Gossip: Charlton set sights on Luton keeperpublished at 10:31 30 June
10:31 30 June
Charlton Athletic are interested in signing experienced Luton Town goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski, 32, following their promotion to the Championship. (Luton Today), external
Charlton striker Hylton announces retirementpublished at 10:51 19 June
10:51 19 June
Image source, Rex Features
Image caption,
Danny Hylton scored one goal in 10 appearances at Charlton
Charlton Athletic striker Danny Hylton has announced his retirement from professional football and will continue his role as part of Nathan Jones' backroom staff.
The 36-year-old made 10 appearances for the Addicks after joining as player-coach in September.
"It's time to say goodbye to playing the beautiful game, a career I can now look back on and be immensely proud of," he said in a post on his LinkedIn page, external.
"Thank you to every club I have played for for allowing me to represent your club.
"Thank you to the fans for all your support, thank you to everyone that has been part of my journey."
Hylton began his career at Aldershot Town, where he scored 48 goals in 209 appearances before moving Rotherham United in 2013.
He made just two appearances for the Millers before moving to Oxford the following year, where he scored 30 goals in 101 games and helped the U's to League Two promotion in his second season.
Hylton enjoyed his most successful spell with Luton, spending six years with the Hatters and twice working under Jones.
He scored 62 goals in 170 appearances during a memorable era for the club as they rose from League Two to the Championship.
A two-year stint at Northampton brought no goals before his move to The Valley last year.
Luton must get off to a fast start - recruitment is keypublished at 14:56 18 June
14:56 18 June
Geoff Doyle BBC 3CR sports editor
Successive relegations mean that Luton find themselves in a similar position to this time last year. They are playing in the league below, are one of the favourites for the title, and expectations are high.
Playing at another level lower means they surely must do well. They will come up against teams who were in League Two when they were in the Premier League two seasons ago.
The pressure is back on, and the Hatters will need to get off to a fast start. They can't make the same mistakes they made last year. And recruitment is key.
However, they are likely to be experiencing similar scenarios to what occurred 12 months ago.
Players who think they should be playing at a higher level, who may not want to be at the club and with agents in their ear.
There could also be others who are surplus to requirements who are under contract and happy to remain where they are.
Transfer business has begun, and two big characters have been brought in. Kal Naismith, on loan last season, who inexplicably didn't start the final Championship match at West Brom that relegated Luton.
And George Saville from Millwall, whose game time across the last seven seasons in the Championship is phenomenal.
Both are leaders; both will be part of the spine of the team, and so they seem excellent, solid additions.
The next stage of the rebuilding process may have to wait until others depart.
This waiting game affected Luton last year, and they've got to hope it goes smoother.
It's never easy, as the transfer merry-go-round takes time to kick in, particularly the lower down you go, but Luton may have to force the issue to get players out quicker so that they can then go about sorting incomings.
Luton have just changed their recruitment team; the January transfer window was deemed a success with the likes of Izzy Jones, Thelo Aasgaard, Millenic Alli and Kal Naismith (loan) brought in, and so those involved in that business have been promoted.
They have got to get it right again this time. Hatters boss Matt Bloomfield knows he has to get off to a good start and try and repeat what Birmingham did last season.
Lions up, Watford down? The 2025 Championship tablepublished at 12:37 10 June
12:37 10 June
Ben Ashton BBC Sport England
Image source, Getty Images
Watford are getting relegated, Plymouth are staying up, Millwall are in the play-offs and Portsmouth are also battling for a top-six spot.
Does something sound a bit off? Well, that's what would have happened if the Championship season started on 1 January.
Here's a look at the 2025 calendar year table, showing who the form sides were in the second half of the season and who went into freefall.
Perhaps the most notable difference between the actual final top six and the 2025 version is that Millwall would be in the play-offs and Premier League-bound Sunderland would not.
Burnley and Leeds still comfortably occupy the automatic promotion spots, albeit the Clarets would be unbeaten at the top of the pile with the Whites in second.
Coventry improved significantly after Frank Lampard replaced Mark Robins and are third over the course of the year.
The Sky Blues would instead be pitted against Bristol City in the play-off semi-final as opposed to Sunderland. Who knows what difference that would have made to their promotion bid...
Image source, Rex Features
Portsmouth - who spent much of the season battling relegation and only secured their Championship safety with two games to spare - are seventh and just one point outside a play-off spot.
Pompey sit above Sunderland, who lost their final five games of the season and are down in eighth.
The data perhaps shows just how long Regis Le Bris' side effectively had a play-off spot sewn up before their victory at Wembley against Sheffield United to claim promotion.
Relegation battlers Oxford find themselves seven places higher than where they actually finished in the 2024-25 campaign (17th), reflecting the good work done by Gary Rowett after he took over as boss from Des Buckingham.
Image source, Rex Features
Plymouth would have survived comfortably had the season begun in January 2025, showing a significant uptick after Miron Muslic replaced Wayne Rooney at the helm.
Middlesbrough tailed off significantly in the second half of the season, underpinning why they missed out on the play-offs. It was a drop off that ultimately cost Michael Carrick his job as head coach.
Norwich City conceded more goals (32) than any other side in 2025, which counteracted the hard work they'd done at the other end, having been the fourth top scorers (31) since the turn of the year.
Image source, Rex Features
Watford had a disappointing 2025, winning just five of their 23 games and losing 13 to finish bottom of the calendar year table.
The Hornets had the joint-worst goal difference along with Cardiff (-10) and head coach Tom Cleverley was sacked following the end of the season.
Preston and Cardiff won the fewest games of any side in 2025 (4), which cost the Bluebirds their Championship status and almost led to the Lilywhites dropping into League One as they avoided relegation by one point.
Paul Heckingbottom's side would be down if only games this year were counted.
Luton and Derby scored the fewest goals in 2025 (19) and attacking output was an issue that plagued both sides throughout the entire campaign.
It had major consequences for the Hatters with back-to-back relegations, while the Rams survived by a point - and only on goal difference in the yearly table.
Luton plan testimonial for departing Mpanzupublished at 18:27 10 May
18:27 10 May
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu helped Luton win promotion to the Premier League in 2023
Luton Town have confirmed plans to organise a testimonial for departing club legend Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu.
The Hatters announced on Friday that midfielder Mpanzu will be released at the end of his contract next month.
His exit will bring an end to his 12-season stay at Kenilworth Road.
During that time Mpanzu has made 412 appearances for Luton and played a major part in their nine-year rise from the National League to the Premier League.
Luton chief executive Gary Sweet said: "We'll miss him greatly but wish him every success with whatever comes next.
"And when the time is convenient for Pelly and his career, he will be honoured with a testimonial here to thank him for such wonderful service."
'Luton left themselves too much to do'published at 16:31 7 May
16:31 7 May
Jobi McAnuff Former Reading winger on Football Daily 72+: The EFL Podcast
Image source, Rex Features
I think it's a prime example of a club that got promoted, maybe one or two players feeling they were going to stay in the Premier League. That didn't quite happen.
I actually thought by keeping hold of the likes of Carlton Morris and a couple of the others that they would have more than enough to be so competitive at this level. They just haven't been able to do it.
They just took too long to get themselves going. Matt Bloomfield came in and really got that team spirit and organisation back. Really hard to break down but in the end they just left themselves that little bit too much to do.
That last 10 games before the West Brom game, they were as good as any team in terms of wins and points, take away the top two or three.
They gave themselves a chance but it was just too little, too late and in the end I think it was a lack of team spirit, togetherness, and ultimately that's cost them their place.
Jobi McAnuff was talking on BBC's Football Daily 72+: The EFL Podcast.