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John Still says he set the platform for Luton Town to reach the Championship

12:52, 01 May 2019

updated: 12:53, 01 May 2019

Maidstone head of football John Still can take credit for Luton Town's promotion to the Championship.

The Hatters spent four years in the Conference before Still took charge and won the title at the first attempt, in 2014.

Luton narrowly missed out on the League 2 play-offs the following season and Still left in December 2015.

John Still, right, and Hakan Hayrettin achieved great things at Luton, who now find themselves back in the Championship Picture: Andy Jones
John Still, right, and Hakan Hayrettin achieved great things at Luton, who now find themselves back in the Championship Picture: Andy Jones

A few years later they will be playing in the Championship for the first time 2007 following back-to-back promotions, with a top-two finish confirmed last night.

Still put the wheels in motion for Luton's resurgence - and that shouldn't be forgotten.

He said: "We set the platform for the club to go forward because it's a good club, well supported but a bit like here, I felt when we went there, there was no structure to it.

"It was get that player, get this player, which is easy to do.

"Get the right players, in the right way, that's the trick.

"I think we did that and they've carried that on and that's every credit to us."

Hakan Hayrettin, now head coach at Maidstone, was Still's first-team coach at Kenilworth Road.

He said: "John takes a lot of credit.

"When we were at Luton, John signed all the players, he set out how he wanted to play and we followed his instructions.

"If there was anything he wanted to say it was always done in private, he kept close counsel, so John's got to take a lot of credit.

"But we're Maidstone now and we want to create something here."

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