Luton Town’s return to the top is an example to Wrexham and others

LONDON – Even if promoted Luton Town start the season as relegation favourites, their

rise from non-league to English Premier League in nine years

serves as an example to other small clubs with big ambitions.

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has certainly taken note, the Hollywood A-lister quick to congratulate the Hatters on social media for their May 27 promotion and adding a watching eyes emoji.

His side, followed by a global audience drawn by their Hollywood owners,

were promoted to league football last season.

But Luton chairman David Wilkinson insisted comparisons only went so far.

“People have got rather too carried away with Wrexham and not enough with us, because we’ve come further and it’s been a very exciting ride. There’s a big difference between them and us,” he laughed.

“First of all, what makes us really different from certainly any teams in the top-two divisions is that we (the owners) are all local people and all Luton fans.

“The (other) clubs are now owned by Americans or Arabs or whatever and it does make us feel different and, of course, we’re a lot smaller than most of them, too.”

Kenilworth Road, Luton’s home since 1905 with its Oak Road End reached by a staircase over the back gardens of terraced homes, will be about the same capacity as Bournemouth (11,307) once seats are added in the rebuilt Bobbers Stand.

“What promotion to the Premier League really does is make us sustainable, because it will enable us to finish and build our new stadium which will put us in a different ballpark,” said Wilkinson.

“At the same time, it will make a better squad for us even if we get relegated, to be able to perform at a higher level in the Championship. We don’t think we will be, but it’s sustaining the club for the future which is what it’s been about.”

Luton hope to start on a new 23,000-seat stadium in 2024 and move in two years later.

Unable to match the financial firepower of bigger clubs even in the Championship, they invested in scouting, coaching and analytics.

“We’ve recruited quite well. We’ve had two recent managers who, because of their talents, have persuaded young players that they can make them better and, at the same time, climb up the leagues,” added Wilkinson.

Luton were last in the top flight from 1982-1992.

In the National League for five years to 2014, after a 30-point deduction for financial irregularities, they reached the Premier League by beating Coventry City 6-5 on penalties in the play-offs.

That made Luton the first club to return to the top flight after leaving the league.

“We’re natural underdogs. Our belief is we’ll give a few people a bit of a shock this year and we’ll see how we go,” said Wilkinson. REUTERS