Luton's return to the top is an example to Wrexham and others

LONDON : Even if promoted Luton Town start the season as relegation favourites their rise from non-league to Premier League in nine years serves as an example to other small clubs with big ambitions.

Wrexham A.F.C. co-owner Ryan Reynolds has certainly taken note, the Hollywood A-lister quick to congratulate The Hatters on social media for their May 27 promotion and adding a watching eyes emoji.

His side, followed by a global audience drawn by their Hollywood owners and the multiple Emmy-nominated docu-series 'Welcome to Wrexham', were promoted back to league football last season.

Luton chairman David Wilkinson told Reuters comparisons only went so far.

"Most of us think that people have got rather too carried away with Wrexham and not enough with us, because we've come further and it's been a very exciting ride," he laughed. "There's a big difference between them and us.

"First of all what makes us really different from certainly any teams in the top two divisions is that we (the owners) are all local people and all Luton fans, and the higher you go you notice that.

"The (other) clubs are now owned by Americans or Arabs or whatever and it does make us feel different and of course we're a lot smaller than most of them too."

Kenilworth Road, Luton's home since 1905 with its Oak Road End reached by a staircase over the back gardens of terraced homes, will be about the same capacity as AFC Bournemouth (11,307) once seats are added in the rebuilt Bobbers Stand.

Luton have no external debt and are not about to run wild in the transfer market.

One of their players, former West Ham United loanee midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, is the first to go all the way from the fifth tier to the top with the same club.

"What promotion to the