Luton chief urges Hatters fans to ‘go bananas’ and keep making Kenilworth Road a ‘cauldron’.
Town manager wants to see a repeat of Watford atmosphere against Sunderland
Luton boss Rob Edwards has called on Town’s fans to ‘go bananas’ every time the Hatters are in action at Kenilworth Road as it will give his side the best chance possible of turning their stadium into a fortress once more.
The home crowd did just that in the build-up to Saturday’s eagerly anticipated home derby against Watford, producing an atmosphere that is now in Edwards’ top three since taking over in November 2022, as it worked wonders too, Luton’s players responding with a quite brilliant 3-0 victory over their fiercest rivals.
Having spoken after the fixture about how the club are that much better when they are ‘united’, something that Luton CEO Gary Sweet called for when writing his programme notes as well, the Hatters fans now have another chance to dial up the volume and roar their side to three points against Sunderland this evening.
Ahead of the game, Edwards called on those attending to do their utmost to reproduce the same kind of noise they did going into the Hornets clash, saying: “There’s obviously so much expectation and ‘well we got promoted last time it’s just off you go, go and do it again.’ We’ve just not hit the levels that we’ve needed to, it works both ways so I’m not blaming anybody.
“We have to perform on the pitch, but also then to perform on the pitch, we need everyone else and Kenilworth Road at its best as well. It’s easy for fans to get up for the Watford game isn’t it? It’s just easy, so you see that cauldron. The three best games that I’ve ever been a part of have been at this football club, they’ve been the two Watford games and the Sunderland semi-final.
“It’s weird how we’re playing Sunderland and then Coventry on Saturday as well, it’s funny how it works, but those three have been the best atmospheres. Now the performance levels of the boys were top and the fans bounce off that, but in all three of those games the fans were going bananas in the warm-up and when the lads are running up the tunnel, they’re making ridiculous noise, feet, hands on whatever it is, it’s going off before the game and that helps.
“Everyone talks about the atmosphere at Kenilworth Road and there’s no doubt that it’s up there, but in those three games I’ve never known anything like it, how intimidating it can be, for us, to help us. So I suppose that’s my challenge as well to the fans, to try and create that for us before the game. Then it’s up to us and then hopefully they keep backing us throughout the game as they see the effort and the commitment from the boys.
“But there’s no doubt when we’re all together like that it’s a difficult place to come and play. It helps the players as ultimately we all want what’s best for the team, what’s best for the players, and when we’re all together like that we can be really strong.”
With Town having four players in the starting XI who weren’t at the club last term to witness the atmospheres generated for the Premier League matches, or the increased decibel levels that come with a derby against Watford, Edwards feels it will leave a lasting impression of just what can be created. He continued: “It was great for Mark McGuinness, Tom Krauß to see it, that’s what Kenilworth Road is about as well, he felt it.
“Victor, I thought Victor was incredible too, so all those boys who have come in now, have seen the Kenny at its best and that again is because of their performance as well. It works both ways, I completely understand that.”
