Luton Town F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Luton Town Football Club | |
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| Nickname(s) | The Hatters | |
| Founded | 11 April 1885 | |
| Ground | Kenilworth Road | |
| Capacity | 12,056 | |
| Owner | Luton Town Football Club 2020 Ltd | |
| Chairman | David Wilkinson | |
| Manager | Rob Edwards | |
| League | Championship | |
| 2018–19 | Premier League, 18th of 20 (relegated) | |
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Luton Town Football Club is a professional football team from Luton, England. They are known as "The Hatters". The club plays its home games at Kenilworth Road, a stadium they have used since 1905.
Luton Town was the first club in southern England to become fully professional. They joined the Football League in 1897. After some financial issues, they rejoined in 1920. The team reached the top division of English football in 1955. They played in a major final for the first time in 1959, the 1959 FA Cup final, but lost to Nottingham Forest.
After being relegated a few times, Luton Town climbed back up. In 1982, they won the Second Division title and returned to the top league. A big moment came in 1988 when they beat Arsenal 3–2 to win the League Cup. They stayed in the top division until 1992.
Between 2007 and 2009, the club faced serious money problems. This caused them to drop from the second tier all the way to the fifth tier of English football. In 2009, they even had 30 points taken away because of financial issues. Luton spent five seasons outside the main Football League. But they made a great comeback! They won the Conference Premier in 2014 and returned to the Football League.
Luton Town then earned two promotions in a row, from League Two in 2018 and League One in 2019. This brought them back to the EFL Championship, the second tier. In 2023, they achieved an amazing feat by winning the Championship playoffs. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League for the very first time! They won their first Premier League game in September 2023 against Everton. However, they were relegated back to the Championship in May 2024.
Contents
Club History
How Luton Town Started (1885–1890)
Luton Town Football Club officially started on April 11, 1885. Before this, there were other local teams like Luton Wanderers. A player from Wanderers, George Deacon, had the idea to create one big "Town" club. This club would bring together all the best players in Luton.
A meeting was held in April 1885, and most football fans in the town attended. They voted to form the new "Luton Town Football Club". The first team colours were pink and dark blue shirts and caps.
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Luton Town started paying some players in 1890. The next year, they became the first club in southern England to have all professional players. They helped create the Southern Football League in 1894. They finished second in their first two seasons.
Later, they joined the English Football League, which was mostly made up of northern teams. This meant high travel costs. Because of money problems, they left the Football League in 1900 and went back to the Southern League.
Early 1900s (1900–1950)
In 1905, Luton moved to their current home, Kenilworth Road. In 1907, Bob Hawkes became Luton's first player to play for the England national team.
After World War I, Luton rejoined the Football League in the 1920–21 season. This is when they started wearing their famous white and black colours. Before that, they wore light blue and white.
Luton stayed in the Third Division South until 1937. That year, they finished first and won promotion to the Second Division. During this successful season, striker Joe Payne scored an amazing 55 goals in 39 games! The season before, he scored 10 goals in one match against Bristol Rovers. This is still a Football League record today. In 1937, Eddie Parris became the first Black player to play for Luton.
Rise to the Top and Relegation (1950–1965)
In the early 1950s, Luton Town had a fantastic team under manager Dally Duncan. Key players included Gordon Turner, who became the club's all-time top goalscorer, and Syd Owen, an England international.
This strong team reached the top division for the first time in 1955. They finished second in the league that season. A few years later, in 1959, they played in the FA Cup Final. Syd Owen was even voted the best player of the year. However, the club was relegated the very next season. By 1965, they had dropped all the way to the fourth tier of English football.
Back to the Top and Cup Success (1965–1992)
Luton Town started climbing back up again. They won the Fourth Division championship in 1968. Two years later, they earned another promotion. In 1974, Luton Town was promoted back to the First Division. However, they were relegated the next season by just one point.
David Pleat, a former Luton player, became manager in 1978. By 1983, the team was back in the top league. This team was special because it had many talented Black players. Players like Ricky Hill, Brian Stein, and Emeka Nwajiobi were very important to the team's success.
On the last day of the 1982–83 season, Luton needed to win against Manchester City to stay in the top league. A late goal by Raddy Antić saved the team! This led to manager David Pleat doing a famous "jig of joy" dance on the pitch.
In 1987, the club reached its highest ever league position, finishing seventh. A year later, managed by Ray Harford, they won the Football League Cup. They beat Arsenal 3–2 in an exciting final. With only ten minutes left, Arsenal was winning 2–1. But a penalty save by goalkeeper Andy Dibble sparked a comeback! Danny Wilson scored to make it 2–2, and then Brian Stein scored the winning goal right at the end of the match. Luton reached the League Cup Final again in 1989 but lost to Nottingham Forest.
Ups and Downs (1992–2009)
Luton Town was relegated from the top division in 1992. They dropped to the third tier four years later. In 2001, they were relegated again to the fourth tier. But under manager Joe Kinnear, they won promotion back to the third tier right away.
In 2003, the club had some problems with its owner, John Gurney. He left, and the club went into a special financial process called "administration". However, the team, now managed by Mike Newell, won the third-tier league title in 2005.
After this, the team was relegated twice in a row, starting in 2007. They faced more financial difficulties. In 2008–09, they had a huge 30 points taken away from their league record because of past money issues. This made it very hard to stay in the league. Despite this, Luton won the Football League Trophy for the first time that season.
From Non-League to Premier League (2009–Present)
Because of their relegation and point deductions, Luton Town found themselves playing in the Conference Premier in 2009. This was a non-League competition, meaning it was outside the main Football League. They had never played at this level before.
Luton spent five seasons in non-League football. They tried to get promoted through the play-offs three times but didn't succeed. However, in 2013, they made history in the 2012–13 FA Cup. They beat Premier League club Norwich City 1–0 away from home. This made them the first non-League team since 1989 to beat a top-division side!
In the 2013–14 season, under manager John Still, Luton won the Conference Premier title. This meant they were finally back in the Football League! After reaching the play-offs in 2017, they earned promotion to League One in 2018. Then, in 2019, they achieved a second promotion in a row by winning the League One title. This brought them back to the EFL Championship after 12 years.
Luton reached the Championship play-offs in 2022 but lost to Huddersfield Town. In 2023, they finished 3rd in the Championship and made the play-offs again. They beat Sunderland in the semi-finals. Then, in the final against Coventry City, they won 6–5 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. This incredible victory secured their promotion to the Premier League for the first time ever!
They won their first Premier League game on September 30, 2023, beating Everton 2–1 away. After a tough second half of the season, the club was relegated in May 2024.
Club Identity
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| Luton first wore white and black between 1920 and 1973. |
The club's nickname, "the Hatters", comes from Luton's long history with making hats. This trade has been important in the town since the 1600s. Fans of the club are also called Hatters.
Luton Town has used two main colour schemes. They first wore white and black permanently in 1920. Then, in 1973, they switched to orange, navy, and white. These are the colours the team wears today. Before 1920, they mostly wore light blue and white.
The club has changed its badge several times. In 1892, they had a white eight-pointed star. Later, in 1933, they used a badge with a straw boater hat on it. From 1970, they often used the town's official crest.
In 1973, when they changed to orange kits, a new badge was introduced. It had a stylish orange football with "Lt" on it, surrounded by the club's name in navy blue. In 1987, they went back to a design based on the town's crest. The current badge, updated in 2009, uses orange instead of red to match the club's colours better. It also includes the club's founding year, 1885.
Shirt Sponsors
The first sponsor on a Luton Town shirt was Tricentrol, a local car company. They sponsored the club from 1980 to 1982.
Here is a list of some of Luton Town's shirt sponsors over the years:
- 1981-1982: Tricentrol
- 1982–1990: Bedford Trucks
- 1990–1991: Vauxhall
- 1991–1999: Universal Salvage Auctions
- 1999–2003: SKF
- 2003–2005: Travel Extras
- 2005–2008: Electrolux
- 2008–2009: Carbrini Sportswear
- 2009–2015: EasyJet and NICEIC
- 2015–2016: Barnfield College and NICEIC
- 2016–2018: NICEIC and SsangYong Motor UK
- 2018–2019: Indigo Residential (home), Star Platforms (away), Northern Gas & Power (third)
- 2019–2020: Indigo Residential (home), Star Platforms (away), Ryebridge Construction (third)
- 2020–2022: JB Developments (home), Star Platforms (away), Ryebridge Construction (third)
- 2022–2023: Utilita (home), Star Platforms (away), Ryebridge Construction (third), The Wood Veneer Hub (training)
- 2023–2024: Utilita (main), FREE NOW (sleeve), TUI (training)
Stadium
Luton Town's first stadium was at Dallow Lane. It was next to a railway line, and players sometimes found it hard to see the ball because of train smoke! In 1897, the club had to sell the stadium because of money problems. They moved to a new ground on Dunstable Road.
In 1905, the Dunstable Road site was sold for houses. Luton Town had to move quickly to their current home, Kenilworth Road. This stadium is in the Bury Park area of Luton. It can hold 11,600 fans, and all seats are in place.
The original Main Stand at Kenilworth Road burned down in 1921. It was replaced before the 1922–23 season. The stadium was improved a lot in the 1930s. By the start of World War II, it could hold 30,000 people.
In 1985, the grass pitch was replaced with an artificial playing surface. Fans didn't like it and called it "the plastic pitch". It was changed back to grass in 1991.
A serious incident with football hooligans in 1985 led to big changes. The club's chairman, David Evans, decided to ban all visiting fans from the stadium. Home fans also had to carry membership cards. The stadium also started to be converted to an all-seater stadium in 1986. Away fans were allowed back in 1990.
New Stadium Plans
Luton Town has wanted a new stadium for a long time. Their current ground, Kenilworth Road, is small and hard to expand. They first thought about moving in 1955.
In 2016, the club announced plans to build a new 17,500-seat stadium. This new stadium would be at the Power Court site in central Luton. The plans were approved in 2019. In 2023, the plan was updated to build a 19,500-seat stadium first, with more seats added later. In September 2024, the club submitted new plans for a 25,000-seat stadium, hoping to open it by 2027.
Supporters and Rivalries
Luton Town has a strong fan base. In the 2014–15 season, they had the second-highest average home attendance in League Two. Even when they were in the non-League Conference Premier in 2013–14, their average attendance was more than double that of the next highest club.
A group called Trust in Luton owns shares in the club. They also have a say in important club decisions, like the club's name, nickname, colours, and badge.
Luton Town fans have a big rivalry with Hertfordshire-based club Watford. Luton has won more matches overall against Watford. There is also some rivalry with Queens Park Rangers.
The club has an official match programme called Our Town. Their mascot is a smiling man named Happy Harry, who wears a straw boater hat. He appears on the pitch before matches.
Records and Statistics
The player with the most appearances for Luton Town is Bob Morton. He played 562 times for the club. Fred Hawkes holds the record for the most league appearances, with 509 games. Six players have scored more than 100 goals for Luton, including Gordon Turner and Brian Stein.
Robert Hawkes was the first Luton player to play for the England national team in 1907. The player with the most international appearances while at the club is Mal Donaghy, who played 58 times for Northern Ireland.
Joe Payne holds the Football League record for most goals in one game. He scored 10 goals against Bristol Rovers in 1936.
Luton's biggest win was 15–0 against Great Yarmouth Town in the FA Cup in 1914. Their heaviest loss was 9–0 against Small Heath in 1898.
The highest number of fans at a home game was 30,069 against Blackpool in the FA Cup in 1959.
The most money Luton Town has received for a player was for James Justin, who joined Leicester City in 2019. The most expensive player Luton Town has ever bought was Ryan Giles in 2023.
The youngest player to play for Luton Town's first team is Connor Tomlinson. He was 15 years and 199 days old when he played in an EFL Trophy match in 2016.
Players
Current Squad
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Players Under Contract
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Players Out on Loan
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Youth Team
Luton Town has a Development Squad for senior players, youth players, and trialists. They also have an Under-18 team. The club runs ten Soccer Centres in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. They also have two Centres of Excellence and an academy for younger players.
Development Squad
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Under 18s Squad
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