Luton Town F.C. and Watford F.C. rivalry
Encyclopedia
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 were both founded during the 1880s, met competitively for the first time in the 1898–99 FA Cup. Following this they played each other regularly in the Southern League
and The Football League
until 1936–37, when Luton's promotion separated them in league competition until 1963–64. The animosity intensified in the late 1960s, throughout the 1970s and reaching a peak in the 1980s.
The teams have then not played each other very regularly of late due to Watford playing in higher divisions; since the 1997–98 season there have been only two meetings, both played during the 2005–06 season. The last match, played at Watford's Vicarage Road
on 9 April 2006 in the Football League Championship
, ended in a 1–1 draw. Luton hold the superior record in competitive matches between the two sides, with 53 victories to Watford's 36; there have been 29 draws.
. Watford beat Luton 1–0 at Vicarage Meadow in the inaugural match. The first match at Luton's Dallow Lane came on 20 March 1886 – Watford won 3–0. Luton's first success in the fixture came at Vicarage Meadow on 16 October of the same year, where they emerged as 4–1 winners. Two friendlies between Luton Town and West Herts, as Watford Rovers were now more commonly known, took place during the 1891–92 season; West Herts won 4–3 at Luton and the match at West Herts was a draw. Five more friendly matches were played over the next three seasons, all Luton victories.
. West Herts also joined the Southern League two years later. However, as Luton Town had left the league the same year, a league meeting did not occur. The first competitive meeting of the two clubs came on 29 October 1898, as Luton drew Watford in the 1898–99 FA Cup
third qualifying round. The second meeting came soon after, as the 2–2 draw at Luton meant that a replay was needed – Luton ran out 1–0 victors at Watford. The next season saw Luton drawn against Watford again, and this time Luton needed only one attempt to beat Watford 3–2.
Luton rejoined the Southern League in 1900, and the fixture then became a regular one in the Southern League calendar. Save for the 1903–04, 1912–13 and 1913–14 seasons that the clubs spent in different divisions, two matches were played each year. Luton's was the superior record, as they won 13 Southern League meetings to Watford's eight. 1920–21 saw both clubs made members of the Football League
when the Southern League First Division was incorporated as the Football League Third Division
.
, and was the only meeting until Luton dropped back to the Third Division
for 1963–64. Luton were nearly relegated again, but in the last home game of the season, against Watford, Luton won 2–1 to both ensure survival and deny Watford promotion. Luton were relegated to the Fourth Division a year later, with Watford winning both matches held over a two-day period at Christmas. The game at Kenilworth Road finished 4–2 to Watford, and two days later Watford won 2–0 at Vicarage Road. Luton were not promoted again until 1968, so there were no matches until then.
, a town between Luton
and Watford
home to fans of both sides. Luton were promoted to the Second Division a year later to keep the fixture going. However, Watford's relegation in 1971–72 ended it once more.
The sides didn't meet again until 1979–80, when Watford were promoted back to the second tier. In 1981–82 Luton won the Second Division
, with Watford coming second – both teams were promoted to the top flight. In their first season in Division One Watford fared significantly better than Luton, and finished Runners-Up to Champions Liverpool
(and so qualified for European football in the UEFA Cup
for the following season), beating Luton 5–2 at Vicarage Road along the way. Luton, on the other hand, only avoided relegation in the last minute of the last match of the season. The match at Kenilworth Road
on 28 April 1984 intensified the rivalry even further, as despite Watford's 2–1 victory, captain Wilf Rostron
was sent off after a series of goading tackles from Luton players; meaning that he would miss the 1984 FA Cup Final
. Despite being favourites on the day, Watford lost 2–0 to Everton
, and even to this day most Watford supporters blame their loss on the absence of Rostron, and therefore on Luton.
The fixture continued until 1987–88, when Watford were relegated. Luton were relegated to the second tier in 1991–92, and the fixture continued – the two teams were even relegated together in 1995–96. In 1997–98, Watford finished as champions of the third-tier Second Division and won 4–0 at Kenilworth Road along the way – all four goals came within the first 32 minutes. The match was marred by yet more crowd trouble as Luton fans tried to prevent Watford fans leaving the ground and small pockets of running battles occurred towards the railway station. As a result, the police took no chances for the return fixture at Vicarage Road: a large police presence ensured no return of the October violence. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. With Watford's promotion at the end of that season, the fixture was over once more. As of the end of the 2010–11 season, Watford have remained the higher ranked team at the end of every season since 1997 (and for 19 of the last 20 seasons, with only 1996–97 seeing Luton finish higher in the league than Watford).
meeting at Vicarage Road
on 10 September 2002 was marred by hooliganism, with fighting in Watford
town centre, railway station and approaches to the football ground before the match. Once in the ground but before the game, Luton fans invaded the pitch several times and this led to the kick-off being postponed by a quarter of an hour. A minute's silence, intended to mark the first anniversary of the September 11 Attacks, was also abandoned. When the match finally got under way, Luton went on to win 2–1. After the game prosecutions were brought against 29 supporters; 25 from Luton – some of whom were banned from all football grounds for life – and four from Watford.
The two clubs were finally back in the same division when Luton won League One
and promotion into the Championship
for a renewal of the rivalry during the 2005–06 season. Watford won 2–1 at Kenilworth Road
on 2 January, and the return fixture was a 1–1 draw at Vicarage Road
on 9 April. Watford ended the season with promotion to the Premier League, while Luton finished 10th. Although Watford were relegated back to the second-tier Football League Championship
at the end of the 2006–07 season, Luton were concurrently relegated to the third tier. Two further relegations followed for Luton over the following two seasons, largely due to docked points and financial mismanagement, placing Luton outside The Football League altogether and three divisions below Watford. As of the beginning of the current season 2011–12
, Luton have not won a league match against Watford for 17 years (seven matches – one Watford win and six draws – since 17th September 1994), or a competitive match of any kind for nine years (two matches – one Watford win and one draw – since 10 September 2002).
As of 20 June 2010, there have been 118 competitive first–class meetings between the two teams since the first meeting in 1898.
|-
| 25 April 1964
| Kenilworth Road
|2–1
| Third Division
|-
| 26 December 1964
| Kenilworth Road
|2–4
| Third Division
|-
| 14 August 1968
| Kenilworth Road
|3–0
| League Cup
|-
| 30 April 1969
| Kenilworth Road
|2–1
| Third Division
|-
| 13 February 1971
| Kenilworth Road
|1–0
| Second Division
|-
| 4 March 1972
| Kenilworth Road
|0–0
| Second Division
|-
| 5 April 1980
| Kenilworth Road
|1–0
| Second Division
|-
| 19 August 1980
| Kenilworth Road
|1–0
| Second Division
|-
| 26 September 1981
| Kenilworth Road
|4–1
| Second Division
|-
| 27 December 1982
| Kenilworth Road
|1–0
| First Division
|-
| 7 January 1984
| Kenilworth Road
|2–2
| FA Cup
|-
| 28 April 1984
| Kenilworth Road
|1–2
| First Division
|-
| 20 October 1984
| Kenilworth Road
|3–2
| First Division
|-
| 4 March 1985
| Kenilworth Road
|0–0
| FA Cup
|-
| 9 March 1985
| Kenilworth Road
|1–0
| FA Cup
|-
| 26 April 1986
| Kenilworth Road
|3–2
| First Division
|-
| 26 December 1986
| Kenilworth Road
|0–2
| First Division
|-
| 2 May 1988
| Kenilworth Road
|2–1
| First Division
|-
| 29 November 1992
| Kenilworth Road
|2–0
| First Division
|-
| 14 August 1993
| Kenilworth Road
|2–1
| First Division
|-
| 26 March 1995
| Kenilworth Road
|1–1
| First Division
|-
| 20 April 1996
| Kenilworth Road
|0–0
| First Division
|-
| 27 January 1997
| Kenilworth Road
|0–0
| Second Division
|-
| 4 October 1997
| Kenilworth Road
|0–4
| Second Division
|-
| 2 January 2006
| Kenilworth Road
|1–2
| Championship
|}
ground in 1953; to mark the occasion, the decision was made to play a match under the new lights against Luton Town, against whom the club had not contested a competitive match since 1937. A home-and-away system was agreed upon, and the first match, billed as the first leg of the "Watford F.C. Invitation Cup", took place on 13 October 1953: a 1–1 draw at Vicarage Road. The competition had been renamed "The Rigby-Taylor Cup" after Watford's chairman, T. Rigby-Taylor, by the time of the second leg on 24 March 1954, at Kenilworth Road
; Luton beat Watford 4–1 to win 5–2 on aggregate and thus claim the inaugural title.
After the first season, the two-legged basis was abandoned in favour of a single match at Vicarage Road; the competition was even suspended from 1958 to 1961 due to FA Cup and League engagements. After returning for two seasons, the 1962–63 fixture was abandoned due to harsh weather – the annual match never returned.
, who appeared in all seven matches and scored five goals.
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...
and 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...
have been rivals
Sports rivalry
A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans. The intensity of the rivalry varies from a friendly competition on one end to serious violence on the...
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 were both founded during the 1880s, met competitively for the first time in the 1898–99 FA Cup. Following this they played each other regularly in the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
and 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...
until 1936–37, when Luton's promotion separated them in league competition until 1963–64. The animosity intensified in the late 1960s, throughout the 1970s and reaching a peak in the 1980s.
The teams have then not played each other very regularly of late due to Watford playing in higher divisions; since the 1997–98 season there have been only two meetings, both played during the 2005–06 season. The last match, played at Watford's Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...
on 9 April 2006 in 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...
, ended in a 1–1 draw. Luton hold the superior record in competitive matches between the two sides, with 53 victories to Watford's 36; there have been 29 draws.
Origins
The first match between the two clubs can be dated as 5 December 1885, as Watford Rovers hosted Luton Town in a friendlyExhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
. Watford beat Luton 1–0 at Vicarage Meadow in the inaugural match. The first match at Luton's Dallow Lane came on 20 March 1886 – Watford won 3–0. Luton's first success in the fixture came at Vicarage Meadow on 16 October of the same year, where they emerged as 4–1 winners. Two friendlies between Luton Town and West Herts, as Watford Rovers were now more commonly known, took place during the 1891–92 season; West Herts won 4–3 at Luton and the match at West Herts was a draw. Five more friendly matches were played over the next three seasons, all Luton victories.
The Southern League
Luton Town did not join a league until 1894–95, when they joined the Southern LeagueSouthern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
. West Herts also joined the Southern League two years later. However, as Luton Town had left the league the same year, a league meeting did not occur. The first competitive meeting of the two clubs came on 29 October 1898, as Luton drew Watford in the 1898–99 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...
third qualifying round. The second meeting came soon after, as the 2–2 draw at Luton meant that a replay was needed – Luton ran out 1–0 victors at Watford. The next season saw Luton drawn against Watford again, and this time Luton needed only one attempt to beat Watford 3–2.
Luton rejoined the Southern League in 1900, and the fixture then became a regular one in the Southern League calendar. Save for the 1903–04, 1912–13 and 1913–14 seasons that the clubs spent in different divisions, two matches were played each year. Luton's was the superior record, as they won 13 Southern League meetings to Watford's eight. 1920–21 saw both clubs made members of 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...
when the Southern League First Division was incorporated as the Football League Third Division
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...
.
The Football League
Matches occurred regularly in this division until 1937, when Luton were promoted. A Southern Professional Floodlit Cup meeting in 1956–57 was won 4–3 by Luton at Kenilworth RoadKenilworth 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...
, and was the only meeting until Luton dropped back to the Third Division
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...
for 1963–64. Luton were nearly relegated again, but in the last home game of the season, against Watford, Luton won 2–1 to both ensure survival and deny Watford promotion. Luton were relegated to the Fourth Division a year later, with Watford winning both matches held over a two-day period at Christmas. The game at Kenilworth Road finished 4–2 to Watford, and two days later Watford won 2–0 at Vicarage Road. Luton were not promoted again until 1968, so there were no matches until then.
Growth in prominence
1968–69 saw Watford promoted as champions of the Third Division, having led the division for almost the entire season. This led to the crowd violence associated with the fixture growing in prominence, and Watford won the first league clash with Luton that season 1–0 at Vicarage Road. The return match at Kenilworth Road was originally intended to take place on Boxing Day, but was abandoned due to fog with the game tied at 1–1. The game was eventually played after several postponements on 30 April 1969, by which time Watford had already been promoted as champions. The match was a bloodbath, and three players were sent off – two from Luton, one from Watford – as Luton won 2–1. After the game came incidents between the fans in St AlbansSt Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, a town between 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....
and Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
home to fans of both sides. Luton were promoted to the Second Division a year later to keep the fixture going. However, Watford's relegation in 1971–72 ended it once more.
The sides didn't meet again until 1979–80, when Watford were promoted back to the second tier. In 1981–82 Luton won the Second Division
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...
, with Watford coming second – both teams were promoted to the top flight. In their first season in Division One Watford fared significantly better than Luton, and finished Runners-Up to Champions 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...
(and so qualified for European football in 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...
for the following season), beating Luton 5–2 at Vicarage Road along the way. Luton, on the other hand, only avoided relegation in the last minute of the last match of the season. The match 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...
on 28 April 1984 intensified the rivalry even further, as despite Watford's 2–1 victory, captain Wilf Rostron
Wilf Rostron
John Wilfred Rostron, often known as Wilf Rostron , is an English former footballer who spent ten years at Watford as well playing for Arsenal, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United and Brentford...
was sent off after a series of goading tackles from Luton players; meaning that he would miss the 1984 FA Cup Final
1984 FA Cup Final
The 1984 FA Cup Final was contested by Everton and Watford at Wembley. Everton won 2–0, with one goal by Graeme Sharp and a particularly memorable goal from Andy Gray. He was adjudged by many to have fouled the Watford goalkeeper Steve Sherwood by heading the ball from Sherwood's hands....
. Despite being favourites on the day, Watford lost 2–0 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...
, and even to this day most Watford supporters blame their loss on the absence of Rostron, and therefore on Luton.
The fixture continued until 1987–88, when Watford were relegated. Luton were relegated to the second tier in 1991–92, and the fixture continued – the two teams were even relegated together in 1995–96. In 1997–98, Watford finished as champions of the third-tier Second Division and won 4–0 at Kenilworth Road along the way – all four goals came within the first 32 minutes. The match was marred by yet more crowd trouble as Luton fans tried to prevent Watford fans leaving the ground and small pockets of running battles occurred towards the railway station. As a result, the police took no chances for the return fixture at Vicarage Road: a large police presence ensured no return of the October violence. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. With Watford's promotion at the end of that season, the fixture was over once more. As of the end of the 2010–11 season, Watford have remained the higher ranked team at the end of every season since 1997 (and for 19 of the last 20 seasons, with only 1996–97 seeing Luton finish higher in the league than Watford).
The 21st Century
A League CupFootball 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...
meeting at Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...
on 10 September 2002 was marred by hooliganism, with fighting in Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
town centre, railway station and approaches to the football ground before the match. Once in the ground but before the game, Luton fans invaded the pitch several times and this led to the kick-off being postponed by a quarter of an hour. A minute's silence, intended to mark the first anniversary of the September 11 Attacks, was also abandoned. When the match finally got under way, Luton went on to win 2–1. After the game prosecutions were brought against 29 supporters; 25 from Luton – some of whom were banned from all football grounds for life – and four from Watford.
The two clubs were finally back in the same division when Luton won 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....
and promotion into 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...
for a renewal of the rivalry during the 2005–06 season. Watford won 2–1 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...
on 2 January, and the return fixture was a 1–1 draw at Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...
on 9 April. Watford ended the season with promotion to the Premier League, while Luton finished 10th. Although Watford were relegated back to the second-tier 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...
at the end of the 2006–07 season, Luton were concurrently relegated to the third tier. Two further relegations followed for Luton over the following two seasons, largely due to docked points and financial mismanagement, placing Luton outside The Football League altogether and three divisions below Watford. As of the beginning of the current season 2011–12
2011–12 in English football
The 2011–12 season is the 132nd season of competitive football in England.The season began on 5 August 2011 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier starting eight days later, League Football Conference Starting one day before Premier League starts.The Championship, League One, and League Two...
, Luton have not won a league match against Watford for 17 years (seven matches – one Watford win and six draws – since 17th September 1994), or a competitive match of any kind for nine years (two matches – one Watford win and one draw – since 10 September 2002).
Statistics
Head to head
| 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... |
Southern League Southern Football League The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... |
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... |
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... |
Others | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 53 | |
| 19 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 29 | |
| 25 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 36 |
Honours and achievements
| Team | Top-flight Seasons | Best League finish | 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... |
Football 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... |
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... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luton Town | 16 | 7th | FinalistsSemi-finalists | WinnersFinalists | – |
| Watford | 8 | 2nd | FinalistsSemi-finalists | Semi-finalists | 3rd Round |
Luton Town at home
- Luton Town result given first.
}Date Venue Score Competition 29 October 1898 Dunstable Road 2–2 FA Cup FA CupThe 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...18 November 1899 Dunstable Road 3–2 FA Cup 29 September 1900 Dunstable Road 2–0 Southern League Southern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
D17 December 1901 Dunstable Road 1–0 Southern League D1 7 March 1903 Dunstable Road 4–1 Southern League D1 14 November 1903 Dunstable Road 4–1 FA Cup 14 September 1904 Dunstable Road 2–1 Southern League D1 26 December 1905 Kenilworth Road Kenilworth RoadKenilworth 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...2–0 Southern League D1 25 December 1906 Kenilworth Road 2–0 Southern League D1 25 December 1907 Kenilworth Road 1–1 Southern League D1 26 December 1908 Kenilworth Road 1–0 Southern League D1 15 September 1909 Kenilworth Road 4–2 Southern League D1 27 December 1910 Kenilworth Road 3–1 Southern League D1 25 December 1911 Kenilworth Road 1–1 Southern League D1 5 April 1915 Kenilworth Road 0–2 Southern League D1 5 April 1920 Kenilworth Road 1–2 Southern League D1 28 March 1921 Kenilworth Road 1–0 Third Division South Football League Third Division SouthThe Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....1 April 1922 Kenilworth Road 1–1 Third Division South 25 November 1922 Kenilworth Road 0–1 Third Division South 3 November 1923 Kenilworth Road 0–0 Third Division South 26 December 1924 Kenilworth Road 0–3 Third Division South 23 January 1926 Kenilworth Road 5–0 Third Division South 19 March 1927 Kenilworth Road 2–2 Third Division South 4 February 1928 Kenilworth Road 3–2 Third Division South 2 March 1929 Kenilworth Road 2–2 Third Division South 18 January 1930 Kenilworth Road 2–0 Third Division South 28 January 1931 Kenilworth Road 4–1 Third Division South 17 October 1931 Kenilworth Road 0–1 Third Division South 26 April 1933 Kenilworth Road 3–2 Third Division South 21 October 1933 Kenilworth Road 2–1 Third Division South 10 November 1934 Kenilworth Road 2–2 Third Division South 29 February 1936 Kenilworth Road 2–1 Third Division South 17 October 1936 Kenilworth Road 4–1 Third Division South 7 November 1956 Kenilworth Road 4–3
|-
| 25 April 1964
| Kenilworth Road
|
| Third Division
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...
|-
| 26 December 1964
| Kenilworth Road
|
| Third Division
|-
| 14 August 1968
| Kenilworth Road
|
| 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...
|-
| 30 April 1969
| Kenilworth Road
|
| Third Division
|-
| 13 February 1971
| Kenilworth Road
|
| Second Division
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...
|-
| 4 March 1972
| Kenilworth Road
|
| Second Division
|-
| 5 April 1980
| Kenilworth Road
|
| Second Division
|-
| 19 August 1980
| Kenilworth Road
|
| Second Division
|-
| 26 September 1981
| Kenilworth Road
|
| Second Division
|-
| 27 December 1982
| Kenilworth Road
|
| First Division
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....
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| 7 January 1984
| Kenilworth Road
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| 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...
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| 28 April 1984
| Kenilworth Road
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| First Division
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| 20 October 1984
| Kenilworth Road
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| First Division
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| 4 March 1985
| Kenilworth Road
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| FA Cup
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| 9 March 1985
| Kenilworth Road
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| FA Cup
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| 26 April 1986
| Kenilworth Road
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| First Division
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| 26 December 1986
| Kenilworth Road
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| First Division
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| 2 May 1988
| Kenilworth Road
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| First Division
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| 29 November 1992
| Kenilworth Road
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| First Division
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| 14 August 1993
| Kenilworth Road
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| First Division
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| 26 March 1995
| Kenilworth Road
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| First Division
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| 20 April 1996
| Kenilworth Road
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| First Division
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| 27 January 1997
| Kenilworth Road
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| Second Division
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...
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| 4 October 1997
| Kenilworth Road
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| Second Division
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| 2 January 2006
| Kenilworth Road
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| 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...
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| Luton Town wins | Draws | Watford wins |
|---|---|---|
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Watford at home
- Watford result given first.
Date Venue Score Competition 2 November 1898 Market Street 0–1 FA Cup FA CupThe 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...12 January 1901 Cassio Road 2–0 Southern League Southern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
D116 November 1901 Cassio Road 1–2 FA Cup 22 February 1902 Cassio Road 2–0 Southern League D1 22 November 1902 Cassio Road 0–1 Southern League D1 21 April 1905 Cassio Road 3–0 Southern League D1 13 April 1906 Cassio Road 1–1 Southern League D1 29 March 1907 Cassio Road 2–2 Southern League D1 17 April 1908 Cassio Road 2–1 Southern League D1 9 April 1909 Cassio Road 0–3 Southern League D1 22 September 1909 Cassio Road 1–1 Southern League D1 26 December 1910 Cassio Road 1–0 Southern League D1 26 December 1911 Cassio Road 0–1 Southern League D1 2 April 1915 Cassio Road 2–4 Southern League D1 2 April 1920 Cassio Road 4–2 Southern League D1 25 March 1921 Cassio Road 1–0 Third Division South Football League Third Division SouthThe Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....8 April 1922 Cassio Road 4–1 Third Division South 18 November 1922 Vicarage Road Vicarage RoadVicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...2–1 Third Division South 10 November 1923 Vicarage Road 0–0 Third Division South 25 December 1924 Vicarage Road 1–1 Third Division South 12 September 1925 Vicarage Road 2–0 Third Division South 30 October 1926 Vicarage Road 2–1 Third Division South 24 September 1927 Vicarage Road 1–0 Third Division South 20 October 1928 Vicarage Road 3–2 Third Division South 14 September 1929 Vicarage Road 0–4 Third Division South 20 September 1930 Vicarage Road 1–0 Third Division South 13 December 1930 Vicarage Road 3–1 FA Cup FA CupThe 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...13 April 1932 Vicarage Road 3–1 Third Division South 22 October 1932 Vicarage Road 4–1 Third Division South 3 March 1934 Vicarage Road 0–1 Third Division South 23 March 1935 Vicarage Road 2–2 Third Division South 9 November 1935 Vicarage Road 1–3 Third Division South 20 February 1937 Vicarage Road 1–3 Third Division South 19 October 1963 Vicarage Road 2–0 Third Division Football League Third DivisionThe 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...28 December 1964 Vicarage Road 2–0 Third Division 5 October 1968 Vicarage Road 1–0 Third Division 12 December 1970 Vicarage Road 0–1 Second Division Football League Second DivisionFrom 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...13 November 1971 Vicarage Road 2–1 Second Division 26 December 1979 Vicarage Road 0–1 Second Division 11 November 1980 Vicarage Road 0–1 Second Division 20 February 1982 Vicarage Road 1–1 Second Division 4 April 1983 Vicarage Road 5–2 First Division 26 November 1983 Vicarage Road 1–2 First Division 10 January 1984 Vicarage Road 4–3 FA Cup FA CupThe 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...6 March 1985 Vicarage Road 2–2 FA Cup 19 March 1985 Vicarage Road 3–0 First Division 23 November 1985 Vicarage Road 1–2 First Division 21 April 1987 Vicarage Road 2–0 First Division 12 December 1987 Vicarage Road 0–1 First Division 15 September 1992 Vicarage Road 0–0 Anglo-Italian Cup Anglo-Italian CupThe Anglo-Italian Cup is a defunct European football competition that was played intermittently between 1970 and 1996 between clubs from England and Italy. Founded by Gigi Peronace in 1970, following the success of the Anglo-Italian League Cup, it was played as a professional tournament until 1973...3 April 1993 Vicarage Road 0–0 First Division 31 August 1993 Vicarage Road 2–1 Anglo-Italian Cup 19 December 1993 Vicarage Road 2–2 First Division 17 September 1994 Vicarage Road 2–4 First Division 21 November 1995 Vicarage Road 1–1 First Division 29 October 1996 Vicarage Road 1–1 Second Division Football League Second DivisionFrom 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...14 February 1998 Vicarage Road 1–1 Second Division 10 September 2002 Vicarage Road 1–2 League Cup Football League CupThe 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...9 April 2006 Vicarage Road 1–1 Championship Football League ChampionshipThe 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...
| Luton Town wins | Draws | Watford wins |
|---|---|---|
| |
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The Rigby-Taylor Cup
The Rigby-Taylor Cup was a competition played between 1953 and 1962 in order to give "the friendly rivalry between Luton Town and Watford an organised and competitive basis". The annual contest came about when floodlights were installed at Watford's Vicarage RoadVicarage Road
Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...
ground in 1953; to mark the occasion, the decision was made to play a match under the new lights against Luton Town, against whom the club had not contested a competitive match since 1937. A home-and-away system was agreed upon, and the first match, billed as the first leg of the "Watford F.C. Invitation Cup", took place on 13 October 1953: a 1–1 draw at Vicarage Road. The competition had been renamed "The Rigby-Taylor Cup" after Watford's chairman, T. Rigby-Taylor, by the time of the second leg on 24 March 1954, 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...
; Luton beat Watford 4–1 to win 5–2 on aggregate and thus claim the inaugural title.
After the first season, the two-legged basis was abandoned in favour of a single match at Vicarage Road; the competition was even suspended from 1958 to 1961 due to FA Cup and League engagements. After returning for two seasons, the 1962–63 fixture was abandoned due to harsh weather – the annual match never returned.
Results
There were seven matches played over the course of six editions of the competition: the first (1953–54) was a two-legged competition, while the remaining five consisted of a single match. Of the seven matches, four were Luton victories, two were wins for Watford and one was a draw. Luton Town won the competition four times to Watford's two; the trophy, a silver, 12 inches (30.5 cm) tall, two-handled cup, was last won by Watford, who have since retained it.| Season | Date | Venue | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953–54 | 13 October 1953 | Vicarage Road Vicarage Road Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:... |
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... |
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Luton Town 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... |
| 24 March 1954 | 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... |
Luton Town | |
Watford | |
| Luton Town win 5–2 on aggregate | |||||
| 1954–55 | 14 March 1955 | Vicarage Road | Watford | |
Luton Town |
| 1955–56 | 12 March 1956 | Vicarage Road | Watford | |
Luton Town |
| 1956–57 | 26 January 1957 | Vicarage Road | Watford | |
Luton Town |
| 1957–58 | Competition suspended due to fixture congestion | ||||
| 1958–59 | |||||
| 1959–60 | |||||
| 1960–61 | 20 March 1961 | Vicarage Road | Watford | |
Luton Town |
| 1961–62 | 30 April 1962 | Vicarage Road | Watford | |
Luton Town |
| 1962–63 | Competition abandoned due to snow | ||||
Goalscorers
The competition saw 23 goals scored, 14 for Luton and 9 for Watford; the individual player who scored the most goals was Luton Town's Gordon TurnerGordon Turner
Gordon Reginald Turner was an English footballer, who was best known as a Luton Town centre forward. He is Luton Town's all-time top goalscorer, with 243 in the League and 276 overall.- Luton Town :...
, who appeared in all seven matches and scored five goals.
Luton Town
| Name | Goals |
|---|---|
| Gordon Turner Gordon Turner Gordon Reginald Turner was an English footballer, who was best known as a Luton Town centre forward. He is Luton Town's all-time top goalscorer, with 243 in the League and 276 overall.- Luton Town :... |
5 |
| John Groves John Groves (footballer) John Groves is an English former professional footballer best known as a player for Luton Town.He is the son of former Halifax, Blackburn Rovers, Derby County and Portsmouth forward, Arthur Groves.-Career:... |
2 |
| George McLeod | 2 |
| Bert Mitchell Bert Mitchell Albert James "Bert" Mitchell was an English professional footballer.-Career:Mitchell began his career with local side Burslem Albion, before joining Stoke City. After two years, Mitchell had a short spell with Blackburn Rovers before joining Kettering Town. Northampton Town was his next club, as... |
1 |
| Jim Pemberton | 1 |
| Jimmy Adam Jimmy Adam James "Jimmy" Adam is a Scottish former professional footballer.-Career:Born in Blantyre, Adam began his career with local youth club Blantyre Celtic before moving south to English club Aldershot in 1950... |
1 |
| George Cummins George Cummins (footballer) George Cummins was an Irish professional footballer.Cummins was an inside forward who played for St. Patricks Athletic before joining Everton in 1951. He made just 24 appearances for the Merseyside club and didn't score before moving on to Luton Town in 1953... |
1 |
| own goal Own goal An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents.... |
1 |
| Total | 14 |
Watford
| Name | Goals |
|---|---|
| Tommy Brown | 1 |
| Tommy Paterson | 1 |
| Tommy Anderson Tommy Anderson (footballer) Thomas Cowan Anderson is a Scottish former professional footballer. He played as a forward, and was noted for his extremely fast pace.Anderson was capped by Scotland schools, and had an amateur contract with Hearts... |
1 |
| George Catleugh | 1 |
| Peter Walker | 1 |
| John Meadows | 1 |
| Cliff Holton Cliff Holton Clifford Charles "Cliff" Holton was an English footballer.Born in Oxford, Holton played as a full back for non-league Oxford City as a youth, before joining Arsenal in October 1947 at the age of 18. He spent three seasons in the Gunners' reserve team, eventually converting to a centre forward... |
1 |
| Freddie Bunce Freddie Bunce Frederick Bunce, also known as Freddie or Frank Bunce was an English footballer. He played as a left winger in England and later South Africa... |
1 |
| Sammy Chung Sammy Chung Cyril "Sammy" Chung is an English former football player and manager. His father was Chinese and his mother English.-Playing career:... |
1 |
| Total | 9 |