By Will Foster

There was a raucous atmosphere at the Grand Theatre on February 1st 1907 for a performance of Aladdin. The Luton side were in attendance. Miss Blanche Marion, in the lead role, picked out Sandy Brown, Town’s ‘Glenbuck Goalgetter’, and gave her advice on how the men could win their big game tomorrow. The audience roared their approval.

The match in question was a 2nd Round FA Cup tie against the mighty Sunderland, a first meeting between the two sides. The Northerners had offered £150 and half the gate receipts to switch the game to Roker Park but Town’s directors had stood firm, therefore serving as the first real test of Kenilworth Road’s capacity.

The Sunderland players travelled down on the Thursday and stayed in Hitchin, attending a smoking concert at the football club the night before the game while the Town players took the adulation of the Grand Theatre crowd. A team full of internationals, they were not expected to have too much trouble seeing off Southern League Luton, though secretary Bob Kyle played down expectations, ‘we do not believe in blowing our own trumpet.’

Eventually around 10,500 would cram into the ground. Such a large attendance brought problems with ‘Beware of the Pickpockets’ signs erected in the area and twenty special constables employed. Mostly though the crowd were in a frenzy, helped by a large blue and white plait being placed in-front of the Main Stand with the words, ‘Play Up Luton’, emblazoned on it.

The game was played a fierce pace in the first half. The best chance for Town came early on when a Bill McCurdy free kick landed at the feet of Billy Barnes, who somehow managed to miss the target. The visitors created chances too, with the best falling to usually deadly George Holley, who shot just over the bar.

The second half slowed somewhat. Bob Hawkes, who had played in a international trial match the week before, put his ‘wandering’ style of play to good use as he somehow found himself in a position to rob Sunderland forward Angus MacIntosh as he raced through on goal. It would prove to be last big moment of the match, the two sides shaking hands at 0-0.

The replay was played at Roker Park four days later. The Town gave a good account of themselves again but would fall to a 1-0 defeat, with Macintosh scoring the winner.

Below: The Luton side of 1906/1907

Back Row (L to R:) Lawson (Trainer), F Hawkes, Warner, Latheron, Bygrave (Groundsman)
Third Row (L to R:) Dow, White, Jackson, Hogg, Platt, McCurdy, Watkins, Gallacher, C. Green (Secretary)
Second Row (L to R:) McDonald, Schofield, B Hawkes, Gittins, Barnes
Front Row (L to R:) Brown, Pickering, Jones