2023-05-28 15:06:32
It is an epic that would have its place in a television series. A story that English football fans could tell their children. That of a Tom Thumb who will play among the giants. The Luton Town club, 50 km north of London, validated its ticket for the most prestigious championship in the world this Saturday.
And even this final Championship playoff final, against Coventry City, had everything from a Hitchcockian scenario (1-1, 5-6 after pens). Before winning on penalties, Luton led the score, were caught, and saw three of their goals disallowed by the refereeing body, including one in the final moments of extra time. But fate was on his side, to conclude in style 10 years of a unique epic.
The club will therefore play in the Premier League next season, for the first time since 1992. But it had in the meantime fallen into amateur football. In 2014 again, Luton Town played in the English fifth division. After moving up to League Two (D4), the team repeated the exploits. In quick succession, the Hatters went from the fourth, to the third, to the second division, between 2018 and 2020.
A historic first for a player
At the heart of each climb, a man: Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu. The Congolese international, who arrived permanently at the club in 2014 after a loan, has known everything in Luton. He has been one of the team’s indestructible starters for almost a decade. He grew up with the club, accompanied it, until starting this Saturday evening against Coventry, and celebrating a rise with a particularly special taste for him.
Next season he would become the first player in history to experience amateur football and the Premier League with the same club.
If he lived the best day of his career at the grandiose Wembley Stadium this weekend, it is in completely different conditions that he will face the greats of England next season. In a few months, Liverpool, Manchester City, United or Arsenal will move to Kenilworth Road, Luton Town’s stadium since… 1905.
A historic enclosure, which has not really evolved with the times. To access the 10,000 seats, you have to cross one of the archaic entrances to the stadium, integrated into the houses of the district. If you visit the visitor parking lot, the staircase that leads to your place even overlooks the small gardens of the neighbors, as if nothing had happened.
Even Luton Town can’t believe it. “It’s amazing to think that this stadium will be in the Premier League next season,” the club wrote on Twitter, itself surprised at its place among the elite.
“Haaland will go through another shitty entrance! »
“It annoys me and it makes me laugh to see so much content on social networks talking about the entrance that overlooks a garden. But it’s been like that since World War II, so why talk about it now? “said the club’s general manager, Gary Sweet, to The Athletic. “Erling Haaland will not go through this entrance, he will go through another shitty entrance we have! There is no big entrance here, that’s how it is, you have to accept it! “, he continued.
But the dilapidated state of the facilities will still have a price. The Bedfordshire club will have to shell out around £10million to bring their stadium up to Premier League standards. Press gallery, quality of the projectors, cameras for the VAR… everything needs to be redone or almost. Especially since the brand new stadium planned in Luton should not be inaugurated before at least 2025.
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