Thursday 30 June 2011

Another player's future sorted out

Zdenek Kroca  has today cured his homesickness by joining Kilmarnock. Perhaps he saw the writing on the wall with the signing of Beckwith?

He was a likeable chap but turned more slowly than the Titanic and was prone to regular mistakes in the middle of defence. However, he was still a decent player for this level. The Hatters will now probably look for another central defender as three leaves them a bit light in the event of injury or suspension.

Meanwhile Luton have admitted interest in Grimsby striker Alan Connell who was their top scorer last season with 25 goals in 46 appearances a goal in every 1.84 games. His strike rate prior to that season wasn't all that so if we do sign him let's hope it wasn't a flash in the pan. However, the Hatters also said that they haven't put in a bid so the 'derisory' offers received from 3 League clubs and 1 BSP club reported by Grimsby did not include us.

Wednesday 29 June 2011

Latest goings on

So.... the fans think we have missed out on all the best signings and we're leaving it too late. Where is the evidence for that? Most players' contracts don't end until July so those out of contract then cannot sign for anyone else yet, and therefore their current clubs who want to keep them may still be in talks with them. Arguably the only players who have been signed  so far are those released by their existing clubs and therefore are probably not the best that WILL be available in the close season transfer window. We have tended in the past to wait until July and even August before making our bigger signings, when the better players are officially out of contract. I can't think of any players who have been available so far who I would have liked to see join the ranks apart from those who would not come down to the Conference and have joined League clubs. And don't forget, Luton have, in recent seasons, only announced targets after they have signed or after we have dropped out of signing them.

It seems that Zdenek Kroca wants to return to his native country  although the club are still talking to his agent, but Dean Beckwith will be a more than adequate replacement alongside Pilks and Blackett for the two central defender places. Also Luke Graham has returned to Kettering after his loan spell ended. I didn't think he was good enough to sign permanently. Rumours abound regarding Claude Gnakpa 's having tweeted that the club haven't spoken to him directly yet. Well that's why he has an agent - stupid boy! I would like to see him stay, but if he doesn't I won't be slitting my wrists.  He is brilliant on his day but he has been a bit of a luxury player at times, in and out of form. If he has completely recovered from his injury, Charlie Henry will be like a new signing, and at his best will be awesome in this league.

We need to be patient and see what targets end up signing. The last time we were signing players left right and centre was a disaster season if you remember.

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Blackett signs

Shane Blackett has signed a 1 year extension to his contract and is reported to have passed a medical after hernia and groin in juries kept him one week away from fitness for just about the whole season. A fully fit Blackett will be a real asset to the squad but let's hope that at 28 years old he hasn't shot it physically.

Monday 20 June 2011

Pre-season

So far confirmed are:



Fri 15     July   Hitchin Town (A) 7:45

Sun 17   July The New Saints (A) 3:00
Tue 19   July Airbus UK (A) 7:45
Thu 21   July Colwyn Bay (A) 7:45
Sat 23   July Bedford Town (A) 3:00
Wed 27 July Gabala (H) 7:45

Tue 2 August Parma (H) 7:45

Scotty's View: JJ signs

Scotty's View: JJ signs: "JJ O'Donnell has signed a 1 year extension to his contract. Perhaps he'll get a little more activity this season. He looked useful in the FA..."

JJ signs

JJ O'Donnell has signed a 1 year extension to his contract. Perhaps he'll get a little more activity this season. He looked useful in the FA Trophy but needs a few hours in the gym to get a bit of meat on him. Not the sort of meat that can be seen elsewhere in the team though! ;-)

The perpetual bull shine that has been emanating from some sources recently was proven to be just that today when Chris Holroyd, that recently very prolific goalscorer (NOT!) that Brighton released, signed for Rotherham. I believe that there may well be a few more changes in the near future as Brabin looks to get a balance squad together. We still await news of the negotiations to keep Claude with us.

I only hope that once the squad is complete, Brabin works out what his best player in each position is and let's them have a run of starts to build up some momentum.

I seem to remember that in virtually all our successful seasons, the success was based on a settled side who all played when fit, and squad rotation hadn't been invented!

Friday 17 June 2011

Jason Walker to exit

So Jason Walker is leaving for York City. Reports in the York Press stated that he was a York City player, prompting LTFC to make a statement, which suggests that Mr Walker did not do things as the club would have liked him to!
The Hatters' statement read:
"The Club would like to respond to media reports that striker Jason Walker has signed for York City.
Last week the Club received an offer from York for Walker and an acceptable transfer fee was proposed.
The 27-year-old was then given permission to speak to York. Walker confirmed that he would give Gary Brabin his decision after a few days' thought.
Subsequently the Club found out via reports in York that Walker had already become a York player.
Walker sent Brabin a text message in the early hours of Friday morning stating that his family had struggled to settle in Bedfordshire and that he would like to sign for York.
This morning the two clubs agreed terms to allow Walker to sign for the Minstermen for an up-front fee of £60,000.
Walker will officially become a York player once the paperwork has been signed in the early part of next week. Until then, Walker officially remains a Luton Town player.
Brabin told lutontown.co.uk this morning: "I've always known that improving the forward line was the most important aspect of my efforts in the transfer market this summer.
"Jason's impending move to York has reinforced this and will give me a real opportunity to bring in a player to score the goals to fire us to promotion."

Well then Mr Brabin - go get us a striker who knows where the net is! 

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Hatters next signing is Dean Beckwith

Luton Town have announced the signing of Northampton Town's centre back Dean Beckwith. He's a big lad at 6'3" and will be a useful addition to the squad. What that means regarding the announced negotiations with Zdenek Kroca and Shane Blackett remains to be seen.


27-year-old Beckwith has signed a two-year deal at Kenilworth Road, and was regular member of the Cobblers' squad last season. 



He is reported to have turned down offers from a number of Football League clubs to join the Hatters.
It would be nice to think that he is an addition to the squad rather than a replacement as Kroca and Pilkington were a useful combination last season. I don't know enough about Beckwith to predict whether he is considered a first choice or not but he made 25 league appearances for Northampton in 2009/10 and 37 in 2010/11so he seems to have been a fairly regular choice for them.

He began at Gillingham without making much impact as a youngster and then went to Dagenham and Redbridge on loan but he really started making his mark in 130 appearances for Hereford United in the Conference in 2005 and getting promoted with them to League two and then to League one before moving to the Cobblers.

Saturday 11 June 2011

Rushden & Diamonds

It is yet another sad day for football to see Rushden & Diamonds expelled from the Conference. They were a great little club and very hospitable. It now looks like they will be in the Zamaretto League two levels below the Conference. Let's hope for the sake of their fans that they can consolidate, recover and climb back at least to the Conference.

No fans can understand their fan's devastation at this news more than Hatters fans. I wish then the very best of luck in turning this disaster around.

Friday 10 June 2011

Goalposts covered

Great news that Mark Tyler and Kevin Pilkington have both signed new 1 year deals today. They are two of, if not the two best keepers in the Conference.

Nice to see the club beginning to get the squad organised.

Meanwhile, Alan Neilson has denied that Luton have received any offers for any of their players Jason Walker included. Close season speculation was always thus!

Tuesday 7 June 2011

York interest in Jason Walker

According to the York Press, York City have put in an improved bid for Jason Walker. They claim that Luton allowed a clause in Walker's contract, similar to the one that saw the exit of Andy Drury last season to Ipswich.

York were one of the interested parties when Luton signed Walker, but since he was given only 8 starts after signing for the Hatters, he may well see his future elsewhere especially after his penalty miss in the play-off final attracted some salient comments from Luton's boo boys!

New Season - New Hope

Well, we're in that twilight zone between being disappointed that our beloved Luton have failed to achieve the desired result and the hope and anticipation that a new season brings. Watching the forum posts is an interesting hobby as the dissenters complain and the more positive members defend their team and players before eventually calling each other some less-than-complimentary names. I had naively thought that we were all on the same side.

I decided to see if I could be technically capable of writing a blog, but being an old git, I may run into difficulties, but, hey, I'll give it a go. I may be the only one who gets to read it anyway!

On a personal front, my granddaughter, Francesca, 2 yrs old, delighted us all with a rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, displayed on her mother's Facebook page. It is very interesting to hear the mondegreens of a 2 yr-old, like Mary Mary quiet canary, and in the Twinkle rhyme, Up above the whirl so high, like a diner in the sky!

After a period of mourning, and the Luton Town Website going into hibernation (or more correctly aestivation since it is summer and not winter)  Luton, at last, have signed their first new player for next season.

Aaron O'Connor, the 27 year-old Rushden & Diamonds captain and striker joined the Hatters on a free transfer after his contract at Nene Park ended. If he fares as well as David Bell and Paul Underwood he won't go far wrong.


O'Connor started his career at Ilkeston Town before Joining Scunthorpe on 12 December 2002. This was not a successful move for the player who, at 19, appeared to display a lack of application, at least in the opinion if manager Brian Laws. 
Aaron then kicked around some non-league clubs  Gresley Rovers, Nuneaton Borough, and back to Ilkeston, before going again to Gresley in 2004. He stayed 2 years and began to come into his own winning the Trifecta of supporter's, manager's and player's player of the year awards both seasons.  had a brief spell at Nuneaton Borough at the start of the 2003-4 season, before moving back to Ilkeston. He then moved onto Gresley in July 2004. He spent two seasons at Gresley, winning the Player's Player of The Year, Manager's Player of The Year and Supporter's Player of The Year awards in both seasons. During his stay at Gresley he had a two-week trial with Rushden but nothing materialised, and he joined Grays in the Conference in the January 2007 transfer window. After a season and a half with Grays he did not accept a renewed contract and was signed by Mansfield Town scoring 8 in 39 games. Released by Mansfield at the end of one season, and joined Rushden where he played 75 times scoring 24 goals and was made captain.He was offered a new contract at Rushden but after overtures from Luton Town and some other Conference and Football League clubs he opted for Luton Town.

He was a very well liked player by management and supporters at Rushden for his pace and work rate and it seems he is a bit of a late developer. It is to be hoped that he is, because the mood of many Luton Fans is even more sceptical about everything at the moment, and he will need to hit the ground running if they are not to get on his back!! :-)