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Ex-Blue Bloomfield New Luton Boss
Tuesday, 14th Jan 2025 13:06

Former Blues youngster and academy coach Matt Bloomfield has been appointed the new manager of Luton Town, leaving his job with Wycombe Wanderers.

Bloomfield has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Kenilworth Road, with his assistant Richard Thomas, first-team coach Lee Harrison and senior analyst Ben Cirne joining him with the Hatters, following the departure of Rob Edwards last week.

“It’s a genuine honour and a privilege to be here, to be appointed as manager of this incredible club. I’m really, really proud. It’s been a busy few days, a very busy weekend but I’ve met the recruitment team, met [CEO] Gary [Sweet] and spent some time with the board,” Bloomfield told the Luton official website.

“The fact that they’re all Luton supporters and that they care so much about their football club shone through, and the fact that they had a real big desire for me to join our football club also shone through, so I’m incredibly proud and very, very happy to be here.

“That made me feel very comfortable and very wanted, which is huge for me. I want to work with people who care and fans who also care – and they certainly do here. I want to work with people who want the best for their football club, and that’s more than evident with Gary, the chairman and the board of directors.

“That feeling that they gave me and the feeling of being wanted, how much research they’ve done into me and the football team that we’ve produced at Colchester and Wycombe, and the knowledge base of what I stand for, who I am and what we’ve tried to produce in our football team, left me in no uncertain times that this was the right move at the right time.”

Wycombe, who have put backroom staff members Sam Grace, Harry Hudson, Matty Dye and Jerome John in interim charge, said in a statement: “The club is naturally disappointed with Matt’s decision to leave in the middle of the season. However, we respect his decision to pursue this new chapter in his career. He leaves with the gratitude and best wishes of everyone at Wycombe Wanderers, and we thank him for his service to the club.”

Bloomfield, 40, came through the academy ranks at Playford Road and won an England U19s cap while with the Blues, featuring alongside striker Darren Bent as the Young Lions beat Germany 3-1 at Portman Road.

The Felixstowe-born midfielder made one sub appearance for the Town first team at Notts County in the Carling Cup in September 2003 before starting his long spell as a player with the Chairboys three months later, working back at Playford Road as an academy coach in the latter days of his career.

Having been part of Gareth Ainsworth’s staff after hanging up his boots, Bloomfield spent a short spell as manager of Colchester before returning to Adams Park as boss in February 2023.

This season, he has led the Chairboys to second in League One, but with the club understood to have been unsettled behind the scenes following a takeover by Kazakhstan billionaire Mikheil Lomtadze in May with former Everton head of emerging talent Dan Rice, who had previously worked at Arsenal, Fulham and with the FA, appointed chief football officer and interim-chairman.

In November, former Town defender and long-time academy staff member Scott Mitchell was axed as head of recruitment in a surprise move, before being handed the same role at Championship Oxford United.

Bloomfield and Mitchell’s departures from Wycombe could put Blues midfielder Cameron Humphreys’ successful loan spell in question with the their presence at the club having played a significant role in facilitating the move, from both Town and the player’s perspective.

Earlier in the season, boss Kieran McKenna dismissed the suggestion the Blues would look to send the 21-year-old to a Championship club in the January window, however, the departures from Adams Park could see that situation change.

Humphreys, who has been nicknamed the ‘Suffolk Messi’ by Chairboys fans, has made 22 starts and three sub appearances for the Buckinghamshire club, scoring four times and picking up six assists.


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scooby added 13:40 - Jan 14
If you are a Wycombe fan you have got to be gutted. Best of luck to all.
1

carlo88 added 14:25 - Jan 14
Weird decision. Clubs will probably be passing each other end of the season. Why can't some of these young fashionable managers stay more than a few months and really prove themselves.
1

naa added 15:03 - Jan 14
carlo88: I think the comments in the article about the behind the scenese turmoil is probably a clue as to why he left, especially if you read his statement with that in mind. Thinly veiled.
3

Porksmith99 added 15:07 - Jan 14
It'd be great if Bloomfield could wangle a move to take Cam Humphreys with him, he's proved himself at league one and a step up for the rest of the season would be terrific experience for him
0

chepstowblue added 15:15 - Jan 14
Seems to be a good young manager, and I'm that aware that people want to test themselves at the highest level. But my gut feeling is.....dreadful career move. Hope I'm wrong.
0

blue90 added 15:18 - Jan 14
Rumours amongst Wycombe fans that MB was achieving good things in spite of his superior(s), rather than with support from. Looking forward to seeing what he can do in a better environment.
0

Len_Brennan added 15:27 - Jan 14
If anyone thinks that there was no way that KMcK was going to leave us last season for Crystal Palace, or during the Summee for Brighton, this is the reality most of the time I'm afraid. He was interested & tempted, but thankfully the club/Ashton were able to convince him to stay, and we have benefitted massively from him staying.
For Wycombe the future is far less rosy today; Birmingham & Wrexham have far greater resources & will probably take the 2 automatic places now, with Wycombe condemned to the playoffs. This could easily have been us last season, with momentum interrupted, and then who knows.
I would love to see Wycombe make a good appointment & hold on for promotion, but it will be very tough now without their inspired manager at the helm.
Good luck to him & good luck to them.
2

Linkboy13 added 17:09 - Jan 14
Must have been offered a more lucrative contract and has got a family to think of so can't blame him.
0

Gcon added 17:19 - Jan 14
Wycombe is under new ownership from the start of this season. I believe they were keen to install a new manager but gave Matt B a chance. He's clearly done brilliantly but it sounds like a slightly toxic environment.
0

Motown added 18:42 - Jan 14
When KMcK eventually leaves us for a top job, Bloomfield should be high on the list to replace him. A Suffolk boy and a progressive young manager who does things the right way, his profile would be a great fit
-1

Motown added 18:42 - Jan 14
When KMcK eventually leaves us for a top job, Bloomfield should be high on the list to replace him. A Suffolk boy and a progressive young manager who does things the right way, his profile would be a great fit
0


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