Luton Focus

FOCUS ON... The Gaffer Paul Buckle Former Bristol Rovers and Torquay boss Paul Buckle is the latest man charged with returning Luton Town to the Football League, having come agonisingly close to accomplishing that task within six weeks of his appointment last season. The 41-year-old took the reins at Kenilworth Road in early-April and a late season turnaround saw the Hatters force their way into the play-offs, where they were beaten by York City in the final. Buckle, a midfielder with over 500 league appearances to his name, most notably with Brentford, Torquay, Colchester and four separate spells with Exeter, has gone about trimming the Luton squad and adding players who can bring the winning mentality back to Kenilworth Road. And the former Grecian knows all about success in the Conference, having taken over at Torquay when they were relegated in 2007 and leading the club to two successive play-off appearances, the latter seeing the Plainmoor club beat Cambridge United 2-0 in the final to win promotion at the second attempt. Although United struggled back in the Football League, their end of season form in 2009/10 saw them secure survival with a club record seven consecutive clean sheets, which included a thumping 3-0 win here at Blundell Park. It was a sign of things to come and the following campaign the Gulls made it all the way to the League Two play-off final where they were edged out 1-0 by Stevenage. Buckle joined Bristol Rovers in the aftermath of that result but was given less than six months to turn the Pirates’ fortunes around before his dismissal. Now at the Luton helm, Buckle is confident that with new signings such as Ronnie Henry and Jon Shaw at his disposal that he can bring league football back to Kenilworth Road. Player Focus Stuart Fleetwood Welsh under-21 international Stuart Fleetwood is one of the Blue Square Bet Premier’s most lethal strikers and has been in scintillating form already this season, topping the Conference goalscoring charts with seven goals so far this term. Having turned out earlier in his career for Cardiff City and Hereford United, where he won his representative honours for Wales, Fleetwood made his name with Forest Green Rovers during the 2007/08 season. He caught the eye of several Football League clubs after goalscoring displays against Rotherham and Swindon in the Gloucestershire club’s FA Cup run during that campaign and looked to be heading to either Charlton or Crewe but opted to stay at the New Lawn for the whole season, scoring 28 times as the club achieved their highest-ever league finish.

A move to the Addicks did materialise that summer but he was strangely not given his chance at the Valley, appearing for just eight minutes in a League Cup tie against former club Hereford, that coming two years after moving to South London. The player did impress in loan spells at Cheltenham, Brighton and Exeter during this time before securing a move back to former club Hereford in July 2010. He scored 18 times to finish as the club’s top scorer in 2010/11 before joining Luton in August 2011 and finishing as the Hatters’ top scorer last season with 16 goals.