Hatters sign triallists

The Town have announced the signings of triallist defenders Will Antwi and Curtis Osano on 6-month contracts.

Both players are said to have impressed on trial during Luton's pre-season friendlies.

I think that they are both good enough to play in the BSP but I am concerned that they have only been given 6 month contracts. It appears that the manager is not sure about them and that is a worry.

Osano has been playing at full back but can play centrally. He began at Reading and has been a first choice with Rushden for most of his career with them.

Ghanaian international ( well he played for them once!) Antwi has played for Crystal Palace, Aldershot Town, Wycombe Wanderers, and most recently Dagenham & Redbridge.

There is as yet no news about the striker situation but I believe that one more out and out striker is needed to give more options to the manager. 

Airbus1-2 Easyjet

Looks like it was beginning to come together last night as the Hatters nicked a 2-1 win at Airbus in Wales. I didn't go but the reports seem to indicate that James Dance will be a good addition and that MBH and Crow in a 4-4-2 looked a decent partnership. That was the case last pre-season but was then inexplicably binned by Richard Money. We've yet to see what AMS can do up front and that was where he stood out enough for us to move in and buy him.

We haven't seen Shane Blackett or George Pilkington in the side yet either. Blackett is probably about a week away from fitness (that is irony for those who do not recognise it!) and Pilks really IS about a week away from fitness.

By all accounts the Hatters could easily have won by 5 or 6 last night if the players were not all vying for the crossbar challenge trophy so let's all calm down and wait to see what transpires over the next few weeks before abandoning hope for the season!

Everybody Dance now!

Luton Town have announced the signing of Crawley Town winger/striker James Dance on a two year contract. I liked what I saw of the player last season and he looks a decent addition to the squad. I'm sure the club will still be looking to secure a good out and out striker before the season begins, and that will probably be enough to be going on with. Another central midfielder wouldn't be out of order too but we are not in a position to buy promotion the way Crawley Town did last year. I hope the creativity of Dance and Willmott on the wings and Lawless and Howells through the middle will provide enough chances to feed the strikers so that they can get the goals we need. We were among the top scorers in the League last season and there is no reason to believe we won't be this year.

Being a Luton fan is sometimes embarrassing.....

Being a Luton fan is sometimes embarrassing; not because we are currently a non-league team; not because we have fallen in the play-offs twice in a row; not because we have not signed another 22 players in the close season; not because the custodians of the club are doing a bad job; not because we have lost to a Welsh club in a meaningless friendly; not because the manager doesn't know what he is doing, not because the players we have are rubbish; not because we have no new stadium; Simply because I have to be tarnished by association with some of the worst alleged supporters in English football who call themselves fans of my football club, know very little at best and damn all at worst about football in general, Luton Town in particular or Luton Town's day to day running, and spout off at every opportunity, denigrating the club that I have loved and supported for 54 years, and do nothing but spread malicious lies, gossip and negativity for various reasons, some more Machiavellian than others. Some even have a negative effect on the players and their performances both by comments on websites and by booing players at matches.  I have two words for all those people who fall into any of those categories and the second of those words is OFF! 

Hatters after winger

Crawley Town winger James Dance is reported to be on his way to Luton after his club accepted a bid from the Hatters.

Luton were keen on signing Dance in the January transfer window from Kettering but he joined Crawley instead. I don't know if it was that Crawley outbid us or the player preferred to go to Crawley, but the newly promoted club are happy to let him go now.

Dance is said to be about to discuss personal terms with Luton, with York, Grimsby, Mansfield and Darlington  all reported to have been interested in him prior to him signing for Crawley.

Meanwhile, it is believed that Town target Alan Connell is set to sign for Swindon Town for a fee in excess of £100K. That is far too much for a one season wonder and I can't see he would have been better than what we already have.

Alan Connell and his delusional chairman

I see Grimsby Chairman Fenty has said he would not sell Alan Connell to a rival club, and that he guarantees that he will not be a Luton player this season. I for one am less than bothered at the prospect.


I don't know why our manager is even thinking about signing Connell. He has had one decent season at the age of 28. His stats (0.25 goals per game)are much worse than Matthew Barnes-Homer's (0.31) and he (MBH) gets the boo boys on his back constantly for not scoring enough and many would like to see him sold. MBH was signed in similar circumstances when he had his one hit wonder season at Kidderminster of 34 goals against Connell's 29 in his and he arrived on a free. There is no guarantee that Connell will repeat that effort just as MBH hasn't. I'd much rather see us go for someone who is more consistent over a few seasons. Therefore £50K is probably about right for Connell. Tops! We have signed better and not even played them in the side on a regular basis.


We have enough quality in the team already to win this league if the manager decides on his best team and plays it regularly instead of chopping and changing all the time. All our previously successful campaigns have been based on a good spine to the team: Keeper, Central defender hard tackling central midfielder and tall physical striker and a settled team. Add to that some speed and delivery from the wings and a midfield playmaker and half decent support striker, central defender and full backs and it is a winning combination. Simples! :-) If we can't do that on the highest gates in the division then we deserve to stay where we are!

Ed and Fred

Ed Asafu-Adjaye and Freddie Murray have signed their new contracts with the Hatters as the team continue their pre-season training ahead of a group of friendly matches.

Town Boss Gary Brabin is still looking for a couple of players to fill the shoes left by Claude and Jason Walker, but has said he will not be held to ransom over transfer fees. He has admitted interest in Alan Connell from Grimsby but has other irons in the fire and expects to complete a couple of signings ahead of the new season.

Rushden withdraw appeal

Rushden & Diamonds have withdrawn their appeal against expulsion fro the Conference. The Conference will formally announce the fact and release the season's fixture list on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

At least they went out kicking and causing maximum disruption to the authorities! :-) I am sad to see them go and hope they regroup and come back strong.

Meanwhile, the negative fans are still bemoaning the fact that Luton Town have not made any further signings as yet. Ed Asafu-Adjaye and Freddie Murray have at this point failed to sign their new contracts, which is sad to see, but they have to do what they think is best for them. However we can't wait forever and if they refuse for much longer I would withdraw the offers and move to replace them. I am sure that there will be further activity before the season starts and I would be very surprised if we do not sign at least a fairly high profile striker and possibly a further midfielder before much longer.

Another one bites the dust

Claude Gnakpa has signed a one year deal for Walsall this afternoon after his contract expired. The Hatters' statement revealed that he had been offered new terms but opted for the deal at the Bescot.

In many ways it is sad to see him go, as on his day he could be very entertaining, however, on the down side, he was supposed to be a wing back but didn't bother tracking back when he lost out further upfield, and he was often very selfish in possession. On paper last season we were arguably the best squad of players in the division, but we lost out to two sides who perhaps didn't have better players individually but were successful in working together as a team. We must sit back and wait to see what players are brought in and whether Brabin can successfully blend the players into a winning combination.

Since most players' contracts run until July 1st, those who are going to be out of contract are now free agents, so we should expect to see some activity very soon. I will reserve judgement until I see who is in the squad when the season starts!