| Mike
Watson-Challis
By Lutonfc.com |
Send YOUR Thank You
Message!
|
|
Here are YOUR messages of appreciation for Mike Watson-Challis who
retired from his
position as chairman of Luton Town Football Club in May 2003.
Mr. Watson-Challis had struck a deal that brought in a new consortium
as owners of the club, but the deal was said to have allowed the development of the new
stadium to still go ahead.
Mike
Watson-Challis was in charge of the club for 3 years and he brought in a
fantastic new manager to the club in the experienced Joe Kinnear.
He also brought Luton legend Mick Harford back to the club as assistant
manager to Kinnear and the Hatters gained promotion to Division Two during
Watson-Challis’ second season as chairman of the club – their first
promotion campaign for 20 years.
During the
2002-03 season the Hatters came close at one stage to gaining a play-off place which
could have taken them to Division One. It
all ended a disastrous period for the club in which they spent the majority of
13 years dropping down the Divisions and fighting relegation.
So below
are YOUR messages of thanks to Mike Watson-Challis for his superb
dedication and efforts during his 3 years as Chairman of Luton Town Football
Club. These messages have also
been forwarded to Luton Town Football Club in the hope that they can be
forwarded onto Mike Watson-Challis and hopefully he will read them and see that
some of the fans are all very
grateful for all of his hard work.
Patrick Cosgrove…
Many thanks, God bless you.
Michael Lamont…
Sir,
May I wish you all the best on your retirement and thank you for saving LTFC.
I am sending you this email from the United States and have followed LTFC since their promotion to the old First Division in the mid 1950's.
The club has had its ups and downs and I believe you have set the club on the right course for the future.
Best regards,
Michael
Lamont.
Liz Heaver…
I would like to thank you for putting the club onto a more sound
financial
footing - I just hope that those taking over the reigns from you continue in
the same way. I also hope that you soon see our stadium dreams become reality!
Keith…
We were down and out and you
gave us so much. It is pretty
thankless being a football club owner, but please accept my thanks and I am
sure that goes for the vast majority of LTFC supporters.
If we get the ground then your name should be over the gates.
Keith…
We were down and out and you
gave us so much. It is pretty
thankless being a football club owner, but please accept my thanks and I am
sure that goes for the vast majority of LTFC supporters.
If we get the ground then your name should be over the gates.
Anthony Reid…
Thank you, thank you. Who
thought the club could have come so far in the last two and three years. The
club is much more secure than it ever has been. The list of Luton legends is
long, your name will deservedly be added to that list.
Mark
St-Amour…
All I can say is
thanks for putting the club in the right direction and enjoy a happy
retirement. After the Evans / Kohler years the work that yourself, Cliff
Bassett and fellow directors did is very much appreciated by myself and I'm
sure others who have stuck by the Hatters through thick and thin. I've
personally always had the feeling that you had the clubs interest ahead of your
own, which has been a breath of fresh air after the egotists that preceded you.
Chris Hughesdon…
Put quite simply - thank
you. Thank you for putting our club back on its feet after it had fallen. One
day, very soon, we will be running again.
Thank you in particular for some very special memories, the highlight
being THAT game at Swansea.
Simon Motley…
Thank you for making the
club what it is today. I started supporting the club in 1986 when I was
5-years-old and with your foundation, hopefully we can take the club back to
where it belongs - the top flight of English football. Thank you.
Happy Hatter…
Thanks MWC for saving our
club and giving us something to look forward to and also for giving us Joe
Kinnear who has also been an inspiration to the club. You truly are a hero.
Stephen Kerridge…
Mr. Watson-Challis, thank
you for a great 3 years. You are a
great chairman and you always will be. Thank
you so much.
Ian Huckle…
For everything you have done
for the club I am grateful. It needed someone who wasn't afraid to step in and
drag it back up, which you did. The dark days are over, long may the success
continue. Enjoy your retirement.
Tim Wheatley…
An outstanding job.
Capturing a manger of the quality of Big Joe was an awesome achievement and,
having laid the foundations of a solid recovery in form and finances, I
personally wish you well in your retirement. Continue to enjoy the game and
thank you for all of your endeavors.
Graham Kentish…
Thank you for giving up what
must have been a substantial slice of your busy life to rejuvenate Luton Town.
I have supported Luton Town since the 50s, through the high and lows. Living
away from the Luton area, there have been times when I thought my loyalty was
based more on nostalgia than reality. You have brought back the reality, we are
on the threshold of becoming a real force in football again, without
compromising on the high standards this club has always stood for.
Much
of this is down to your acumen. I look forward with you to the opening of the
new ground, when we will have a ground worthy of the club.
The
legacy of Syd Owen, Gordon Turner & Harry Haslam, the memories of the great
team of the 80s, and other still very much involved has been well served by
you.
Enjoy the less onerous, but well deserved role of Life President.
Graham Kentish, Tiptree,
Essex.
Limey USA…
I hope all the rumours and
the eventual owners of the club do not bring Luton to the verge of disaster and
you have completed this deal for the future of the club and not for some get
rich scheme by this new group.
Sorry
to see the passing (sacking) of Joe Kinnear and Mike Harford and hope someone
better is in mind to replace them.
Iain Halliwell…
Dear Mr. Watson-Challis,
May
I send my up most thanks and gratitude for your time, effort and money that you
have invested into Luton Town football club without your effort this club
wouldn't have been any where near Division Two alone within touching distance
of Division One.
I am
however shocked and numbed at the recent events including the conduct of the
take over and disgraceful removal of Joe and Mick. The latter a personal hero
of mine.
A
gutted life long Hatter!
Kevin Harris…
Thank you so much for all
you have done. We would have been in deep trouble if you hadn’t have stepped
in and saved our money worries.
Rob Hall…
Not being funny, I trust
your decisions and trust that the current crazy situation will prove fruitful
and in a couple of days everyone will be pleased. Pretty shocked by the past
couple of days and its going to be an agonising wait to see what is happening.
You've been good for the club and I hope that the trust we have in you to
accept the right replacement and then the shock replacement of Joe and Mick
will be a good move for the club. Have to say I can't see a better manager
coming in who isn't going to cost a fortune.
John Pyper…
First and foremost, I would
like to thank our former chairman and his wife for keeping to their word, and
putting Luton Town FC back on the road to recovery.
When
Mike took over the ruins from another great man who we should also
congratulate, Cliff Bassett, the club was on its knees, and in need of major
surgery.
But
with the passion and will that Mike and his wife have shown over the past three
or so years, we have turned the corner, and are now a stronger club for it.
If it wasn’t for the financial assistance that Mike has given we could
well be now playing in the conference or lower.
They
say that whatever life you live you always make mistakes, and in hindsight the
decision to appoint Ricky Hill as manager was wrong, but at the time he was a
favourite with Watson-Challis and fans alike, and a great player for all LTFC
Fans to look up to. But not all
great players make great managers.
With
the appointment of Joe Kinnear and Mick Harford, this proved to all at the club
that he meant business. We should
all congratulate you for getting JK & co. to this club and turning round a
club that was looking down the relegation barrel.
What a fantastic season we all had in 2001-02, but a pity we didn’t go
up as Champions, which I think deep down Mike wanted as much as JK.
On
the subject of the New Stadium which has to happen to keep this lovely club
alive, I just hope the new owners have the passion and will to carry on the
fantastic work that Mike and his wife has done, with the existing staff there
and gets this Club moved to Junction 10 within the next three seasons.
All
the best Mike and all at LTFC will welcome you back for many years to come with
great affection in your new role as Life President!
Michael Zhuk…
Thank you, Mike, for
believing in Luton Town and giving your financial support and backing to this
great club. I have been a
supporter for 33 years and have seen the good and the bad times but am now
hopeful of a better future and hope that the glory years are about to return to
the club.
I look forward to seeing you at future Luton matches and know that you will always be a supporter of the club.
I hope that the new consortium will push forward with the stadium and look forward to watching my team playing in the better facilities we deserve.
I wish you a happy and healthy retirement.
Kind regards,
Michael Zhuk.
Antony Sansom…
Thankyou for everything you
have done for the club over the last three years. After several years under the
Kohler regime, it looked like we were either going out of business or out of
the League and I still remember the low crowds at the stadium even now.
Thank You is
very little return for what you and the
board have given us fans and that’s hope for now and the future.
I hope the new owners can build on these foundations and helps Joe
Kinnear and Mick Harford put us back where we belong.
Thankyou,
Antony Sansom.
Joe…
Dear Mr. Watson-Challis (or MWC as you have become affectionately known),
May I be one of many Luton fans to offer my heart felt thanks for what you have done for our club over the last 3 years.
You have given all Luton fans the opportunity to respect, and feel pride for our football club again after years of decline and neglect.
Yours sincerely,
Joe.
|
