Luton Town’s deal to sign Joe Taylor from Peterborough United in January did not include a promotion clause, the Peterborough Telegraph has revealed.
Luton Town’s winter swoop for Taylor was one that raised a few eyebrows. He’d struggled for regular first-team minutes with the Posh after joining from Kings Lynn Town, with 19 appearances yielding only one goal.
A £500,000 fee got the deal done, with Posh managing to make a hefty profit.
Now, Taylor and Luton are heading for the Premier League. He looked to have fired them there too after netting in extra-time, only for it to be correctly disallowed for an inadvertent handball from the striker. The youngster picked himself up and lashed home a penalty in the shootout though as the Hatters booked their spot in the top-flight.
Posh are well known for their clever transfer dealings and they have inserted promotion clauses into departing players’ deals before. However, as per the Peterborough Telegraph, this is not the case regarding Taylor.
They report there is no promotion clause that Luton Town will have to pay, with the League One side suitably satisfied with the deal without one.
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The men who started Luton Town’s rise
Premier League new boys Luton haven’t forgotten the part former Maidstone trio John Still, Hakan Hayrettin and Terry Harris played in their success.
The Hatters had been stuck in the Conference for four years before Still, assisted by Harris and Hayrettin, led them back to the Football League in his first full season in charge.
Nine years later, they are back in the top flight for the first time since 1992 after beating Coventry on penalties in Saturday’s Championship play-off final.
Still, Hayrettin and Harris were guests of the club at Wembley to see their old club triumph.
In beating the Sky Blues, Luton became the first club in English football history to go all the way from the top flight down to non-league and back again.
“Absolute honour to be invited to the play-off final in the Royal Box, to see Luton rise to the Premier League,” wrote Hayrettin on Facebook.
“(Nearly) ten years ago we started the journey, John Still, Terry Harris and myself, by getting promoted to the Football League and since then the club, run by the same amazing people, are in the Premier League.
“We spent three seasons at Luton and to be remembered for our achievements is incredible.
“Will forever be part of history.”
Hayrettin, meanwhile, has confirmed he is staying at Dulwich Hamlet next season.
The former Stones boss took over at Champion Hill in March, collecting 16 points from 13 games, but couldn’t save them from relegation to the Isthmian Premier.
Hamlet made it clear they wanted him to remain in charge and the 53-year-old, along with No.2 Harris, will lead the Londoners’ promotion bid.
“I’m ever so proud to be managing Dulwich Hamlet,” Hayrettin told the club’s YouTube channel.
“It took a longer process than normal to agree things with the board members but we were virtually on the same page. We’ve been humbled and overjoyed with all the support we’ve had since we’ve been here.
