (for the first time in decades) it is still running at a loss – albeit dramatically lower than when 2020 became custodians. Therefore it is fully recognised that more work on balancing the books has to be undertaken and this work is ongoing.
• 2020 is pleased with the progress made on financial stability so far, bearing in mind they have only been custodians for eight months (and bearing in mind all the other issues that have been dealt with in that time). At the beginning, the dire state of the club was acknowledged by all supporters and there are few, if any, examples in the wider business world of business turnarounds happening so fast.
• LTFC’s suppliers list has been reviewed and benchmarked in order to identify the most appropriate businesses for the club to work with and employ.
• The Football League is regularly updated on the club’s financial position including proof of payments to HMRC.
• There is an extensive report on progress and the club intend to release this as soon as possible.

Community

• The Club has embraced and invested in a new scheme, launched in March, called Play for Success which sits alongside Football in the Community. Its aim is to use the club’s facilities and personnel to assist and educate students of all ages within the area and hoped that thousands can attend lessons annually.
• The inaugural Black and Asian People in Football meeting was held at Kenilworth Road.
• The Club is also working closely with Active Luton in bridging the gap between the town’s recreational facilities and the Club and sharing resources.
• The club is supporting a variety of local charities.
• Relationships with individuals and organisations in the community are improving in both quality and quantity.  This includes work with politicians and educational establishments in the area.
• The work appears to be bearing fruit and the football club’s reputation appears to be well on the road to improvement after this area was neglected by previous management.
• This resulted in a fantastic turnout at Wembley with more kids and Asians attending a game than ever before at New Wembley.
• Again, it is recognised that rebuilding relationships does not have a short term solution and can only be done by consistent efforts in these areas.

The discussions then moved on to more general areas.

Stadium

• The club recognise the importance of a new ground and the Independent Feasibility Study (IFS) remains the focus as stated in the 2020 takeover bid document.
• 2020 continued by saying that although the stadium issue is very high on the list of priorities, the initial short-term aim was always to achieve financial stability, as stated in the prospectus agreed by supporters’ groups.
• The club has had numerous informal discussions with various developers and most understand the reasons and need for financial stability.
• A top UK property law firm is working with the club in an advisory role in this area alongside other specialists connected to 2020.
• 2020 are encouraged that there could be more potentially suitable locations than first thought.
• It was stated that the revenue stream from any new stadium must be ring-fenced for the club but that any development should be protected against inappropriate future ownership and in favour of community use. There are a number of ways this can be achieved but one example is for TiL to own the pitch to prevent any unscrupulous future owners from re-developing the site of the new ground for non-football use. Again, this was always part of the initial 2020 Mission with Trust inLuton as the vehicle for achieving this security.
• Contrary to some rumours, Kenilworth Road does not have any major health and safety issues although constant maintenance work is required. It is also of an acceptable standard to allow the club back into the league should it go down to the Blue Square and bounce back again.

Joint Working between LTFC and TiL

• Representatives of TiL offered the club help in trying to recruit volunteers to help out on match days.  Individuals who do volunteer could be given a match ticket and food free of charge.  This help could involve programme selling, turnstile operating or car park attending.  This would be managed by asking volunteers to be available on stand by.
• The club also asked for assistance on more strategic/management areas such as procurement and to help develop the ‘Help database of local businesses’ that is already growing.
• TiL also asked to work with the club in the area of fundraising in order for it to be able to afford to buy more shares in the club, which will clearly help the club and the fans. 2020 will help in facilitating this.

Policing

• TiL reps were concerned at some of the heavy-handed policing that seems to follow Luton fans around – both home and away.  TiL stated that this situation existed even before the Bradford home game and ‘Kettle-gate’.
• 2020 understood this view but had to work with police and it’s the police who determine exactly how much policing is needed.
• Both club and TiL agreed to liaise on this issue going forward.

The meeting closed.  The next planned get-together is due in late June/early July.