Hatters legend urges Luton players to 'make their mark' against Sky Blues

Luton legend Mick Harford has urged the Hatters players to ‘make their mark’ on today’s Championship play-off final against Coventry City at a venue he knows better than most, Wembley Stadium.

Although working as head of recruitment at Kenilworth Road now, the 64-year-old is still a big part of what goes on during the week at the Brache, often watching the team put through their paces by manager Rob Edwards.

With the squad building up to what is undoubtedly the biggest game of their lives this afternoon, as they head to home of English football face the Sky Blues in what is dubbed the richest game in club football, then on how they have been and the messages he has been passing on, Harford said: “They are good, I was at the training ground watching training and they trained really well.

"It is really bizarre because when you are not in the play-offs you think that time between the semi-final and the final is a long, long time but the days are going quickly and I think the players are getting really excited and looking forward to the challenge.

"There is a real calmness down there.

"Obviously there is a desire and they are talking about Wembley and they are like ‘Mick have you played there? What is it like?’ and hopefully I can pass on my experience.

"But I just say to them ‘remember you’ve got a huge challenge against a good team, just make sure you remember what you do and make sure one of you makes a mark on the game, the more of you who make their mark on the game the better the chance we’ve got of winning.’

"It is a huge task against Mark Robins’ team who are on a good run but I’ve got a good feeling.”

When it comes to Wembley experiences then Harford has had a few, both good and bad, winning the Littlewoods Cup as a player in 1988, scoring in the the final the following year when Town lost to Nottingham Forest, while netting in the Simod Cup final defeat to Reading as well.

He also made his full debut for England there as well, starting the 1-0 friendly victory over Denmark in 1988, while later in his career, managed Town to the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Final victory over Scunthorpe United in 2009, ahead of their relegation to Conference.

On his own memories of the hallowed turf, Harford continued: “I’ve had a few!

"There’s three big Wembley moments for me.

"Obviously when you make your debut at Wembley is one, winning the JPT as a manager of the football club was something special because it was in that season when we were deducted 30 points.

“That was one of my biggest feelings as it was a magnificent achievement winning that trophy because after 30 points players could easily have gone elsewhere.

“It was a great occasion because I think it was the highest ever attendance or ticket allocation given to a club at Wembley Stadium, 42,000, and Luton filled that.

"That is why this club is so great because of the fans.

“Winning the Littlewoods Cup was a marvellous thing for me because it was the only major honour I ever won.

"I’ll never forget that day and hopefully we can repeat that on Saturday with a victory over Coventry at Wembley which is going to be very difficult.

"It is a tough one but making my England debut at Wembley when you’re stood next to Peter Beardsley and you’re just about to kick off and you look around and think to yourself, it doesn’t get any better than this really, so I’ve had some good experiences.

“I never played at the new Wembley but I have managed there.

"I know one thing I know it will be a special place on Saturday because Luton fans will be at their best and I know Coventry City fans are loyal and they will be vocal so it will be a really really tense atmosphere on Saturday, well supported by two sets of good fans.

"Hopefully we can come out on top.”

With Harford hugely revered by the current crop at Kenilworth Road, then he will tell them to prepare as best they can for the kind of noise that hits them when they enter the fray at just before 4.45pm, adding: “The players will go down to Wembley when it is empty and take all the photographs and things and then the phones will get put away, but they will never know what is coming with that atmosphere and that noise when they walk out of the tunnel.“It is important the players know what is ahead of them in terms of what it is going to feel like and the noise and the atmosphere because they have never played in front of anything like it except for the other night (against Sunderland).

"It is something you either go with or you go the other way.

"Hopefully the majority of our players go with it and it will be a massive experience.”