two consecutive wednesdays
By Will Foster
Luton flew out of the blocks in the 1939/40 season, including a magnificent opening day win against Sheffield Wednesday on 26th August 1939. They were three-up before half-time thanks to goals from Hugh Billington (2) and Reg Stockhill. However, the final whistle would not only signify confirmation of an impressive 3-0 victory, but also mark the end of League football at Kenilworth Road for 7 long years.
A crowd only 12,357, well down on the previous season’s average, suggested that minds were elsewhere. Two more games would be played before war was declared at which point player contracts were immediately suspended and all competitions cancelled.
The Hatters sat top of the old 2nd Division (now Championship) for the first time in their history when the league was abandoned. ‘It’s a good thing for Hitler and his followers that none of them are within arm’s length of Luton Town supporters; there would be a big spot of bother,’ wrote Crusader in that week’s Luton News!
When the Football League finally resumed for the 1946/47 season it was decided, for the sake of continuity, that the fixture list of the abandoned season would be repeated. Thus Sheffield Wednesday were the visitors once more as the campaign opened on the 31st of August.
A far larger crowd of 21,105 was drawn with queues forming at the turnstiles. The day was sunny but the privations of post-war Britain were never far away. The Bobbers’ Club were thanked for arranging a plentiful supply of tea despite rationing, though apologies were made for the need to charge 6d given the inability to replace cups, which were also in short supply.
Below: Fans queue outside the Kenilworth Road entrance for the long awaited return of the Football League to Kenilworth Road.
Along with Town manager George Martin, three players remained from the pre-war meeting. Hugh Billington and Horace Gager for Luton and Jackie Robinson for Wednesday. Indeed it was Jackie who scored Wednesday’s only goal as Town ran out comfortable 4-1 winners. Mel Daniel, father of future Hatter Alan, was the star this time. He scored his first after just three minutes and completed a hat-trick 15 minutes from time, with a strike from Billy Waugh having put Luton 2-1 up.
In his match report, Chiltern ascribed the win to Town’s clever tactics. Wednesday, remembering the punishment handed out seven years previously, had closely marked Hugh Billington. To combat this Mel Daniel was pushed further upfield to make use of the space created. ‘Splendid team work,’ he enthused.
Four Luton players were lost between the two matches. Goalkeeper Joe Coen, who had played in the 1939 meeting, was killed in an aircraft training accident in Grantham in 1941. Charles Ladd, Charles Clark and James Gillespie also never came home.
‘People all over the world trust and pray that never again shall the flower of manhood be called upon to bear arms…,’ was written in the programme notes, ‘but we have come through, and having done our duty let us to sport, and to the king of sports – Football.’
Below: Joe Coen, ones of those who didn't make it back.
Below: Mel Daniel smacks home one of his hattrick goals as the Football League finally returned to Kenilworth Road.
