History of Luton Town F.C. (1970–present)

Luton Town F.C.

Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

is an English professional football club based in the town of Luton

Luton

Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....

, Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....

. Rising back to the top flight

Football League First Division

The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

of English football

Football in England

Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...

for a season in 1974–75, the remainder of the decade was spent in the second tier

Football League Second Division

From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...

. David Pleat

David Pleat

David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after...

's appointment as manager in 1978 prompted the development of a strong team which won promotion

Promotion and relegation

In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...

after the 1981–82 season; Pleat consolidated Luton's position in the top tier before leaving in 1986. Ray Harford

Ray Harford

Raymond Thomas Harford was an English footballer, better known for his successes as a coach and manager than as a player. He is considered to have been one of the top coaches of his generation.-Playing career:...

's Luton team subsequently achieved a 3–2 victory over Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

in the 1988 League Cup Final

1988 Football League Cup Final

The 1988 Littlewoods Cup Final,took place at Wembley Stadium on 24 April 1988, and was contested between Luton Town and Arsenal. Luton won the match, thanks to goals from Danny Wilson and Brian Stein . Goals from Alan Smith and Martin Hayes had seen Arsenal lead 2-1 before a late comeback from Luton...

, before settling for runners-up medals at the next year's Final after losing 2–1 to Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

. Luton were relegated

Promotion and relegation

from the top flight after the 1991–92 season, after ten successive seasons as a top division club.

The team made an FA Cup semi-final

FA Cup Semi-finals

The FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world.- Location :...

appearance in 1993–94, once again under Pleat, before suffering a second relegation in 1995. Luton were relegated to the fourth tier

Football League Third Division

The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...

in 2001, but under Joe Kinnear

Joe Kinnear

Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kinnear is an Irish football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Newcastle United....

bounced back at the first attempt. Mike Newell

Mike Newell (footballer)

Michael Colin "Mike" Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player he notably was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team which won the Premier League in 1995, as well also playing for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town, Leicester City, Everton,...

became manager in 2003, and led Luton to the Football League Championship

Football League Championship

The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

before he was sacked in 2007. Three successive relegations and a total of 40 points deducted over the latter two seasons saw Luton Town relegated from the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

at the end of the 2008–09

2008–09 in English football

The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...

season.

Gradual rise (1970–82)

Malcolm Macdonald

Malcolm Ian Macdonald is a former English footballer nicknamed Supermac, famed for scoring goals for Luton Town, Newcastle United and Arsenal.-Football career:...

took his fantastic form into 1970–71 as Luton did extremely well in their first season back in the Second Division

Football League Second Division

, finishing sixth and just seven points off off promotion to the First Division

Football League First Division

. However, success on the pitch was not matched off it – April saw the club announce a £173,116 loss, and the club appealed to the supporters for money to cover their shortfalls. In the end, it was Macdonald himself who ended the crisis – he was sold to Newcastle United

Newcastle United F.C.

Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

for £180,000 a month later.

Two years in mid-table followed Macdonald's sale, as Luton finished first 13th, then 12th. In 1972 manager Alec Stock

Alec Stock

Alec William Alfred Stock was an English footballer and manager.-Career:Alec Stock was born in Peasedown St John and played as an inside-forward for Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic and QPR before the Second World War and guested for several other clubs during the hostilities...

moved on to be replaced by Harry Haslam. Luton managed a second place finish in 1973–74 which saw them promoted, but only managed a solitary year in the top flight, as 1974–75 ended with relegation by a single point. December 1975 saw another serious financial crisis at the club, with a special meeting

Special session

In a legislature, a special session is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year , such as outlining the government's budget for the next fiscal year, biennium, or other period...

called for the club's shareholder

Shareholder

A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....

s on the 3rd. The refusal of the club's bankers to extend their credit

Credit (finance)

Credit is the trust which allows one party to provide resources to another party where that second party does not reimburse the first party immediately , but instead arranges either to repay or return those resources at a later date. The resources provided may be financial Credit is the trust...

led to the club's directors paying the wage bill with their own money to prevent the club from being closed down. Liquidation was averted by the sale of Peter Anderson

Peter Anderson (footballer born 1949)

Peter Thomas Anderson is a former English football midfielder and manager.Anderson began his career in the Hendon F.C. Academy, turning professional with the club in 1968. In 1970, he transferred to Luton Town. His first match came on February 13, 1971 in a 1-0 victory over Watford F.C...

to Royal Antwerp on the 7th, with the £80,000 raised alleviating the strain on the club's finances. Despite these back-room problems, Luton still managed a creditable seventh place finish in 1975–76.

The next season saw Luton finish sixth, before a drop to 13th in 1977–78 prompted Haslam's departure to Sheffield United

Sheffield United F.C.

Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

. This gave the young assistant manager, David Pleat

David Pleat

, his chance. The club came close to the drop during Pleat's first full season in charge, but following the skilful acquisition of a number of key players, the club were soon challenging for promotion once again. Pleat's astute signings, including Mal Donaghy

Mal Donaghy

Malachy Martin "Mal" Donaghy is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played for Luton Town.-Club career:...

, David Moss and captain Brian Horton

Brian Horton

Brian Horton is an English former footballer and manager, who is working as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End.Horton played for Hednesford Town, Port Vale, Brighton & Hove Albion, Luton Town and Hull City as a midfielder...

, brilliantly complimented the existing home-grown talent personified by skilful midfielder

Midfielder

A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

Ricky Hill

Ricky Hill is a former English footballer and the current head coach for Tampa Bay in the second division North American Soccer League.He was born in Paddington.-Playing career:...

and prolific goalscorer Brian Stein

Brian Stein

Brian Stein is a South African born former English footballer. He is the older brother of former Luton Town, Chelsea and Stoke City striker Mark Stein; another brother, Ed Stein, played for Barnet....

. Pleat even dabbled in the overseas market, signing Yugoslav

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...

Raddy Antić

Radomir Antic

Radomir Antić is a Serbian former football defender and former football manager for the Serbian national team.Following a 17-year playing career he found his true calling in coaching....

from Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

club Real Zaragoza

Real Zaragoza

Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...

in 1980. Luton came sixth, then fifth, and then romped home as champions in 1981–82, spending only one week off of the top spot from October onwards, amassing 88 points and clinching the championship eight points ahead of second placed arch-rivals

Luton Town F.C. and Watford F.C. rivalry

South-eastern English association football clubs Luton Town and Watford have been rivals since their respective formations in the late 19th century. Both clubs are based near to the M1 motorway, which has led to the match sometimes being referred to as the "M1 Derby" by the press. The clubs, which...

Watford

Watford F.C.

Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

The top flight (1982–92)

Under Pleat, the club had developed a cavalier and attacking style of play, and this was evident during 1982–83 as Luton finished with the second highest tally of away goals, only one less than champions

English football champions

The English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English football, which is currently the Premier League. Teams in bold are those who won the double of League Championship and FA Cup, or the European Double of League Championship and European Cup in that season.Following the...

Liverpool

Liverpool F.C.

Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

. On the last day of the season, Luton needed all three points against relegation rivals Manchester City

Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

at Maine Road

Maine Road

Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...

to stay up. City, needing only a point to avoid the drop, defended resolutely and few chances came to Luton – but with only seven minutes remaining, substitute Raddy Antić slammed home the winner to secure Luton's top flight status and prompt a manic jig across the pitch from Pleat. The next two seasons saw Luton consolidate as the club finished first 16th, then 13th in 1984–85 as Luton reached the FA Cup semi-finals

FA Cup Semi-finals

The FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world.- Location :...

. Player sales continued as skilful forward Paul Walsh

Paul Walsh

Paul Anthony Walsh is a retired English footballer.Walsh was a diminutive and pacy centre forward who shot to fame in the 1980s during spells with Charlton, Luton, Liverpool and Tottenham.-Charlton Athletic:...

, PFA Young Player of the Year

PFA Young Player of the Year

The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...

, was sold to Liverpool

Liverpool F.C.

in the summer of 1984.

1983-84

1983-84 in English football

The 1983–84 season was the 104th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history...

had seen mixed results for Luton, whose 3-0 win at Notts County

Notts County F.C.

Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

on Boxing Day

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...

had seen them occupy third place in the league, putting them just five points behind leaders Liverpool and sparking hopes of a title challenge.However, their form during the second half of the season was less impressive, and by the time of a 5-0 home defeat against Manchester United on 12 February 1984 they were ninth in the league and looking increasing unlikely to qualify for the UEFA Cup

UEFA Cup

The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

, let alone win the league title.After failing to turn things around, they finished the season in 16th place - just three points clear of the relegation zone.

December 1984 saw the arrival of attacker Mick Harford

Mick Harford

Michael Gordon "Mick" Harford , is an English former football player turned manager. He is former manager of Rotherham and Luton Town and has also been caretaker manager of Nottingham Forest and QPR...

from Birmingham City

Birmingham City F.C.

Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

.

13 March 1985 saw an infamous riot

1985 Kenilworth Road riot

The 1985 Kenilworth Road riot occurred at Luton Town's Kenilworth Road ground before, during and after an FA Cup sixth-round match between Luton Town and Millwall on 13 March 1985. It was one of the worst incidents of football hooliganism during the 1980s, and led to a ban on away supporters by...

by Millwall

Millwall F.C.

Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

supporters before, during and after an FA Cup

FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

sixth-round tie, which caused noticeable damage to the ground and the surrounding area. The club reacted by imposing a ban on all away supporters from Kenilworth Road, as well as introducing a scheme that would require even home supporters to carry membership cards to be admitted to matches. They did manage to win that game 1-0, to book a semi final clash with Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

on 13 April at Villa Park

Villa Park

Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...

. Everton were overwhelmingly expected to win the game, as they were in process of winning the league title by a comfortable margin and were also on their way to glory in the European Cup Winners' Cup

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...

, but Luton held their own against the Merseysiders

Merseyside

Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...

, who needed extra time to edge them out with a 2-1 win.On the league scene, Luton finished 13th in the First Division.

Luton also decided to follow the lead of Queen Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers F.C.

Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

' experiment at Loftus Road

Loftus Road

Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...

, as the grass pitch was dug up and replaced with an artificial playing surface

Artificial turf

Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...

before the start of the 1985–86 season. The new surface became exceedingly unpopular and was derided as "the plastic pitch".

That season, they had the distinction of ending Manchester United's 10-match winning start to the league campaign, holding them to a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road in their 11th league game on 5 October 1985.

The end of 1985–86 saw Pleat finally leave Luton, as he moved on to Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

. He handed over the reins to coach John Moore

John Moore (footballer)

John Moore is a Scottish former professional footballer, best known as a player for Luton Town.-Playing career:...

, who guided Luton to a seventh place finish in 1986–87, before handing in his resignation and being replaced by his assistant Ray Harford

Ray Harford

.

The 1987–88 campaign was the most successful yet – Luton achieved a famous 3–2 victory over Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

in the League Cup final at Wembley. Luton stunned the holders by taking a 1–0 lead early on through Brian Stein, and leading by that score at half time. By the 74th minute Arsenal had overhauled them, leading 2–1, and Arsenal were still ahead with ten minutes to go with Luton's goal continually under siege throughout the second half. The match turned on its head when stand-in goalkeeper Andy Dibble

Andy Dibble

Andrew Gerald "Andy" Dibble is a Welsh former professional football player who played as a goalkeeper.A journeyman who played for many different teams, Dibble won three caps for the Wales national football team....

turned Nigel Winterburn

Nigel Winterburn

Nigel Winterburn is a retired English footballer who played at left-back for Arsenal. He is best known for his role alongside Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon, forming a celebrated defensive line in the Premier League and European football during the 1990s.-Early career:Winterburn was born...

's penalty round the post with ten minutes left – had Winterburn scored, Arsenal would have almost certainly have won the final 3–1. In the last seven minutes Luton, galvanised by new self-belief, scored twice to win 3–2, Brian Stein sealing the win with the last kick of the match. On top of this, Luton finished ninth in the First Division

Football League First Division

, reached the FA Cup semi-finals

FA Cup Semi-finals

The FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world.- Location :...

before falling to Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

at Villa Park

Villa Park

, and played at Wembley in the Simod Cup

Full Members Cup

The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....

final against Reading

Reading F.C.

Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

, which they lost 4–1. The League Cup triumph, still Luton's only major trophy, would have been enough for UEFA Cup

UEFA Cup

qualification; but at this time all English teams were banned from European competitions due to the Heysel Stadium Disaster

Heysel Stadium disaster

The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred on 29 May 1985 when escaping fans were pressed against a wall in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, as a result of rioting before the start of the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy...

.

The 1988–89 season saw Luton slide down to a 16th place finish, and half-way through the season Luton's prize assets started being sold off. Danish

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

international

Denmark national football team

The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...

forward Lars Elstrup

Lars Elstrup

Lars Dahl Elstrup is a Danish former professional footballer, who played for a number of Danish clubs, as well as Dutch club Feyenoord and Luton Town in England...

became Luton's record signing in August 1989, costing £850,000, but Mick Harford

Mick Harford

was sold to Derby County

Derby County F.C.

Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

in January. Ray Harford was sacked in January 1990, with Luton battling relegation, and coach Jim Ryan

Jim Ryan (footballer)

James Patrick Ryan , is an English footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League.-External links:*...

was promoted to manager. Ryan was sacked after 16 months in charge despite managing to keep Luton in the top flight in his first season, and securing survival again in his second. Both seasons saw Luton escape relegation on the last day of the season, both times against Derby.

David Pleat

David Pleat

returned for his second spell as Luton boss during the summer. Elstrup rejoined Odense for £200,000, and Kingsley Black

Kingsley Black

Kingsley Black is an English-born Northern Ireland former professional footballer. He notably played for Luton Town, Nottingham Forest and Grimsby Town...

was sold to Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

for £1,500,000. Striker Iain Dowie

Iain Dowie

Iain Dowie is a former footballer and manager. He is currently without a club. He has previously managed Hull City and Queens Park Rangers and was assistant manager of Newcastle United...

and full back

Defender (association football)

Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

Tim Breacker

Tim Breacker is an ex-footballer and now football coach with a UEFA Pro A licence.Tim started his career as an apprentice at Luton Town. He eventually graduated to the first team where he had a long and successful spell accumulating 210 appearances...

were both sold to West Ham United

West Ham United F.C.

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

for a combined fee of £1,050,000.

Following a shaky start, Pleat took a gamble and arranged the return of Mick Harford, who joined Luton for a second spell as a player for £325,000 in mid-September 1991. Brian Stein

Brian Stein

had already returned from FC Annecy

Annecy F.C.

Annecy Football Club is a French amateur football club based in the town of Annecy in Haute-Savoie. The team plays its home matches at the Parc des Sports, where the club and its predecessor have been based since 1964...

for a second spell and the pair were thus re-united as Luton's forward line. Stein scored only three goals in 39 league appearances over the course of the season, but Harford proved to be a big success once again as he ended the year as the club's top scorer for the season with 12 goals.

The loan signing of goalkeeper Steve Sutton

Steve Sutton (footballer)

Stephen "Steve" Sutton is an English former professional football goalkeeper, currently working as a coach.-Playing career:...

from Nottingham Forest revived Luton for a period, but the Board refused to supply the £300,000 fee required to keep Sutton permanently. Various loan signings such as veteran forward Imre Varadi

Imre Varadi

Imre Varadi is an English former professional footballer of Hungarian origin, known as a journeyman forward who appeared for 16 different clubs at all levels of professional football in England.-Playing career:...

failed to galvanise the side, but come the last day, Luton still had an outside chance of avoiding relegation. Luton travelled to already-relegated Notts County

Notts County F.C.

knowing that they had to win their first away match of the season, and hope that Coventry

Coventry City F.C.

Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

lost at Aston Villa

Aston Villa F.C.

Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

. Julian James

Julian James

Julian Colin James , is an English former football player, best known for his time at Luton Town.-Playing career:...

gave Luton the lead they required, but two late goals from Rob Matthews

Rob Matthews

Robert David "Rob" Matthews is an English former footballer who played as a striker.-External links:...

saw County drag Luton down with them.

Fall from the top (1992–2001)

Luton's spell in the top flight finally over, it was always always going to be difficult to keep hold of prize assets. So it proved when Mick Harford signed for Chelsea

Chelsea F.C.

Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

for £300,000. The first season in the new, three-division Football League

The Football League

almost saw Luton drop into the third tier of English football. The team was not helped by the involvement of Scottish

Scottish people

The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

duo Paul Telfer

Paul Telfer (footballer)

Paul Norman Telfer is a retired Scottish footballer who played as a full-back for various clubs, including Luton Town, Coventry City, Southampton and Celtic. He also made one appearance for the Scotland national football team...

and Darren Salton

Darren Salton

Darren Brian Salton is a former Scottish under-21 international footballer, whose career was cut short by injuries suffered in a car accident.-Playing career:...

in a motor accident early on in the season – under-21 international

Scotland national under-21 football team

The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....

defender

Defender (association football)

Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

Salton was nearly killed, and never played again. Luton were bottom of the table shortly in the New Year, and Pleat reacted by procuring a loan deal to bring Luton

Luton

-born England international

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

Kerry Dixon

Kerry Michael Dixon is a retired English professional footballer who played most notably for Chelsea and England.-Early years:...

to the club on loan from Southampton

Southampton F.C.

Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

. Dixon gelled well alongside Phil Gray

Phil Gray

Philip "Phil" Gray is an Northern Irish former professional footballer. A striker, Gray won 26 caps for his country and played for ten professional clubs, his transfer fees totalling £1,475,000...

up front, and Luton stayed up.

1993–94 started with David Pleat making Dixon's move permanent, and resigning Mitchell Thomas

Mitchell Thomas

Mitchell Thomas is a retired English football defender. Whilst at Tottenham Hotspur he started in the 1987 FA Cup Final.-Playing career:...

from West Ham United

West Ham United F.C.

. Although Luton struggled in the league, form was found in the FA Cup

FA Cup

– Scott Oakes

Scott Oakes

Scott Oakes is a former professional footballer, best known from his time at Luton Town in the early 1990s. Oakes began his career at Leicester City but was transferred to Luton in 1991 as part of the deal that took Steve Thompson the opposite way.At Luton, Oakes soon became a regular in the side,...

starred as Luton raced to the FA Cup semi-final and a trip to Wembley. 27,500 Luton supporters saw Gavin Peacock

Gavin Peacock

Gavin Keith Peacock is a former English professional football player who played primarily in midfield but often as a striker...

seal a 2–0 win for Chelsea, and after the semi-final defeat, Luton lost five games in a row. However, a 3–2 home win over West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion F.C.

West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

earned survival three games from the end of the season, keeping Luton in the second tier for another year.

Luton struggled once again in 1994–95, with the side struggling to score at home. Pleat's Luton side, including young players such as Oakes, Telfer and John Hartson

John Hartson

John Hartson is a former Welsh international footballer who played as a striker, best known for his spells with West Ham and Celtic. Hartson also featured prominently for Wales, earning 51 caps until his international retirement in 2006...

, reacted positively when Pleat turned down the advances of Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

to return to North London as General Manager, and rocketed up to fifth in the table. Hartson was bought by Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

for £2,500,000 soon after, a British record for a teenager.

The season petered out into obscurity following Hartson's sale, and Luton finished 16th. Pleat left for a second time, moving to Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday F.C.

Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

. His successor Terry Westley

Terry Westley

Terry Westley is an association football coach and manager. Until 2011 he was the Academy Director at Birmingham City.Westley previously worked at Rushden & Diamonds, Ipswich Town, Charlton Athletic, Luton Town and Derby County. At these clubs he was responsible for developing young players, who...

was promoted from youth team coach, but was sacked after just six months in charge. Lennie Lawrence

Lennie Lawrence

Robin Michael Lawrence, commonly known as Lennie Lawrence, is a British football manager who is assistant manager of Crystal Palace. He has managed a number of English clubs and one Welsh club in a coaching career spanning over 30 years...

was brought in as a replacement, but he was unable to stop Luton from finishing bottom of Division One

Football League First Division

.

The 1996–97 season started just as badly as the last, with three straight losses. However, the introduction of young forward Andy Fotiadis saw Luton burst into life, as Luton shot up the table with a run of eight wins and two draws in eleven games. Tony Thorpe

Tony Thorpe

Anthony "Tony" Thorpe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Thurmaston Town. As a professional he notably played for Luton Town, Bristol City and Queens Park Rangers. He also played in the Football League for Reading, Rotherham United, Swindon Town, Colchester United and Grimsby Town...

too proved to be a revelation, scoring 28 goals to be the division's top scorer. Luton were nearly promoted, but finished in third place on goal difference, and lost to Crewe Alexandra

Crewe Alexandra F.C.

Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

in the play-offs.

The summer of 1997 saw a Luton Town teenager with only one game under his belt, Matthew Upson

Matthew Upson

Matthew James Upson is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League. He is a central defender and he has played for England at full international level including at the 2010 World Cup....

, sold to Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

for £1,000,000, eventually rising to double that after various add-ons. To make matters worse, star forward Tony Thorpe was sold to Kevin Keegan

Kevin Keegan

Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....

's Fulham

Fulham F.C.

Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

for £800,000. Just one place off the bottom of Division Two on deadline day, Luton looked doomed – but David Pleat, now Tottenham's

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

Director of Football

Director of football

"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...

, handed Luton a lifeline – Rory Allen

Rory Allen

Rory Allen is an English ex-professional football player.A striker, Allen made his professional football debut for Tottenham Hotspur on 4 September 1996 as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Wimbledon ....

, who had just returned from injury, was sent to Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire

to complete his recovery and fill Thorpe's shoes. Allen would do more than that, scoring six goals in his eight matches to keep Luton up.

1998–99 saw a 12th place finish, and a run to the quarter finals of the League Cup

Football League Cup

The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

. Just before the 1999–2000 season, the club was sold to Cliff Bassett, while player sales continued to balance the books. Young duo Kelvin Davis

Kelvin Davis

Kelvin Geoffrey Davis is an English footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for newly-promoted Championship club Southampton. Born in Bedford, Davis began his career with Luton Town as a youth player in 1991 and remained there until 1999. Davis later played for Wimbledon, Ipswich Town and...

and Chris Willmott

Chris Willmott (footballer)

Christopher Alan "Chris" Willmott is an English footballer, currently playing for Brackley Town. However, Chris is currently working at Bedford Modern School as a part time football coach....

were sold to Wimbledon

Wimbledon F.C.

Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...

for £900,000, and Lawrence was forced to sell Gary Doherty

Gary Doherty

Gary Michael Thomas Doherty is an Irish footballer who plays for Charlton Athletic. He plays as defender.Doherty played international football for the Republic of Ireland but has not been in the squad under manager Giovanni Trapattoni...

late on in the season, but he successfully kept an inexperienced Luton side up once again.

Mike Watson-Challis then purchased the club in 2000, and Lawrence was sacked to be replaced by former Luton player Ricky Hill

Ricky Hill

Ricky Hill is a former English footballer and the current head coach for Tampa Bay in the second division North American Soccer League.He was born in Paddington.-Playing career:...

. Hill was dismissed in November, and in turn replaced by another former player, Lil Fuccillo

Lil Fuccillo

Pasquale "Lil" Fuccillo is a former footballer and is currently chief scout for Swansea City .-Playing career:Fuccillo was born in Bedford to Italian parents and joined Luton Town from school. He established himself in the their starting line-up, and there was even talk of a call-up to the Italian...

. Fuccillo also was sacked within a few months, and former Wimbledon

Wimbledon F.C.

manager Joe Kinnear

Joe Kinnear

Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kinnear is an Irish football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Newcastle United....

was brought in as a replacement. Kinnear brought towering forward Steve Howard

Steve Howard

Steven John "Steve" Howard is a Scottish-English footballer currently playing for Championship side Leicester City.Howard is renowned for his aerial strength...

to the club for only £50,000, but despite Kinnear's best efforts, the club were relegated to the bottom division of the Football League

The Football League

for the first time since 1968.

Resurgence (2001–06)

Kinnear set out his plan for Luton – they were to go back up at the first attempt. Kinnear oversaw a complete overhaul of the squad during the summer, building a team that was one of Luton's finest for some years. Midfielder Kevin Nicholls

Kevin Nicholls

Kevin John Richard Nicholls is an English former footballer who played in midfield. He is currently a coach at Conference National side Rushden & Diamonds....

signed from Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic F.C.

Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...

for £25,000 and would go on to become a key figure in midfield, earning the club captaincy, a role he would hold for the next five years. Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n defender Chris Coyne

Chris Coyne

Christopher "Chris" Coyne is an Australian professional football player who currently plays for Perth Glory FC and the Australian national football team as a centre back.-Club career:...

signed from Dundee

Dundee F.C.

Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...

, again for a bargain £50,000. Steve Howard

Steve Howard

Steven John "Steve" Howard is a Scottish-English footballer currently playing for Championship side Leicester City.Howard is renowned for his aerial strength...

ended the season by winning the Third Division

Football League Third Division

golden boot award with 24 goals. Ending the season with 12 consecutive wins, Luton travelled to Swansea City at the end of March knowing that a win would guarantee them promotion back to the third tier at the first attempt. They duly won 3–1.

At the end of the season, star players Jean-Louis Valois

Jean-Louis Valois

Jean-Louis Valois is a French retired professional footballer. A left-sided player capable of playing on either wing, his last senior club was Al-Nasr.-Career:...

and Matthew Taylor

Matthew Taylor (footballer)

Matthew Simon "Matty" Taylor is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United. He is noted for his powerful long-range strikes.-Early career:...

both left under the bosman ruling

Bosman ruling

Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...

. Valois moved to Scottish side Hearts

Heart of Midlothian F.C.

Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...

after only one year in a Luton shirt and Taylor joined Portsmouth

Portsmouth F.C.

Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

for a tribunal set fee of £400,000. Despite these losses, Luton still managed a ninth place finish back in the third tier of English football in 2002–03.

The club was taken over by John Gurney in May 2003, and days afterwards both Kinnear and his assistant Mick Harford

Mick Harford

were dismissed. A bizarre episode including the infamous "Manager Idol" phone-vote and an attempt to merge the club with Wimbledon

Wimbledon F.C.

followed, before Gurney was finally ousted by supporters' group Trust in Luton

Trust in Luton

Trust in Luton is a registered Industrial and provident society which acts as the "supporters' trust" for fans of the English football team Luton Town.-External links:* What is a supporters' trust?...

. Gurney's only legacy proved to be the appointment of Mike Newell

Mike Newell (footballer)

as manager.

Newell brought Mick Harford back to the club as First Team Coach and Director of Football

Director of football

shortly after being appointed as manager. Newell surprised all the observers by taking the club to a tenth place finish in 2003–04, although he was not helped by the transfer of striker Tony Thorpe to Queen Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers F.C.

for £50,000. After a year in administrative receivership, Luton Town finally acquired new owners in May 2004 when a consortium led by former general manager Bill Tomlins

Bill Tomlins

Bill Tomlins is a British businessman who, along with a consortium, brought Luton Town FC out of administrative receivership in May 2004. The Hatters completed his full season in charge in May 2005, achieving the championship in the Coca-Cola League One...

bought the club.

2004–05 saw Luton win nine and draw one of their opening ten league fixtures to go nine points clear at the top of League One

Football League One

Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

by the beginning of October. Experienced players such as Chris Coyne

Chris Coyne

Christopher "Chris" Coyne is an Australian professional football player who currently plays for Perth Glory FC and the Australian national football team as a centre back.-Club career:...

, Kevin Nicholls

Kevin Nicholls

Kevin John Richard Nicholls is an English former footballer who played in midfield. He is currently a coach at Conference National side Rushden & Diamonds....

and Steve Howard

Steve Howard

Steven John "Steve" Howard is a Scottish-English footballer currently playing for Championship side Leicester City.Howard is renowned for his aerial strength...

gelled well alongside youngsters Curtis Davies

Curtis Davies

Curtis Eugene Davies is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Birmingham City. Davies has previously played for Luton Town, where he began his career, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Leicester City....

, Keith Keane

Keith Keane

Keith Francis Keane is an English-born Irish footballer who plays as either a defender or midfielder for Luton Town. He is a former academy player who graduated from the youth ranks at Luton...

and Kevin Foley

Kevin Foley

Kevin Owen Foley , Australian politician, is the current Minister for Industry and Trade and Minister for Federal/State Relations in the Rann Labor government. He previously served as Treasurer of South Australia and Deputy Premier of South Australia from 2002 until his resignation in 2011...

to create the template for a championship-winning side. Promotion was secured on 12 April, when third placed Tranmere Rovers

Tranmere Rovers F.C.

Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...

were beaten 0–1 at Brentford

Brentford F.C.

Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

, meaning that Luton Town could not finish lower than second. The League One

Football League One

Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

Championship was sealed a fortnight later on 23 April, as Luton claimed a 2–1 victory at Wrexham.

2005–06 saw few new players, with the only money spent during the summer being the £100,000 parted with for David Bell

David Bell (footballer born 1984)

David Bell is an English-born Irish professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Coventry City. He previously played for Norwich City, Luton Town and Rushden & Diamonds, as well as having a brief trial with Middlesbrough...

, a midfielder

Midfielder

signed from Rushden & Diamonds

Rushden & Diamonds F.C.

Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...

. Bosman ruling

Bosman ruling

signings were order of the day, with Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

international

Finland national football team

The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....

Markus Heikkinen

Markus "Mako" Heikkinen is a Swedish born, Finnish footballer, who currently plays for SK Rapid Wien in the Austrian Bundesliga...

signing for Luton along with Trinidad & Tobago's Carlos Edwards

Carlos Edwards

Akenhaton Carlos Edwards , more commonly known as Carlos Edwards, is a Trinidadian footballer who plays for Ipswich Town as a midfielder.-Club career:...

. However, deadline saw star defender Curtis Davies

Curtis Davies

sold to Premier League side West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion F.C.

for a club record of £3,000,000.

Newell's side made a fine start, topping the table after the first three games and staying in the top three right up until the end of October. Even when they slipped out of the top three, they still occupied a play-off place until mid-December. However, a blip in form saw Luton eventually slip down the table to finish in tenth place – still a remarkable feat. The FA Cup

FA Cup

saw a memorable 5–3 defeat to European Champions

UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

Liverpool

Liverpool F.C.

at Kenilworth Road

Kenilworth Road

Kenilworth Road Stadium is a football stadium in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It has been home to Luton Town Football Club since 1905, when financial complications forced the club to leave its previous location at Dunstable Road...

Freefall (2006–09)

After a successful start to the season, defender

Defender (association football)

Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

Sol Davis

Sol Sebastian Davis is an English footballer who plays for Kettering Town.-Career:Born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Davis is a left-back who played over 130 times for Swindon Town before being transferred to Luton Town in August 2002, bought by then manager Joe Kinnear.Davis was named Players'...

suffered a stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

on the team bus on the way to play Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town F.C.

Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....

. Luton lost 5–0 at Portman Road

Portman Road

Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...

. A long run of bad results followed, and by the end of February, Luton, by now a shadow of the side that had won promotion to the Championship

Football League Championship

The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

only two years before, were hovering perilously close to the relegation zone.

Newell was sacked on 15 March 2007, and two directors, Martin King

Martin King (Eminence)

Martin King is the founder and managing director of the Luton based corporate entertainment booking agency, Eminence but is better known for the scandals that occurred during his tenure as director of Luton Town. King was a director of Luton Town from July 2005 until March 2007, when he resigned...

and Liam Day, resigned from the board as a result. Brian Stein

Brian Stein

lasted just one game as caretaker boss before Kevin Blackwell

Kevin Blackwell

Kevin Patrick Blackwell is an English former professional football goalkeeper who since retiring as a player has worked as a coach and a manager. He has an identical twin, Noel.-Early career:...

was announced as Luton's new manager. 11 April saw chairman Bill Tomlins resign his position following an investigation by the Football Association

The Football Association

The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...

into irregular payments made by the Football Club's parent company, and confirm that illegal payments had been made to incoming players' agents. David Pinkney

David Pinkney

David Pinkney is a successful businessman and auto racing driver.-Early Racing Career:David was a semi-regular BTCC driver in the late 1980s and early 1990s, in a BMW from 1992 to 1993...

was confirmed as new Chairman two days later, also acquiring a controlling interest in the club's holding company. Luton's relegation was confirmed a week later in a 1–0 defeat away to Derby County

Derby County F.C.

.

After a poor start to the 2007–08 season, the club entered administration on 22 November 2007; Pinkney stated he would fund the club's overheads, while ten points were deducted. Meanwhile the FA probe on transfer irregularities dragged on, described by Pinkney as "a storm in a teacup

Tempest in a teapot

Storm in a teacup , tempest in a teapot is an idiom meaning a small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion...

". Blackwell was sacked by the administrator on 15 January 2008, to be replaced by former player Mick Harford

Mick Harford

. The club subsequently entered the custody of the Luton Town Football Club 2020 consortium. Luton were relegated to League Two

Football League Two

Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

on 12 April, following a 2–1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....

; Luton finished the season in bottom place.

The club was handed a ten-point deduction for the 2008–09

2008–09 in English football

season on 3 June 2008, along with a £50,000 fine. The Football League only offered to return the Football League Share to Luton on the condition that they play with a further twenty-point deduction, forcing Luton to start the season with a 30-point penalty. Luton beat Scunthorpe United

Scunthorpe United F.C.

Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

3–2 in the Football League Trophy final in front of 40,000 Luton supporters at Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium

The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

, but lost their League

The Football League

status eight days later. On 13 April 2009, Luton Town were finally relegated from the Football League after a spell of 89 years, as Chesterfield

Chesterfield F.C.

Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...

held Luton to a draw. Coupled with a victory for Mike Newell's Grimsby Town

Grimsby Town F.C.

Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

, this meant Luton's survival in the league became mathematically impossible to achieve.

Non-league football (2009–present)

After a disappointing start to non-league football – including a defeat to Wrexham

Wrexham A.F.C.

Wrexham Football Club are a professional football team based in Wrexham, north-east Wales, who play in the English football pyramid.Founded in 1872, they are one of the oldest surviving football clubs in Britain and the oldest professional club in Wales...

described by Harford as "the worst performance in Luton Town's history" – another former Luton player, Richard Money, was made manager in his stead. Performances improved following this change and towards the end of the season a run of nine consecutive victories saw Luton challenge Stevenage Borough for the title; despite beating Stevenage during this run, Luton could only finish second and thus entered the promotion play-offs. Luton lost both legs of the two-legged semi-final 1–0 to York City

York City F.C.

York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

, resulting in a second successive season outside The Football League for Luton in 2010–11

2010–11 Luton Town F.C. season

The 2010–11 season was the 125th season in the history of Luton Town Football Club.The club finished the season in 3rd place, 21 points behind runaway league winners Crawley Town and 6 points behind second placed AFC Wimbledon. This meant Luton would contest promotion to The Football League...

.

This second season in non-league football finished with the club third in the table, and another managerial change in March 2011 saw Money leave and his assistant Gary Brabin

Gary Brabin

Gary Brabin is an English former footballer and manager, currently manager at Conference National club Luton Town.-Playing career:...

installed as manager until the end of the season. Brabin led Luton to a 5–1 aggregate win over Wrexham in the play-off semi-final to set up a potential place back in The Football League, but AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....

beat them 4–3 on penalties

Penalty shootout

The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...

in the final after a goalless 120 minutes. Despite the defeat, Brabin signed a two-year contract to continue on as Luton manager.

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