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      Luton release incredible design pictures for new-look 23,000-seater stadium so they can compete in Premier League

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      LUTON have unveiled stunning design plans for their new-look stadium fit for the Premier League. The Hatters are on the verge of returning to the top flight for the first time since 1992, and the first time since the creation of the Premier League.
      Luton have released their concept design for their stunning new stadiumCredit: LUTON TOWN
      The new ground will be located at Power CourtCredit: LUTON TOWN
      It will hold 23,000 fans when completedCredit: LUTON TOWN
      The club estimate it will take 24-30 months to completeCredit: LUTON TOWN
      It comes with Kenilworth Road receiving criticism as a potential Premier League facilityCredit: Reuters
      And ahead of the Championship play-off final against Coventry on May 27, the club have released the pictures of their final design for their new 23,000-seater stadium at Power Court.
      The new ground will be located just over a mile down the road from their current home at Kenilworth Road – which has drawn criticism ahead of potentially becoming a Prem ground as it sees fans enter the stadium THROUGH neighbours’ gardens.
      The new stadium would be situated in the heart of Luton town centre and act as the centrepeice for a regeneration programme on a 20-acre site by Luton Railway Station.
      Luton also revealed on their club website that the groundworks for the new stadium should begin by the turn of the year.
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      This is due to the progress being made with the relocation of the existing primary sub-station in the middle of the site, along with plans to open up the River Lea.
      They estimate the construction period to take 24-30 months.
      Luton chief executive Gary Sweet, who told Prem stars such as Erling Haaland to embrace Kenilworth in an interview with SunSport, spoke of his excitement on the project.
      He said: “We’re delighted the infrastructure element is underway allowing us to develop the detail of the stadium’s design and, in particular, work hard to capture the core characteristics that makes Kenilworth Road so atmospheric, so intimate and so special to us.
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      “This season, perhaps more than any other, has demonstrated the incredible relationship we all have with The Kenny and that has been the driving force behind our design work…
      “We know everyone is desperate for the new stadium to open – as are we!
      “It’s clearly a hugely complicated project but the main aim has always been to maintain the architectural quality and to deliver a stadium that replicates an essential, unique character we are all so familiar with but also fit and ready to grace the Premier League stage.”
      The designs shared by the club represent the first phase of the build, yielding a 19,500 strong capacity with a third as safe-standing.
      This will be followed by a second phase which can see an expansion of 4,000, which can be developed depending on demand.
      Michael Moran, Luton’s chief operating officer, added: “The next phase now is an engagement with Luton Council and key stakeholders such as the Environment Agency and Historic England as we take them all through our detailed design process.
      “We are also engaging with contractors as we finalise certain construction features but our target for completion is 2026, regardless of the Club’s league position.
      “We also mustn’t lose sight of the fact the stadium is to be accompanied by a whole new town quarter for Luton with 1,200 homes, leisure, restaurants, bars, retail and community space.
      “It is incredibly exciting to be at the forefront of the Borough’s wider regeneration plans.” More

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      Erling Haaland reassured over Luton facilities as Man City ace told ‘you’ll walk through the other s*** entrance’

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      ERLING HAALAND and his fellow Premier League superstars have been told they should embrace playing at Luton’s old rickety Kenilworth Road if the club gets promoted on Saturday.Although the Manchester City ace loves playing away at lavish surroundings such as Old Trafford, the Emirates and Anfield, he will find playing at the 118-year-old 10,356-capacity stadium a completely different experience.
      The main entrance to Kenilworth Road sits under a bridge
      The away entrance to Kenilworth Road runs under nearby houses
      Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet told SunSport: “We might have to give our entrances a lick of paint and a new sign but let’s embrace this. 
      “It annoys me but makes me giggle when you read on social media about how our away fans’ entrance goes through gardens.
      “It’s been like that before the Second World War — so why is it raised now just because we might be going into the Premier League?
      “Haaland isn’t going to walk through that entrance. He’s going to walk through the other s**t entrance we’ve got. This is what we’ve got guys — so embrace it.
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      “People poke fun at our ground but it doesn’t bother us. We’ve got thick skins here and it perhaps shows a bit of fear from other teams.
      “Our ground will be an asset to the Premier League. This is proper, real life football. This is history and tradition happening right here.
      “This isn’t a sterile atmosphere bowl of a stadium where not much goes on.
      “This is lively, this is emotion, white knuckle, this is tears and joy, everything in this stadium is a cauldron. If you can’t embrace it, you don’t like football.”
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      Luton take on Coventry in the Championship play-off final for a £200million windfall to the winner — just NINE years after playing non-league.
      And this season the Hatters finished third with the THIRD LOWEST wage bill. Even several clubs in League One have bigger budgets.
      And Sweet said: “It shows we can achieve something with what we’ve got and it’s a great story for those people who don’t need lavish surroundings to succeed. 
      “You can do it with hard work, intelligence, guile, sensible financial management and determined commitment from everyone pulling in the same direction without having a swanky stadium.
      “It’s a beautiful stadium by the way — the old girl is beautiful.”
      But if the club do beat the Sky Blues at Wembley, they will have to spend around £10million and have just FOURTEEN weeks to bring the ground up to Premier League standards.
      Luton CEO Gary Sweet says anyone who cannot embrace the uniqueness of Kenilworth Road cannot love football
      Erling Haaland could be visiting Kenilworth Road next season
      The club must build a new stand where the executive boxes are currently situated — traditionally known as the Bobber Stand. It will include a media centre for journalists and broadcasters. 
      They must erect a new television gantry as well as a media conference room to seat 70 people as well as at least 50 seats for media and league data providers.
      With the Premier League having 100 contracts with broadcasters around the world, the club must have in place 15 international TV commentary positions and a further 15 for radio. 
      Also the floodlights need to be upgraded.
      Sweet said: “We have climbed from non-league to this position in nine years — so I’m sure we can sort out the ground in 14 weeks!”
      Meanwhile, Sweet says it Is all systems go to move into a new stadium Power Court — which will initially have a 19,200 capacity with scope to increase that to 23,000.
      Read More on The Sun
      But the club must wait for the removal of an old electric sub station to be removed from the site before they can get work underway. The stadium is currently at pre-application stage.
      Sweet said: “The new stadium and Premier League football could be worth dozens of millions, perhaps more than £100m, to Luton and the locality.” More

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      Coventry vs Luton: Ultimate underdogs battle it out for last Premier League spot in Championship play-off final – Stream

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      COVENTRY take on Luton in the unlikeliest of Championship play-off finals this weekend at Wembley. Both clubs were in League Two in the 2016/17 season and Luton were a non-league club just a decade ago.
      Coventry fans will be ecstatic to see their team run out at Wembley on SaturdayCredit: PA
      Luton overcame Sunderland over two legs to reach the play-off finalCredit: Reuters
      But now they find themselves in football’s richest game as they prepare to battle it out for a place in the Premier League.
      Coventry beat Middlesborough 1-0 on aggregate to reach Wembley’s showpiece while Luton overcame Sunderland 3-2 across two legs.
      The winner will join Burnley and Sheffield United, who finished first and second in the Championship, in the top flight.
      When is Coventry vs Luton?

      Coventry’s big play-off final clash with Luton will take place on Saturday, May 27.
      The game will kick off at 4.45pm UK time.
      The game will be held at Wembley Stadium in London.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      Coventry vs Luton in the Championship play-off final will be shown live on Sky Sports Football.
      You can live stream the action from the NOW TV or Sky Go apps, both of which are available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.

      Odds

      Coventry – 2/1
      Draw – 2/1
      Luton – 29/20

      *Odds courtesy of Betfair and correct at time of publication. More

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      Blackpool striker Jerry Yates chased by FIVE clubs but they’ll have to splash out £4m to land Tangerines’ top scorer

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      BLACKPOOL face a fight to keep hold of top scorer Jerry Yates following relegation to League One.Yates, 26, scored 14 goals in the Championship last season.
      Jerry Yates could be playing in the Premier League next termCredit: Getty
      However, the hotshot’s efforts still could not keep the Tangerines up.
      Now play-off finalists Luton and Coventry are both plotting a move for the ace.
      And second-tier sides West Brom, Bristol City and newly-promoted Ipswich have all shown interest in hotshot Yates.
      SunSport understands a bid of £2.5million from an unnamed club has been rejected.
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      And Blackpool are holding out for their £4m valuation.
      The striker claimed a hat-trick at the club’s end-of-season awards after winning the Players’ Player of the Year, top scorer and goal of the season gongs.
      Yates still has 12 months remaining on his contract at Bloomfield Road.
      And there is also the option of another year.
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      The star ended the campaign in the top 10 goalscorers for the Championship.
      He scored 15 in all competitions with his other goal coming in Blackpool’s FA Cup third round shock over Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest.

      Yates came through the ranks at Rotherham and enjoyed loan spells in non-league with Harrogate before going on to have stints with Carlisle and Swindon.
      Blackpool swooped for him in 2020 and he helped them to earn promotion via the League One play-offs the following year.
      He has scored 42 goals in 124 league appearances for the club during his time there. More

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      I’m a Luton star who helped the club gain promotion from the Conference and now I’m on the brink of the Premier League

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      LUTON’S rise through the football pyramid has been nothing short of staggering.From playing in the National League in 2013 to being on the doorstep of the Premier League a decade later, the Hatters’ rise is a football fairytale.
      Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu has been a mainstay at Luton over the last decadeCredit: Getty
      He joined back in 2013 and has gone on to make over 360 appearancesCredit: Getty
      And one Luton star has been with the club every step of the way, that being midfield general Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu.
      Mpanzu, 29, has been a keystone figure at the club and is now preparing for a dream day at Wembley as his side face off with Coventry in the most valuable game in football.
      He initially joined the club on loan from West Ham in 2013 as a centre-half before sealing a permanent transfer at the end of the season having helped the club win the Conference with 101 points.
      In the decade that has followed Mpanzu has moved into midfield and made 366 appearances for the club which has him on the verge of joining the ranks of Luton’s top 10 highest-ever appearance makers.
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      Following their semi-final victory over Sunderland, Mpanzu said in a video to fans: “We’ve got one more – see you at Wembley.”
      Mpanzu’s rise even saw him called up to earn two International caps for Democratic Republic of the Congo, and his love for the club still clearly remains.
      Upon sealing a contract extension in 2021, Mpanzu said: “I love it at Luton, everyone knows that.
      “The Kenny has become my second home and we’ve achieved so much in my time here.”
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      Following promotion to the EFL, Luton stayed in League Two for four years, finally earning promotion to the third tier after coming second in the 2017/18 season.
      However, Luton did not stay in League One for long, winning the league in their first season – losing just six games.
      Their arrival in the Championship was understandably a huge challenge, with the Hatters only narrowly avoiding relegation in their first season.
      Since then they have gone from strength to strength, steadily improving before earning a spot in the play-offs last season, though Huddersfield thwarted their dream last time out.
      The Hatters have never played in the Prem having been relegated from the top flight in 1991/92, the year before the Premier League was introduced. More

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      Who is Luton Town FC chairman David Wilkinson and what is his net worth?

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      LUTON TOWN FC are on the brink of being promoted to the Premier League after an impressive 2022/23 season.Fans of the Bedfordshire-based football club, known as the Hatters, are just one win away from seeing their team ascend from the Championship, with chairman David Wilkinson backing them all the way.
      Luton Town chairman David Wilkinson pictured at a game against West Bromwich Albion in August 2021Credit: Malcolm Couzens/ Getty
      Who is Luton Town football club chairman David Wilkinson?
      In 2018, Luton Town FC announced that David Wilkinson had been voted by his fellow directors as the new chairman of the club.
      Wilkinson is a lifelong Hatter and was a founding member of Luton Town 2020, the consortium of supporters who led the club out of administration in 2008.
      Before Wilkinson’s appointment, the team had been without a chairman in name since television presenter and BBC newsreader Nick Owen stood down from the role in August 2017.
      Wilkinson had already undertaken many of the responsibilities of chairman in his role as vice chairman, a position he took up in 2014.
      Read more on luton town
      After his appointment he said in a statement that, while he was “touched and honoured by this offer,” it wouldn’t really mean “much change”.
      He explained: “As vice chairman I have chaired all board meetings, attended Football League meetings, sat on committees, helped to host visitors and represent us at other clubs and events.”
      Wilkinson added: “I cannot express to you how proud I am to have been given this opportunity.”
      Prior to being vice chairman for Luton Town, Wilkinson was the club’s director.
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      What is David Wilkinson’s net worth? 
      Wilkinson’s net worth is not publicly known but his squad is estimated to be worth £25.74million, as per Transfermarkt.
      Luton have set their sights on playing in the Premier League.
      In May 2023 they reached the Championship play-off final after overcoming Sunderland.
      The Hatters won 3-2 on aggregate and will now face Coventry in the final at Wembley on May 27.
      If they are successful, the club – led by manager Rob Edwards – will have to upgrade their Kenilworth Road stadium so that it meets Premier League requirements.
      The work could cost £10million to carry out.
      Luton’s stadium is one of the most unique in the football league, with fans having to walk over gardens to get inside.
      Fans have to climb metal staircases above resident’s gardens to access the away stand, while patios from adjacent houses back on to the stadium.
      Local resident Abdul Ali’s family home is metres away from the entrance and backs on to the ground.
      He told The Sun in April 2023: “We used to have footballs smashing our window every so often when they accidentally got kicked out when teams tried to score.

      “It was kind of annoying at the time, it used to drive my dad mad.
      “We complained and complained and the club finally put up netting and some corrugated iron to stop it.” More

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      Shocking moment Man Utd star Amad Diallo is manhandled by Luton fan while taking throw-in for Sunderland

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      MANCHESTER UNITED loanee Amad Diallo was manhandled by a fan in the Luton section of supporters while he played in the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.The Red Devils loanee, 20, has spent this season with the Black Cats and racked up 42 appearances for the second-tier side.
      Amad Diallo tried to get the ball back from the Luton fansCredit: Twitter

      He received a punch in the back from someone in the crowdCredit: Twitter
      He contributed 14 goals and four assists for Tony Mowbray’s men, including a first-leg equaliser in Sunderland’s 2-1 win over Luton.
      But it was not enough to help the North East outfit back into the Premier League as they were beaten 2-0 in the return leg at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday evening – with Sunderland losing 3-2 on aggregate.

      And Diallo’s evening was made even more difficult when he received physical abuse from someone in the crowd.
      After the ball went off for a throw-in, the young forward attempted to retrieve the ball.
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      But the Luton fans kept hold of it to stall him.
      He then received forceful contact in the back from one individual who had launched himself forward to attack the Sunderland man.
      Luton have been approached for comment.
      Reacting to the clip on social media, one person said: “Lifetime ban.”
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      Another added: “Shouldn’t be too hard to identify and ban the mug tbh.”
      And a third replied: “Why would you do that?”
      Diallo is set to return to Man Utd in the summer.
      He has not featured for the club since December 2021, with a disappointing loan spell at Rangers preceding his time at Sunderland.
      Diallo scored 14 goals for Sunderland this seasonCredit: Getty More

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      Luton 2 Sunderland 0 LIVE RESULT: Luton ONE game away from Premier League after play-off win – updates

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      LUTON have reached the Championship play-off final after overcoming Sunderland.The Hatters won 3-2 on aggregate and 2-0 at the night in front of a wild Kenilworth Road.
      They will now face Middlesbrough or Coventry in the final at Wembley on May 27.

      Result: Luton 2-0 Sunderland (3-2)
      Luton XI: Horvath, Drameh, Lockyer, Morris, Adebayo, Nakamba, Mpanzu, Clark, Bell, Osho, Doughty
      Sunderland XI: Patterson, Hume, O’Nien, Gooch, Roberts, Neil, Ekwah, Clarke, Amad, Pritchard, Gelhardt

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      Fans celebrate monumental victory
      If you had told the Luton fans they would be heading to Wembley for the play-off final, most would not have believed you.
      However, Rob Edwards came in as manager during the season and was able to get this side to kick on from their early season form to put them one game away from the unthinkable.
      The fans celebrated as if they had already secured promotion, it is a carnival atmosphere at Kenilworth Road.
      Credit: Getty
      Credit: Getty
      The Hatters are off to Wembley
      Rob Edwards’ side are one game away from Premier League football.
      They have worked so hard this season to finish third in the Championship table but more often than not, league positions mean nothing when it comes to the play-offs.
      On this occasion, Luton have kept the dream alive and will be waiting to see whether it is Middlesbrough or Coventry that they face at Wembley.
      Credit: @LutonTown
      Play off drama continues at Luton
      One thing you can guarantee from the EFL play-offs is drama and tonight was no different.
      It was a cagey start to the game as both sets of players showed passion, commitment and grit.
      Luton got the first goal and the roof came off the stadium but once they got their second goal, their fans knew the dream was on.
      They will be partying long into the night and there will be some sore heads tomorrow no doubt.
      Hatters mad for shot at promotion
      Luton Town’s fans are all on the pitch as they celebrate their first ever play off victory in EFL competition.
      They await to see who they will face in the final but they do not care as they have booked their place at Wembley.
      From the first minute to the last, you could see how much every single one of their players wanted this tonight.
      FT: Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      Unbelievable scenes at Kenilworth Road.
      You can see how much this means to these Luton fans.
      They are going to Wembley for the play-off final and after tonight’s performance, completely deserve it.

      FT: Luton 2-0 Sunderland (Agg: 3-2)
      The referee blows his whistle to bring an end to the game.
      Kenilworth Road erupts as Luton make it through to the play-off final.
      Absolute scenes.
      Luton Town are going to Wembley.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      90+4. Even the goalkeeper has come up now for the corner.
      It is headed clear and Luton break with four players onto one defender.
      There is not even a keeper in the goal and he tries to do it all himself instead of squaring the ball for a certain goal.
      What a waste.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      90+2. As Sunderland look to work the ball into the box, Luton put in some timely tackles to block the shots.
      Eventually hoofing the ball clear downfield.
      They know all they need to do now is to keep the visitors out.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      90. All it will take for Sunderland is to score one goal and they will take this tie to extra time.
      Michut looks to shoot from about 25 yards out but the ball goes sailing over the crossbar.
      We are going to have four minutes of added time here.
      Credit: PA
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      88. Diallo twists and turns on the edge of the Luton box.
      He steps over the ball and looks to take it passed the defender but his route to goal is blocked.
      There just seems to be no way through for the visitors.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      86. Time is starting to run out for Sunderland.
      Tony Mowbray looks like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, stood on the touchline.
      The home fans are making this a cauldron of noise in these final minutes.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      84. Morris receives the ball from a throw in and looks to feed it into the path of Adebayo.
      He drops his shoulder and cuts inside but the Sunderland defender gets an important touch to take the ball away from him.
      Immediately, Sunderland go up the other end of the pitch, searching for a goal.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      82. This game is end to end stuff now.
      Sunderland desperate to find the goal that will draw the tie level.
      Luton know, a goal now would all but put this game to bed.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      80. Tony Mowbray’s side seem tonight as if they are lacking ideas of how to break down this Luton defence.
      Eventually the ball is swept into the box but there are no attackers to get on the end of it.
      Alastair Cook is spotted in the home end cheering Luton on.
      Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      78. Luton are camped out in their own half currently.
      Happy to absorb the Sunderland advances keeping them from having shots at goal.
      Tony Mowbray is looking to make some more changes.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      76. Sunderland have a free kick in a wide position.
      The ball is drilled in but immediately cleared.
      As Luton clear the ball upfield, there is no players there to do anything with it.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      74. Luton are standing up to the visitors as they manage to get the ball into the final third.
      Not pressing, but ensuring that Sunderland have no options to thread the ball through at all.
      Sunderland are starting to get frustrated.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      72. Morris comes charging forward down the left flank.
      Looking to beat his man and get into the penalty area.
      Sunderland get numbers over to give him no option to get the cross in.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      70. Sunderland are desperately trying to get forward themselves.
      They just cannot seem to manufacture anything in front of goal.
      Luton are getting numbers behind the ball and crowding them out.
      Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      68. Luton’s players are getting stuck into every challenge.
      Even when Sunderland are looking to hack the ball clear, they are managing to block it and prevent them getting out of their half.
      It is looking difficult for the visitors to find the goal they need when all they are doing is defending.,
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      66. Luton win a free kick deep in Sunderland territory.
      The ball is clipped into the box but the visitors half clear the ball.
      Kenilworth Road is bouncing whenever The Hatters attack now.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      64. Luton are getting the sense that there is a chance for them to kill this game off with another goal.
      Sunderland are feeling the pressure under wave after wave of attack.
      Crosses seem to be hurting the visitors as Luton dominate in the air.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      62. Another corner is swung in by Luton and is met by the head of Adebayo but on this occasion his effort is headed off the line.
      Almost a third goal for Rob Edwards’ side.
      Important clearance for Sunderland to keep them in this tie.
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      60. Sunderland are still looking to pass the ball around.
      They have not got to the point yet where they are getting desperate.
      Luton are defending well, keeping them a long way from Horvath’s goal.
      Credit: PA
      Luton 2-0 Sunderland
      58. Alese comes on for Pritchard for Sunderland.
      Tony Mowbray looking to make something happen for the visitors.
      Luton are not sitting back by any stretch of the imagination.
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