These are a particularly peculiar set of notes to write today.

Customarily, I, or a colleague, would be signing off the season with a little review. But, whilst this could prove to be the final home programme of the season, the focus and determination across the club are centred on the delivery of the target over these next two games: to give the team a genuine opportunity to extend the campaign into May and earn a place in the play-offs. The hope is that these notes introduce another chapter rather than bring this season to a close.

However, it would be remiss of me not to dwell, to some extent, on our challenges and ultimate progress this term.

Firstly, however, let me begin by welcoming everyone associated with our friends from Barnsley to Kenilworth Road. We have not only enjoyed working closely with those at Oakwell following several player exchanges in recent years, but also the battles on the pitch, whether going head-to-head for promotion or fighting against relegation. Who can forget both of our great escapes in 2020 following promotion the previous season?

Their visit here certainly acts as a reminder of how tough this season has been for us and where we are today. Back in November we were soundly and deservedly beaten on a day we would prefer to forget.

In many ways, the result and performance summed up that first half of this campaign. In typical Luton fashion, 2025/26 has undoubtedly been another rollercoaster season, but one which I firmly believe has now suffered its dip as we once again head in an upward trajectory. For much of this season, our standards fell well below those expected at Luton Town and below the levels supporters quite rightly demand.

There’s no dressing that up, we felt we were still carrying a lot from the previous campaign – mentally, physically, structurally – and it took time to battle through that frustration. The momentum we had built previously had stalled, and we once again found ourselves searching for the right balance through adaptation and restructuring.

Prior to that game at Barnsley, we were required to make a second managerial change in a single year, which was not something that sat comfortably with us, purely because the firm belief and our central aim is always to provide a foundation of stability from top to bottom. Stability, time and trust in people are at the core of our operational ideology, just as is the recognition that swift action sometimes needs to be taken for the best interests of all concerned.

Since Jack was introduced, along with Chris and his new team of staff, time has naturally been needed for them to find their feet and turn a corner.

The challenge for Jack, in his first managerial job, was to find the optimal balance between his own footballing principles and the realities of League One football, which he is now achieving with great aplomb by yielding results that should, yet again, keep us competing at least until the last minute of the regular season.

For Jack and co. to achieve this has required faith and patience, not just from the board, but from everyone, including our faithful supporters, who all deserve great credit and appreciation. Living through the pain has been a bitter pill to swallow at times – we know – but we hope you will all get the rewards you deserve for staying with us. Thank you.

If we now take care of what’s in front of us, we give ourselves a magical chance. And if we do that – if we get there – we won’t be a team just happy to be involved, we’ll be the team in form, a team with momentum and one others will take seriously and want to avoid.

Whatever the outcome this season, we are excitedly preparing to attack next season head on. There is a real belief in the nucleus of the current squad, the majority of whom, with the right support and the right additions, should realistically either challenge strongly in League One or be equipped to compete steadily in the Championship. There is likely to be significant churn across all squads across the leagues, particularly as tighter financial controls begin to bite, which will create valuable recruitment opportunities for us to attract more players who fit the culture of the club and the demands of our emerging football identity.

Looking beyond even next season, the wider game is moving into a period of major change. The proposed framework around the Independent Football Regulator with new licensing requirements is set to reshape the way clubs will be required to operate in pursuit of community protection and sustainability – a direction we very much welcome.

There’s no avoiding the conversation around struggling finances in football. Across League One and beyond the numbers are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Losses are growing, wage levels are rising and there’s a clear sense that the current model is being pushed to its limits.

For the first time, we’re now seeing club owners across the game aggressively beginning to challenge the game’s financial structure. For a long time, we’ve sat slightly on the edge of that debate. Not because we disagree – quite the opposite – but because our financial position, supported by parachute funding in recent years, has naturally changed our financial landscape, helping us deliver our priority objective – to take this club to a heightened level by building our new home.

Clearly, Power Court is a central part of that wider identity and future ambition. Tower cranes are up, the project is on programme and on budget, and the design is continuing to move forward as work progresses on design evolution and interiors. Many more colleagues across the organisation are now closely involved as the project moves deeper into operational delivery. It is no longer just a vision to talk about; it is a live development that is steadily taking shape. Supporters can expect further updates during the summer as we begin to share more content about how the project is evolving. Shortly after the season begins, the whole town will witness daily progress as the structure rises.

Such planning on and off the pitch also explains why there will be some carefully considered changes within the organisation over the coming weeks. With two years left at Kenilworth Road and the move to Power Court on the horizon, the club is preparing for a different scale of operation whereby the future will demand new levels of diversified income, new levels of professionalism and new levels of operational excellence across all departments.

The foundations of the club remain as strong as ever. Internal stability has never been a major concern despite some inconsistency on the pitch. The structure, the processes and the people are all united – and that’s allowed us to work through a difficult period without losing sight of where we’re heading. That alignment will become even more important as the game of football in this country continues to evolve.

The structures being put in place are designed to make sure that transition is handled properly, professionally and in a timely manner. More on those developments will be shared during the summer, but the objective is simple: to ensure the club is ready for the next chapter in every sense.

The final word, as always, should go to the supporters. Seeing 34,000 Luton fans at Wembley was a source of pride and a reminder of what this club means to so many people. The same applies to those who have travelled throughout the season, often through difficult moments and frustrating periods, but who have continued to back the team with unwavering commitment. In recent weeks, it has been particularly pleasing to see that commitment rewarded by stronger away performances and by the sense of a squad growing into itself. There is enjoyment in the result, of course, but there is also a special kind of pride in watching the journey – in seeing improvement, development and togetherness return over time, knowing you were a part of it.

So, join me in getting behind the players and staff for what we hope will NOT be the final time here this season – and then see you at Bolton!

COYH!

Gary