By Will Foster

One would imagine the fans travelling to see the Hatters take on Bristol Rovers on the 18^th April 1998 did so in higher spirits than they’d done in a while. Four wins in six, helped by the arrival of loan superstar Rory Allen, had moved Town four points clear of the relegation zone and knowing that a win would likely guarantee survival.

The game didn’t start well as Kelvin Davis fumbled a long-range shot to put the home side ahead. But much worse was to come on 14 minutes when Julian James was involved in an off the ball clash with Rovers forward Barry Hayles, the force of which left both players writhing in pain. For Hayles it was a minor knock to the knee and he was able to continue. For Julian James though, it would signal the end of his professional career.

‘I get to the hospital and they had to try and straighten the leg first because obviously the bone was piercing the skin. I can’t remember the first night because I was on so much morphine. The next evening I had a message from David Pleat which was nice of him. Then John Moore came to see me.’

Four operations would follow and though the club offered a one-year extension it was a difficult time. ‘I trained on my own for quite a while. When I reintegrated with the squad I wasn’t truly fit because my leg was still broken. I should have had it rebroken but that would have meant another year out of the game and the club weren’t willing to offer another contract for that, which I understand.’

‘I went to see a specialist and he basically said I was biomechanically knackered on one side. It was a hard time. Lennie Lawrence shook my hand on the last day of my contract and that was pretty much it.’

We were delighted to speak to Julian recently from his home in Weymouth, where he lives near another ex-Hatter, Steve Claridge.

He was born in Tring in March 1970. Whisper it quietly, but he grew up as a fan of that lot down the road. ‘My Mum and Dad’s family are all Watford. I watched the Graham Taylor teams growing up. They had some great players there. Gerry Armstrong, Pat Rice, Martin Patching. Then you had John Barnes coming through obviously, and people like Wilf Rostron in midfield.’

His Dad was manager of local side Tring Tornados and Julian started his footballing life there at the age of 7. For a player known as a defender, it might come as a surprise to hear he started as a free-scoring forward.

‘I was quite stocky and I bagged quite a few goals. One season I scored about 80 or 90. When I was a bit older an opposing manager asked if I was going to the district trials. I had no idea about it. I went to Tring School and they should have been putting me forward, but football wasn’t a big thing there.’

‘Anyway I go to the trial and what do they do? They stick me in midfield. I enjoyed it though to be fair. Lots of tackling and throwing myself about. John Moore said that he knew I was a player when he saw I could head the ball as far as I could kick it! I had plenty of interest including West Brom, where Nobby Stiles himself picked me up to bring me to the ground. They were really keen on signing me but it was my first time away from home and I didn’t fancy it.’

Besides, the local boy had plenty of interest closer to home. ‘Watford were really keen. I knew Graham Taylor really wanted me. But Luton wanted me more. They were so accommodating and kind. I signed schoolboy forms at 15.’

‘Jimmy Ryan and John Faulkner were involved in the reserve and youth teams then. We had some cracking trips abroad. I remember once going to Den Haag. A seven hour crossing from Harwich! One of the lads asked Jimmy Ryan if we could have a drink. He just laughed and said we could have a ‘couple’. Well we go into the bar and there’s a group of drunk rugby lads in there. Then a group of female hockey players about our age show up…..’

‘Jimmy pulled us out a bit later. He said, ‘right you lot. You’ve got to walk straight along this line. If you can’t, I know you’re drunk, and you’ll be fined. Safe to say no-one was successful.’

He was in the squad for the Littlewoods Cup Final in 1988 but didn’t make the bench. His debut came in the weeks following the game, starting at Southampton (‘where Jimmy Case gave me a whack in the ear’) and then a trip to Liverpool for his second game to play the champions elect. Some baptism of fire.

Julian James’ first start for the Hatters came in a League Cup game at Leeds in November 1988. With Town 2-0 up he took out Ian Baird and saw red. ’I’d like to say I took one for the team but I think I was treading water a little bit. I’d never been sent off in my life really. That’s why I was a bit upset when I left the pitch because I felt like I’d let everyone down.’

He became a regular fixture in the 1989/90 season and was in the team for that famous day at the Baseball Ground. ‘‘We went there and it was likely we wouldn’t be staying up because Sheffield Wednesday were in a better position so all we could do was win and see what happened. It was the biggest away following I’d ever seen, a boiling hot day, and brilliant for Jimmy Ryan.’

The trick was repeated the following season, this time with a win at home to Derby County. By now he’d established himself as a first team regular and won two England U21 caps, including a 7-3 win against France, so it came as somewhat of a surprise when, on David Pleat’s return that summer, he found himself out of favour.

‘I’d done alright the year before and the first thing he said to me was, ‘I’m going to farm you out to Preston, give you a bit more experience. Bearing in mind he was the one who’d brought me in originally it was a bit strange. But I think he saw Matt Jackson as his first choice. But Matt gets sold, and I come back.’

‘Pleaty wanted a taller centre back so I never got much of a chance there. I was a right or left back. I didn’t have a great left foot but I’d have a swing at it. Dickie Harvey was a good left back and he was good going forward, though he’d probably admit I was a better defender.’

He was in the team again for a third straight last-day relegation decider though this time it would end in failure in a miserable 2-1 defeat at Notts County, with Julian scoring what would prove to be the Hatters’ last top-flight goal for over 30 years. Happier memories can be found in the run to the FA Cup Semi Final in 1993/1994, however.

‘I enjoyed playing at nights. I generally feel I played better. Obviously people remember John Hartson and Scott Oakes who were great but it was a real team effort. We really fancied ourselves for the Newcastle game, good atmosphere, TV there. The 0-0 at West Ham was a tough game, I remember.’

And the Semi-Final? ‘The lead up was too long. Suddenly that agent Eric Hall was about, promising to make us some money, which was a load of rubbish. It was my first time playing at Wembley. Maybe John (Hartson) should have been in the team. David played me at left back and I don’t think I did myself justice but looking back no-one else really did. We never got on the ball and never got going. But if it wasn’t at Wembley I think we’d have beaten them.’

‘One happy memory I do have was of going out to train before the game and finding the coach Wayne Turner out there warming up as if he was playing! He said he’d never played at Wembley, and was pinging 40 yard passes around!’

Terry Westley left Julian out in the cold when he became manager. ‘He changed it all too quickly. He wanted to play three at the back. I’m in his office weekly asking why I’m not playing but he’d made his mind up.’

Lennie Lawrence’s arrival brought about a return to the first team but the season was to end in relegation, an injury to Dwight Marshall proving to be the last nail in the coffin. A more enjoyable season was to follow as Town narrowly missed out on promotion straight back with a team that included James, Graham Alexander, Steve Davis and 30 goals from Tony Thorpe.

‘We were up near the top all season but it just tailed off a bit after Christmas. The weather cost us I think. Lots of postponements and then too many draws at home. But I think we were the best team in the league.’

By the end he’d made 335 appearances, which places him joint 15^th in the all-time list, level with the great Andy Rennie. Not bad for a lad who was told at school that he’d never be a footballer!

He’s proud of his time at Luton.  ‘When I was a professional my focus was totally on Luton Town. That was my life. It was a good chapter in my life and I’ll never forget it. And to be picked for England at any level was a great honour and it made it even more special to do it with Luton.’

‘I’d like to thank the Luton fans for turning out for my testimonial against West Ham. I’ve never had a chance to do so. Hopefully they remember me a reliable, committed, club man.’

Below: Julian scoring at Meadow Lane in the last game of the 1991/1992 season