Read Tony Bloom's Luton Town programme notes

These notes were written by chairman Tony Bloom for our Luton Town programme. 

I would like to begin by paying tribute to today’s visitors Luton Town. It has been fascinating to see their rise from the Conference to the Premier League, with promotion achieved thanks to a dramatic play-off final victory against Coventry City in late May. The Hatters are the latest example of why the football pyramid in this country is so cherished and so important – the structure we have in place gives clubs in the lower divisions the chance to dream and now Luton’s dreams have become a reality with their first ever season in the Premier League. I wish them well.

Our football club has enjoyed its own well-documented rise, from near-relegation out of the Football League to this season playing European football for the very first time. It’s a season that we are all looking forward to immensely, with those Euro adventures no doubt exciting our fans as we eagerly anticipate the Europa League group-stage draw on 1 September. There will be new teams to play, new stadiums and countries to visit, and I’m sure our travelling support will represent the club well in every way possible. I am thrilled to be on that journey.

For many of the players, this will be a new challenge; there is the extra travelling involved, lesser recovery time, and Thursday night games mean our following Premier League game will likely be played on a Sunday. That’s why it’s been so important to build a strong squad this summer, a talented squad, and one with more than a sprinkling of experience to help us with our new challenges.

We are fortunate to have a number of senior pros at the club, with James Milner a new addition to that group. We are delighted to welcome a player of such prestige to the Albion, one who still has so much to give on the pitch, while sharing his experiences and passing on his knowledge to our younger players off it. We have seen the impact Adam Lallana has had since he arrived from Liverpool and I’m sure James will follow suit.

We also welcome Igor Julio from Fiorentina, Mahmoud Dahoud from Borussia Dortmund, Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht and Joao Pedro from Watford. I’m looking forward to seeing their progression as they embark on what will hopefully be long and successful careers with us.

Heading out of the club was, of course, Alexis Mac Allister. There was always going to be interest in Alexis following his superb performances at the World Cup with Argentina. His attitude upon his return to us in January was exemplary. A great guy on and off the pitch, we will miss him; he leaves for Liverpool with our best wishes and we look forward to seeing him back at the Amex later in the season.

I would also like to wish Robert Sanchez all the best as he leaves for Chelsea after spending ten years at the Albion. He has played a significant part in our Premier League progression over the past three years.

New ground was also broken with our pre-season trip to the United States for the Premier League Summer Series. It was a real privilege for our club to be a part of the tournament and the welcome we received from our hosts in each city was first-class. It shows the power of the Premier League that we now have a substantial fanbase that follow us in America, and it was wonderful to see the stadiums for all fixtures so full. We enjoyed very competitive games against Chelsea, Brentford and Newcastle United, and experienced many memorable moments away from the games too.

Elsewhere around the club, it has been a busy summer, with Inigo Calderon appointed as our under-18s head coach. A real fans’ favourite during his time here as a player, Calde arrives following a solid coaching spell at his boyhood club Alaves in Spain, and I’m sure he’ll have a big impact on our young players. Calde follows in the footsteps of his former teammates Andrew Crofts, Gary Dicker and Gordon Greer, who have all returned to the club and have made a big impact in their current roles.

I think it’s so important to have former Albion players mentoring our young players as they know our DNA, they know what is needed to make it to our first team – and also what it takes to stay there. We’ve had a brilliant record in recent seasons with our pathway from the academy to the first-team squad, and I’m looking forward to seeing that continue this season.

We’ve also made plenty of positive steps forward with the women’s and girls’ side of the football club. Zoe Johnson has made a real impact since her appointment as managing director, while Melissa Phillips continues to impress us as head coach, both on and off the pitch. We know that our performances and results in the WSL last season were not in keeping with the expectations we have at the club. I am confident that we now have a really good structure in place – and a squad improved by a number of new arrivals already this summer – to have a much-improved season.

Finally, on behalf of the board of directors, I’d like to thank all our fans for your continued support this season. We are more than aware of the cost-of-living crisis in this country at the moment, and you have continued to back us in terms of season tickets, match tickets, and other sales. It is our desire to ensure that you are rewarded with strong and entertaining performances on the pitch as we continue to grow as a club.

Enjoy the season!