Spurs seek rule change to buy Luton

LUTON TOWN could become a feeder club for Tottenham if the Football Association agree to a revolutionary plan put forward by the the Spurs chairman, Alan Sugar.

Tottenham are ready to ask the FA to change the rules over club ownership which, at present, prevent anyone from owning more than one club.

Sugar's determination to press ahead with the plan could provide a lifeline for the crippled Second Division club. Luton have debts of more than GBP 4 million and have been in receivership for more than a month after chairman David Kohler failed to agree a deal for his shares with the three other directors on the board. A Spurs spokesman said today: "There are some very preliminary and exploratory talks in respect of Luton currently being discussed with the FA. There will be no moves whatsoever until the FA, the Football League and the Premier League give it the all-clear. We are continuing to investigate the matter." The FA ban on dual ownership was introduced after Robert Maxwell handed over the running of Oxford to his son, Kevin, and took charge at Derby. A Football Association spokesman said: "The rules at present state that one person is unable to own two clubs. We are not aware of any talks and we have not received any correspondence from Spurs. "The rules are in the best interests of the game. Hypothetically speaking, if a person owned two clubs and they came up against each other in a relegation game or the FA Cup, that would open up several issues."

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