Luton will never forget how far they have come and will stay grounded as they look to secure promotion to the Premier League, according to club great Mick Harford.
The Hatters will meet Coventry in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday with each aiming to cap a remarkable upturn in fortunes by earning a place back among England’s elite.
For Luton, it would be the culmination of a journey which saw them drop out of the Football League in 2009 in the wake of a 30-point deduction for financial irregularities under previous ownership.
Following a five-year exile, the Bedfordshire club slowly worked their way back up the pyramid.
Last season’s promotion hopes from the Championship finished with defeat in the semi-finals under former boss Nathan Jones, who had returned for another spell in charge.
Former Hatters striker Harford was part of the Luton team which won the 1988 League Cup with victory over Arsenal.
The 64-year-old is now Town’s chief recruitment officer, the latest of several roles he has held at Kenilworth Road – including stints as manager, helping to finish the push to the 2018-19 League One title.
After Luton beat Sunderland to book their trip to Wembley, Harford is hoping for a fairytale ending to the latest chapter in the club’s history.
“We have got to the point now where it is just one game,” said Harford, who is supporting Prostate Cancer UK’s Prostate FC campaign as he continues to receive treatment for the disease.
“We have the utmost respect for our opponents because they have come through the same route, from League Two up into the Championship, but we have been really consistent over the season.
“We were the best of the rest in the league (to finish third). We are going into the game full of confidence, but respectful of the opposition.”
While Harford accepts Saturday is “probably one of the biggest games in Luton’s history”, that will not detract those in charge from taking their focus away from the bigger picture.
“Our chief executive Gary Sweet always says those years in the Conference gave us a bit of grounding,” Harford said.
“You have got no divine right to be at the top of the pyramid. You have got to do the right things and show a lot of respect.
“We have been very diligent on our recruitment, trying to recruit the best kind of players and the best people, good characters.
“It is tough and it is hard. You have to be patient, you have to be strong.
“We have tried to sign players but couldn’t because financially we couldn’t compete with other clubs, so we had to move on to our next choice.
“We believe in our processes at the football club. There is a great culture, a great environment.
“We have created a great vibe at the training ground over the last few months – (manager) Rob (Edwards) has done a brilliant job.
“The togetherness and the spirit of the players, the camaraderie has been excellent and that has been a massive bonus for us.
“The atmosphere at Wembley will be incredible. Coventry have come a long way and so have we. It is going to be an exciting day and hopefully it falls in our favour.”
Harford was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December 2020, and following a course of radiotherapy continues to receive hormone treatment.
He is calling on football fans to join Prostate FC, helping to raise awareness of the risk factors, fund research and save lives in every club across the UK.
Luton’s head matchday hospitality host Les Turton has undergone successful surgery following his own diagnosis.
“Our aim has always been about if we can just help one person,” Harford said.
“We have been trying to get the word out there as much as we can to raise awareness and for people to get tested for this terrible disease.
“We have achieved quite a few things and hopefully we will carry on doing that.”
:: Prostate FC is the biggest team in football taking on the most common cancer in men. Find out how you can help save men’s lives and join Mick and Les at Prostate FC by visiting prostatecanceruk.org/prostatefc
Moyes: Leaving is 'right decision' for me and West Ham
David Moyes says he and West Ham made the right decision for him to leave at the end of the season.
West Ham announced on Monday that Moyes would be stepping down as their manager, with Julen Lopetegui reportedly lined up as his replacement.
The Hammers have slipped away from the European places in recent weeks, with a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea last time out extending a four-game winless run.
Speaking for the first time since the announcement, Moyes said he was comfortable with how it played out: "Look, there's a lot of things in football that can be done a lot better.
"But I'm really comfortable with the situation. I'm comfortable with the board, so at the moment, everything's fine. It's football.
"I think it's the right decision for both parties, for myself and the club and we'll go our separate ways having had, I think, a really good four-and-a-half years. "
Luton Town sit three points from safety after a 1-1 draw with Everton last Friday and know that a defeat against West Ham could see them relegated if Nottingham Forest avoid defeat against Chelsea.
Rob Edwards was upbeat about his team’s chances despite only having two games left, saying: "I don't think it would be a miracle at all. We have been in worse situations as a football club and still got out of it!
"We know what we have to do. We have got to pick up points and that has got to start [against West Ham].
"Of course, it's not [mission impossible]. We will concentrate on ourselves. Obviously, we know that we are going to need some help [from other teams], but we all know how hard it is to win in the Premier League.
"We have got to try and do that - obviously Forest and Burnley have got difficult games as well."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
West Ham – Jarrod Bowen
Bowen has scored 16 Premier League goals this season – the last West Ham player to net more in a single top-flight campaign was Tony Cottee in 1986-87 (22).
Indeed, no player has scored more headed goals in the Premier League this season than Bowen (five).
Luton Town – Alfie Doughty
Doughty has created 67 chances for Luton Town this season in the Premier League – since 2003-04, the only Englishmen to create more chances in their debut season in the competition are James Maddison (100 in 2018-19) and Rickie Lambert (81 in 2012-13).
MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN
West Ham are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games against promoted sides (W8 D2) since a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in August last season. At home, they have won six of their last seven such games since a 2-1 loss to Brentford in October 2021.
The Hammers are also looking to complete their first league double over Luton since 1983-84, following their 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road earlier this season.
However, West Ham have lost three of their last four Premier League games (D1), shipping five goals in each of the last two defeats (2-5 v Crystal Palace, 0-5 v Chelsea). Indeed, the Hammers have conceded 5+ goals in four different league games this season, last doing so more in 1965-66 (6).
Since beating Brighton 4-0 in January and moving outside the relegation zone, Luton have won just one of their last 15 Premier League games (D4 L10), with defeat in this match leaving them on the cusp of relegation back to the Championship.
Luton have both scored and conceded in 29 of their 36 Premier League games this season, a joint-competition record alongside Swindon in 1993-94 and Southampton in 1994-95. The last side to see both themselves and their opponents score in more top-flight matches in a single campaign were Newcastle in 1985-86 (31).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
West Ham – 56.5%
Draw – 23.9%
Luton Town – 19.6%
Mbappe confirms PSG departure at end of season
Kylian Mbappe has confirmed that he will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.
Mbappe, who joined PSG on a permanent deal from Monaco in 2018 after spending a season on loan, has made 305 appearances for the club, scoring 255 goals, 42 of which came in European competition.
The 25-year-old helped them win Ligue 1 six times, including this season, three Coupe de France titles and two Coupe de la Ligue trophies.
Mbappe, who is out of contract this year, will not be staying at the Parc des Princes at the end of the season, with reports suggesting he could join Real Madrid.
In a message posted on his social media channels, Mbappe said: "I've always said that I would speak with you when the time comes, and so I wanted to announce to you all that it's my last year at Paris Saint-Germain.
"I will not extend, and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks.
"I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday."
"It's a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honour to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world, which allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player by being alongside some of the best in history, to meet a lot of people and to grow as a man with all the glory and the mistakes I've made.
"I want to thank the teammates, all of the teammates that I had. All the coaches, Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Christophe Galtier and Luis Enrique.
"It's hard, it's hard and I never thought it would be this difficult, to announce that to leave my country, France, the Ligue 1, a championship I have always known, but I think I needed this, a new challenge after seven years.
"It's difficult and, of course, there are some people, I want to thank above all these are the fans. I know I am not the most demonstrative player. I haven't always lived up to the love you all gave me for the seven years, but I never wanted to cheat. I have always wanted to be effective.
"PSG is a club that never leaves anyone indifferent. We can love it or hate it. I made the choice of loving it and I did it for seven years, with ups and downs, of course, but I do not regret any moment, signing with this prestigious club.
"It's a club that I will keep in memory my entire life. I will tell everybody my whole life, that I had the chance to play here. I won't be a player anymore, but I will continue to watch every game, of course, because it's a club that I will always be interested in, and I will always closely follow up its news.
"It was me with my qualities and defects, but I tried to give the best version of myself during those seven years. But beforehand I want to say thank you because without you all I would not have experienced half of the emotions I felt. And just for that, I am grateful for life.
Chelsea sacking would not be the end of the world - Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino says it would not be "the end of the world" if he were to leave Chelsea at the end of the season.
The Blues have lost just one of their last 12 matches in the Premier League, and they thrashed West Ham 5-0 in their last game to make it four home wins on the bounce.
Chelsea now sit in seventh place with a place in Europe next season within their reach, but rumours continue to spread that Pochettino’s future at the club is not safe.
Pochettino stressed that he wants to be involved in the conversations about the club’s plans at the end of the season, which is when a decision will be made.
He said: "If we are happy, perfect. But it is not only if the owners are happy or the sporting directors happy... You need to ask us also, because maybe [we] say, ‘we are not happy’ and we accept the situation, and we need to split.
“It is not going to be the first time the coaching staff at the end of the season decide to not keep going. But at this end, it is always the opposite way. It is always the owners or the sporting directors.
"If we split it’s not a problem, it will not be the end of the world."
At the other end of the table, Nottingham Forest boosted their survival hopes with a 3-1 win over already-relegated Sheffield United last Saturday to move three points clear of the drop.
With Forest still not safe with two games to go, Nuno Espirito Santo admitted this was his toughest season as a manager so far.
"It’s been hard but I’m repeating myself. Since day one we embraced the challenge," said Nuno.
"There were a lot of things we were not expecting, but we dealt with them in the proper moment and in the right way. With the right attitude and working together, we can overcome the obstacles, and we have had a lot."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood
Wood has scored more goals than any other Nottingham Forest player in the Premier League this season (12). However, in 11 meetings with Chelsea in the competition, he has never found the back of the net, something he will want to change at the weekend.
Chelsea – Cole Palmer
Palmer has been involved in 30 Premier League goals this season, scoring 21 and assisting nine.
The last Chelsea player to be involved in more was Eden Hazard in 2018-19 (31 – 16G 15A), while 2009-10 was the last time a Blues player scored more in a league campaign (Didier Drogba 29, Frank Lampard 22).
MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN
Chelsea have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games (W6 D5), though they are winless in their last five away from home (D4 L1).
The Blues have won just two of their last 10 away league games against Forest (D4 L4), winning 1-0 in November 1994 and 3-1 in February 1999.
Following their 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in September, Forest are looking to complete their first league double over Chelsea since 1978-79, when they were reigning top-flight champions under Brian Clough.
Indeed, Forest have only lost their final home league match in one of their six previous Premier League campaigns (W4 D1), doing so against Sheffield United in 1992-93 with a 2-0 defeat that confirmed their relegation.
Chelsea’s Premier League games have seen 129 goals this season (F70 A59), the third most after Sheffield United (135) and Newcastle (134). Only in 2009-10 (135) have the Blues' games produced more goals (F103 A32).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nottingham Forest – 25.5%
Draw – 27.6%
Chelsea – 46.9%
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