Spring and Boyce top fans' poll

Last updated : 17 May 2004 By Jon Boyle
HOMEGROWN Luton duo Matthew Spring and Emmerson Boyce have been voted the club's joint most important players in a new poll by Hatters' fans.
The pair, who came up through Luton's youth ranks and are both are out-of-contract at the end of next month, received 20% of the votes each in a week-long poll on the Luton-Mad website.
It is probably no coincidence that Hatters' promotion charge began to falter when the influential Spring was ruled out for the last 17 games of the season.
And Boyce has been a revelation in his switch from right-back to centre-half.
Luton boss Mike Newell is doing everything he can to hang onto the pair for next term, but he admitted last week that "it may be too late" as they have both been offered deals by other clubs.
Sixteen-goal Steve Howard came second in the fans' poll with 17.1%, after ending his third season in-a-row as Hatters' top scorer despite missing eight weeks through injury.
Other players to earn a good share of the votes were Chris Coyne and Steve Robinson, who is surely Luton's most improved player after reverting to his favoured central midfield role.
A new vote is online now, on the topic of Sheffield Wednesday's audacious bid to pair Howard with Stockport's Luke Beckett for their promotion attempt next year.
The Owls claimed Luton turned down their bid of £200,000 for Howard, so this week we ask: 'How much is Steve Howard realistically worth in today's transfer market?'
Have your say now at www.luton-mad.co.uk.