It may have taken five months, but if Luton Town avoid defeat away to Chester City this afternoon they will have zero points. Most managers would expect to be out of a job if their team were bottom of Coca-Cola League Two with no points 21 weeks after the start of the season, but Mick Harford and his players will be taken out for lunch next week by the club's new owners if they can get the point they need to complete their journey from the coldest place in football - minus 30 - to zero points.

“To see our name in the table with zero points will be a massive boost,” Harford said. “There have been a few periods of darkness this season. It's a very lonely job.” Harford agreed to return to Kenilworth Road in January last year to replace Kevin Blackwell as manager and in the past 12 months the former Luton forward has developed an endearing habit of ending every interview with the same request. “Make sure you keep it nice and positive,” he says before putting the phone down or showing you out of his office.

That is when the problems start. Even the most creative and warm-hearted person would struggle to find a bright side to what has happened to Luton since they climbed to fifth in the Championship in December 2005. From knocking on the door of the penthouse of the Premier League they have gone to fighting for their lives in the basement of League Two.

Luton supporters are used to their best players being sold, but in the past three years they have had to put up with points deductions, the club going into administration for the third time in eight years, Mike Newell effectively talking himself out of a job with his

allegations about corruption in the game, unscrupulous owners and two successive relegations. Just when they thought that things could not get worse last summer, the FA punished them with a ten-point penalty for financial irregularities and the Football League imposed a 20-point penalty for the club's failure to comply with the its insolvency policy. “The punishment does not fit the crime,” Harford said. “My players are being punished for the crimes of people who have left the club.”

Luckily for Harford, other clubs, such as Norwich City, Leicester City, Milton Keynes Dons and Middlesbrough, have helped by loaning him players and his team are unbeaten in seven games and 15 points away from the safety of 22nd place. Luton's plight may seem hopeless, but the club's new owners, led by Gary Sweet, the man-aging director, and Nick Owen, the chairman, are sorting out the financial problems and Harford is trying to stop the club dropping out of the Football League for the first time in their 124-year history.

“We have to be prepared for all eventualities,” Harford said. “Until it's mathematically impossible for us to stay up we'll keep battling and scrapping away. We have put ourselves in a position where we can survive if we keep our run going.”

Because of their points penalty, Luton have been playing with four forwards in a desperate attempt to win, rather than just draw matches, and their sense of adventure has also taken them to the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Southern section final. If they beat Brighton & Hove Albion over two legs this month, Harford will lead out his players at Wembley Stadium in April to face Rotherham United or Scunthorpe United in the final.

“Rotherham were also deducted points by the Football League in the summer, so it would be ironic if we played them in the final at Wembley,” Harford said. “It would be very ironic.”

The only way is up

Luton ended the 2006-07 season in tenth place in the Championship, above Stoke City and Hull City, who are now in the Premier League.

If Luton draw against Chester City today it will have taken 148 days to get to zero points. That is longer than Pamela Anderson, the model, spent married to Rick Salomon (73 days) and Kid Rock (90 days or so).

Luton have gained 29 points after 23 matches in League Two. Without the 30-point deduction, they would be thirteenth - seven points off the play-offs places - instead of bottom of the table on minus one point.

The club were losing £100,000 a week and spending more than

100 per cent of their income on player wages when they went into administration in November 2007.

In the past three years Luton have raised about £14million by selling their best players. Curtis Davies, the centre back who was sold to West Bromwich Albion for £3million in 2005, plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League. Leon Barnett, who was sold for £2.5million, is at West Brom.

Rotherham United and Bournemouth also started this season on negative points in League Two. Rotherham (17-point deduction) are twentieth with 19 points and Bournemouth (17-point deduction) are 23rd with seven points.

Loan arranger

Harry Redknapp has offered to help Luton Town by sending Tottenham Hostpur players to Kenilworth Road on loan for the rest of the season. The Tottenham manager has told Luton that they will not even have to pay the players' wages if they take up his offer. “I speak to Harry quite a lot,” Mick Harford said. “It is nice to know the top managers look at the lower leagues and keep an eye on what is going on. Harry said, ‘If you need any players just let me know and we'll pay their wages.'” Has Harford been tempted to ask for Roman Pavlyuchenko? “No, not yet,” he said. “We have five players on loan but if we do lose one, I may phone Harry.”