03:03 PM
Doesn’t get much better than walking up Wembley Way as a fan
It’s actually called Olympic Way, but that is never going to stick.
02:55 PM
One of the most romantic play-off finals in many a year
Just five years ago, Luton Town vs Coventry City was a League Two fixture but today the two clubs meet at Wembley with a place in the Premier League and approximately £170 million at stake.
The presence of either team in the top flight would be a refreshing change from the interchangeable cast of yo-yo clubs who seem to occupy the promotion places. Coventry’s relegation from the Premier League in 2001 put an end to 34 consecutive seasons in the top division, before bad ownership and financial strife saw them sink to the fourth tier. Luton Town spent four seasons in the Conference between 2009 and 2014, following a highly contentious 30-point deduction imposed on them by the Football Association. Nine years on, Luton finished third in the Championship and are now one win away from a first top flight season since 1991-92.
Rob Edwards’ Luton finished 10 points clear of Coventry in the regular season so are considered favorites, even if both head-to-head games ended as a draw. Both teams averaged less than 50 percent possession this season, with Luton’s game defined by a high-tempo, pressing style and Mark Robins’ Coventry tending to drop off and defend in shape before counter-attacking. That could mean for quite a bitty contest with lots of turnovers. Luton and Coventry’s goal, shot and expected goal output is relatively modest, so it is shaping up to be a low-scoring final.
Gustavo Hamer has trained with the Coventry squad this week and appears likely to be fit, while Luton have no fresh injury concerns. Much of the coverage of Luton has focused on their 10,000-capacity home Kenilworth Road.
“We get the chants from away fans, Luton’s as—hole, all of that. They sing about tin huts and cowsheds,” said Kevin Harper, of the Luton Town Supporters Trust. “There’s no getting away from it: they’re absolutely right. But there’s something enchanting about this place. Come, experience it, it’s different, you’ll never forget Kenilworth Road.”
Full team news on the way shortly.
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