Club News

GAFFER GIVES HIS VIEW ON GLOVERS TEST...AND THE REST!

Hatters boss Nathan Jones has spoken to lutontown.co.uk after seeing who his team will face on Saturday 5th August and beyond in the 2017-18 Sky Bet League Two campaign as they look to build on last season's play-off qualification.

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The Welshman's old club Yeovil provide the opposition for the first opening day home game in our fourth season since returning to the EFL, and the man who spent seven years at Huish Park as player, coach and assistant-manager said: "It'll be a tough game. We always know we have tough games against Yeovil, and they are all tough games in his league.

"That's especially so with the opening fixtures – everyone is always up for it on the opening day. People are fresh, they are ready and raring to go, so it's always a difficult game.

"We are quite content with being at home this year rather than a long trip, like we did last year. We start with two home games including the Ipswich game in the Carabao Cup, so I'm pleased with that."

Last the Town announced the signing of ex-West Ham goalkeeper Marek Stech from Sparta Prague, and the opening day could see the 27-year-old make his Hatters debut against the side he last played for in English football, having played alongside Jones in a loan spell at Huish Park and then for two years after the gaffer had left.

"With Marek coming in as well, there'll be a lot of familiarity," said Jones. "It's always good to see people that you know, and your friends. But the old cliché is that for 90 minutes you forget about that, and it's true."

After a trip to Barnet, August is completed by a home date with Colchester and a trip to Mansfield, both side who were pushing for a play-off place right up until the final day of last term and who are expected by many to be contenders again in 2017-18.

"I don't think you can say which ones will be up there and which won't at this stage," said Jones. "They are strong sides who have strengthened well. Mansfield have strengthened quite a lot.

"Colchester obviously had a good side last year and August looks a a difficult month, but they are all difficult games at this level, as we've found. There is no one you can say 'Well, this is going to be an especially tough game', because they all are.

"Games you think you're supposed to win, you don't. Tougher games we tended to win last year, so we know it's going to be a difficult month, but of course we are looking to start well. By the time the season starts we'll have hoped to have got all our squad ready, and then we'll be raring to go."

The second month of the season sees newly-promoted Lincoln City and relegated Swindon Town, Port Vale and Chesterfield all provide the opposition for Jones' men.

He added: "Again, it's equally as difficult because a lot of sides who have come down will be expected to do well, and obviously Lincoln, who won the league, will have momentum.

"There are difficult games all over, but that's the league. There are no easy games; there are no bankers, no game's a given. So whichever one it's going to be, whether it's a side that's finished last year in the bottom half, a side that's come down or a side that's come up, they are all difficult games at this level.

"We are just looking forward to going again and seeing the fixture list today provides us something to work towards."

LUTON TOWN FIXTURES 2017-18

*Please note, the fixture list below is a draft version and dates of matches are still subject to change.

AUGUST

Sat Aug 5 Yeovil Town HTue Aug 8 Ipswich Town (Carabao Cup One)Sat Aug 12 Barnet ASat Aug 19 Colchester United HWed Aug 23 Carabao Cup TwoSat Aug 26 Mansfield Town A

SEPTEMBER

Sat Sep 2 Lincoln City A (International Date)Sat Sep 9 Swindon Town HTue Sep 12 Port Vale HSat Sep 16 Wycombe Wanderers AWed Sep 20 Carabao Cup ThreeSat Sep 23 Chesterfield HTue Sep 26 Morecambe ASat Sep 30 Newport County H

OCTOBER

Sat Oct 7 Accrington Stanley A (International Date)Sat Oct 14 Stevenage HTue Oct 17 Exeter City ASat Oct 21 Crawley Town AWed Oct 25 Carabao Cup FourSat Oct 28 Coventry City H

NOVEMBER

Sat Nov 4 Emirates FA Cup 1Sat Nov 11 Cheltenham Town A (International Date)Sat Nov 18 Cambridge United HTue Nov 21 Carlisle United HSat Nov 25 Crewe Alexandra A

DECEMBERSat Dec 2 Emirates FA Cup 2Sat Dec 9 Notts County HSat Dec 16 Forest Green Rovers AWed Dec 20 Carabao Cup FiveSat Dec 23 Grimsby Town HTue Dec 26 Swindon Town ASat Dec 30 Port Vale A

JANUARY

Mon Jan 1 Lincoln City HSat Jan 6 Wycombe Wanderers H (Emirates FA Cup 3)Wed Jan 10 Carabao Cup Semi-Final (1)Sat Jan 13 Chesterfield ASat Jan 20 Morecambe HWed Jan 24 Carabao Cup Semi-Final (2)Sat Jan 27 Grimsby Town A (Emirates FA Cup 4)

FEBRUARY

Sat Feb 3 Exeter City HSat Feb 10 Stevenage ATue Feb 13 Crawley Town HSat Feb 17 Coventry City A (Emirates FA Cup 5)Sat Feb 24 Cheltenham Town HSun Feb 25 Carabao Cup Final

MARCH

Sat Mar 3 Cambridge United ASat Mar 10 Accrington Stanley HSat Mar 17 Newport County A (Emirates FA Cup 6)Sat Mar 24 Barnet H (International Date)Sat Mar 31 Colchester United A

APRIL

Mon Apr 2 Mansfield Town HSat Apr 7 Yeovil Town ASat Apr 14 Crewe Alexandra HSat Apr 21 Carlisle United A (Emirates FA Cup Semi-Final)Sat Apr 28 Forest Green Rovers H

MAY

Sat May 5 Notts. County ASat May 19 Emirates FA Cup Final

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