The new ground was formally opened on Monday 4th September 1905 at 5.00pm sharp to allow kick-off at 5.15 pm which would then enable the Southern League visitors, Plymouth, enough time to catch their train home.

At last the Town had a ground they could call their own. Part of the agreement on purchase was that the land would only be used for football purposes and everyone connected with the club breathed a sigh of relief knowing that they would not be asked to move again - at least not in the short term.

The old ground at Dunstable Road was partly developed immediately with Hazelbury Crescent and Avondale Road being built and Kenilworth Road itself further developed. Strangely, the land fronting Dunstable Road, which would presumably be the most valuable, was not built on until the late 1930’s when the Odeon cinema was erected and appeared to be used as a car park in the interim with the local football fans taking advantage of it when big matches were staged.

As mentioned previously, Plymouth were the first visitors to Kenilworth Road in what quickly became known as the ‘Green Game’. The Pilgrims, then as now, played in green, the referee was a Mr A. Green, the formal opening was conducted by Mr J Green of local brewery fame, the whole event had been orchestrated by secretary Charles Green and the pitch, of course, was green.

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The first game at Kenilworth Road was played out on a warm late summer evening and attracted a healthy crowd of over 6,000 who paid £120 for the privilege of taking part on an historic occasion.

Mr J. W. Green formally opened proceedings by kicking off the contest but before doing so announced that he would be donating 25 guineas (£26.25) to the club.

The contest itself was end to end from start to finish with both sides hitting the woodwork. The Town had a point to prove having finished second bottom of the Southern League the previous season (fortunately they were re-elected with little fuss) and had recruited some heavyweight players to take the place of some lightweights who were ‘not able to withstand the rigours of competitive football.’ In other words the long ball and muscle were to be the order of the day!

Although the Plymouth match was end to end the referee had a huge task in preventing the contest from developing into a ‘rough and tumble affair’ and more than once had to separate brawling players. If the supporters were to learn anything from the display it was that the players were not going to roll over and die that season.

Luton Town: Platt, Blackett, McCurdy, F.Hawkes, White, R.Hawkes, Gallacher, Warner, Brown, Pickering, Barnes.

Plymouth Argyle: Sutcliffe, Saul, A.Clark, Leech, C.Clark, Mortimer, Briercliffe, Buck, Willcox, Buchanan, Corrin.

Below: The Green Game

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The new enclosure was smaller than the one left behind and was already hemmed in by new houses in Ivy, Beech and Oak Roads as well as the railway line. Behind the Oak Road goal was wooden terracing with a high wooden fence behind while at the Kenilworth Road end clinker banking had been built up to provide a reasonable vantage point.

Beech Hill Path was a natural boundary for the ground and along this side more wooden terracing was placed with a roof, part of the old Dunstable Road ground stand, extending over the back few steps. On the opposite side a new wooden main stand was built. With a standing paddock in front, this side of the ground was reckoned to hold 1,500 out of a total capacity of 10,000.

To finish off, a ‘stout wooden fence’ enclosed the pitch which was something that had not been present at either of the other two grounds.

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Sir - I was one of those who witnessed the very fine opening football match upon the new Town ground on Monday last. My pleasure, and that of many others was, however, spoiled by the foul, disgusting language of two men of the baser sort who stood near me. Their swearing was vile in the extreme. Their mouths needed washing and their hearts needed changing. Two or three remonstrance’s only made them worse. It is a great pity and shame too, that one of our national games should be spoiled by men such as these. This gentleman who stood near me remarked “no wonder people do not come to the matches.” I am sure there are scores if not hundreds of good clean living men, who take pleasure in witnessing a good match, who’s consciences will condemn them if they are obliged to listen to such language as I have referred to.

I am soliciting the help of the Press, believing it to be the best way to expose this great evil. I sincerely hope the Directors will take immediate steps to deal with such offenders in a very decided manner. Unless this is done the game is bound to suffer, and the ‘gates’ too.

Yours etc.

Mr A Hill

Chapel Street

Luton.

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After the poor showing during the 1904/05 season the team were greatly improved over the following campaign, the first at their new ground, and finished fourth in a strong division. They also managed to end up as top goalscorers aided in no small part by ex-Scottish international centre-forward Sandy Brown, ‘The Glenbuck Goalgetter’, who weighed in with 18 of the Town’s 64 goals.

Fourth position was again attained the following season but the novelty of the new ground had waned leading to a dip in match receipts but no such drop in players wages. As such, new recruits were not of the same calibre as before and the team slipped down the table to 18th in 1907/08.

Soon after the opening of the new ground a new entrance to the Lane Stand (Beech Hill Path) was opened at the top of Beech Road while a large advertising hoarding was erected over the Ivy Road entrance which was let to Freeman, Hardy and Willis for seven years.

Another piece of land next to the railway line (where the club shop now stands) was purchased and the National Telephone Company was allowed to erect a pole at the ground which gave the club their first direct telephone line.

A further 5/- a season was earned by giving sole rights to a Mr Stevens to take charge of bicycles at the ground.

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After disposing of Gainsborough Trinity after a replay in the first round of the competition, cup fever hit the streets of the town when the Strawplaiters were drawn against mighty Sunderland at the next stage, equivalent to Round Four today.

This was to be the first serious test of the capacity of the new ground and although top flight Sunderland offered £150 plus half of the gate to switch the tie to Roker Park the Town’s directors stood firm.

As it turned out some 10,500 attended the tie generating receipts of £571-9-6 (£571.47) both of which were records for the ground and indeed football in Luton. Apparently, there was still room to spare with the Kenilworth Road banking the only section full to capacity. With so many visitors to the town a great number of ‘Beware of Pickpockets’ notices had been posted on all approaches to the ground.

Twenty constables were engaged for the game and ‘special arrangements for keeping the players under control in the evenings leading up to the match were to made by the secretary and a suitable hotel found’.

A huge hat in blue and white plait with the words ‘Play up Luton’ written on it was placed in front of the main stand as the crowd was whipped up into a frenzy as the game kicked off.

Sunderland, members of the Football League Division One since 1890 and four times champions since then, were packed with international players and it was one, England centre-forward George Holley, who saw his fierce shot well saved by Peter Platt in the Luton goal.

Luton half-back Bob Hawkes had to show all his experience in robbing Angus McIntosh, who was ‘conspicuous by reason of his very short knickers’, when the Sunderland forward was through on goal.

It was not all Sunderland, though, and the game ebbed and flowed with William Barnes firing just wide from a free-kick and the same player just failing to get on the end of a cross from Brown.

The excitement did not stop until the final whistle with the directors no doubt happy with a replay which gave the chance to have another slice of the gate money cake. In the replay the Town went down narrowly 0-1 in front of 18,000 at Roker Park . Sunderland, in turn, went out to the eventual winners Sheffield Wednesday in the next round.

Luton Town: Platt, Hogg, McCurdy, F.Hawkes, White, R.Hawkes, Murphy, Gittins, Brown, Fitzpatrick, Barnes.

Sunderland: Ward, Rhodes, Watson, Tait, McGhee, McConnell, Raine, Gemmell, McIntosh, Holley, Bridgett.

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The period after the Sunderland cup-tie was a particularly miserable time for the club with a gale taking off part of the roof of the Lane Stand and causing damage to an adjacent house and attendances falling away rapidly. The club was once again in a parlous financial position and in March 1909 the directors proposed two separate turnstiles at the ground be set aside for supporters willing to pay 1/- (5p) for entrance rather than the normal admission fee of half that. Predictably, the idea was shelved two weeks later due to lack of use!

As matters got steadily worse a special meeting of the Board was called to discuss the whole future of the club and it was resolved that 46 players would be placed on the open to transfer list and all players would be asked to forego part of their wages for the remainder of the campaign.

As is always the case the only real bids came in for the club’s few jewels and the sale of both John Quinn and John Smith to Millwall for a ‘considerable sum’ gave rise to the directors being accused of harbouring a selling club mentality for the first (and certainly not the last) time.

In March 1907 the club’s secretary was ordered to post a notice in the dressing room indicating that no players dogs were to be allowed on the premises whilst training was going on. This was followed by another notice appealing to all the players to refrain from rough play.

In November 1908 special dispensation was received from the Football Association to take a collection at a forthcoming match for the benefit of old player Hugh Galbraith who was suffering from rheumatics of the spine. The eventual collection made £9-12-9 (£9.64).

The sale of the two players to Millwall seemed to lift a huge grey cloud from over Kenilworth Road and the 1910/11 season started with a bang and by October the team was in pole position in the league table. Unfortunately, the momentum could not be maintained but a final position of ninth was a definite improvement and with it brought extra income from the gate and a rare profit.

Rather than use the money to boost the squad the directors instead merely re-signed the majority of the previous years team on increased wages.

The ploy did not work and the Town struggled from the start of the 1911/12 campaign which finished in relegation to Division Two. A run of poor luck with injuries did not help but the death of 24 year old full back Sammy Wightman after being kicked in the stomach at Brighton, as the season drew to a close, brought an abrupt end to a sad chapter in the club’s history.

Wightman appeared to be winded from the kick and had to leave the field as the Town went down 0-1 in the days before substitutes. He was given the all clear to travel back with the squad but on the train from Brighton to London he became ill. He was rushed across the capital in a horse drawn cab and put on a train to Luton where he was met and taken to the Bute Hospital for an immediate operation. Unfortunately, he never regained consciousness and died a day later.

A great deal of soul searching went on behind the scenes at Kenilworth Road, and at one stage it was touch and go as to whether the club would take up the offer of Southern League Division Two football. Due to the great number of Welsh clubs at this level a travel subsidy of £20 for each match played in the Principality was demanded. The argument went back and forth between the Town and the Southern League management committee and in the end a compromise of £12-10-0 (£12.50) was reached. What the club would have done, had the Southern League refused to entertain a subsidy, is not recorded.

At this time the Town’s first organised Supporters Club - and probably one of the first in the country - was formed and they made £60 immediately available for the club’s coffers.

When the fact that several substantial transfer fees were received for players who did not wish to step down a division was added to the Southern League subsidy plus the hand-out from the Supporters Club, the Town were actually not too badly off. Pity the poor players though, as they had to make do with the cheapest rail transport to far flung footballing outposts in Wales and then be expected to turn on the style against agricultural footballers on pitches little better than cow pastures.

The team made heavy weather of it during their first season at this new level and could only finish fifth. The Supporters Club committee members were not only expected to find volunteers to act as unpaid stewards and gatemen, but also provide a sum of money to pay for the summer wages of the players and also help towards a transfer fee pot.

For once, this pot of money was spent wisely as two players were signed for the sum of £50 between them and who proved integral in the club’s attempts to move back to Southern League Division One.

Ernie Simms was signed from Barnsley for £10 while Frank Rollinson came from Portsmouth for £40 with the hope that they would give the Town the additional firepower lacking in the previous campaign . Between them they hit 45 goals as the Town won promotion at the second attempt in glorious style, finishing runners-up on goal average to Croydon Common.

If anything Southern League Division Two was, in 1913/14, even more of a Welsh competition with the Town, Croydon, Brentford and Stoke the only English sides represented.

Again, reports from that season indicated poor pitches and less than friendly opposition with Mid-Rhondda typical, “an undersized pitch, on a slope and full of lumps.” Despite this the goals flowed and a 7-0 home win over Aberdare was bettered by an 8-1 victory over Mid-Rhondda at Kenilworth Road and a remarkable 9-0 thrashing of Caerphilly in Wales.

A poor spell in November when defeats were suffered at Llanelly and Pontypridd followed by a 0-2 ‘disaster’ at Newport on Christmas Day brought the only reverses of the campaign. In the second half of the season the defence was stiffened, with the result that no team scored more than once against the Town and the perfect home record was maintained until the end.

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Mardy, Abertillery, Treharris, Barry, Llanelly, Pontypridd, Ton Pentre, Mid-Rhondda, Aberdare, Newport, Swansea, Caerphilly and Stoke. Stoke, I hear you ask, what were they doing in the Southern League?

The old Stoke, founder members of the Football League in 1888, had resigned from the competition in 1908 and had entered into liquidation having finally run out of money. The new Stoke Football Club (1908) Ltd had risen from the ashes and initially joined the Birmingham and District League before joining the Southern League.

Stoke had missed the Town over the previous two seasons having won promotion to Division One as the Town dropped out and then relegated back to Division Two at the first time of asking.

The Town players were no respectors of past history and were looking to extend their unbeaten run that had begun the previous Christmas Day and now extended to 12 games. Another record crowd for Kenilworth Road of 12,000 turned up for the Good Friday fixture and were treated to a stirring struggle.

Frank Rollinson opened the scoring for the Town midway through the first half and then netted twice more only to see the efforts disallowed. Outside-right Arthur Durrant then had to limp off and the ten men remaining were suddenly not so prominent.

Stoke missed two simple chances but it was the Town who increased their lead when Simms thundered in number two shortly after the interval totally against the run of play.

Stoke immediately replied through Dick Smith but the Luton defence managed to hold firm until the end of a game that virtually ensured promotion.

Stoke walked away with the championship the following season but instead of accepting promotion to Division One decided to apply to the Football League for their place back and were duly accepted!

Luton Town: Mitchell, Elvey, Robinson, F.Hawkes, Frith, R.Hawkes, Durrant, Wileman, Simms, Rollinson, Hoar.

Stoke: Gadsden, Turner, Milne, Jones, Parker, Bradley, Hargreaves, Herbert, Smith, Ellis, Tempest.

Below: Ernie Simms

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As the Town were building up to promotion an agreement was struck with the Palace Theatre that, in return for an advertisement of forthcoming Luton Town matches being shown on the theatre screen twice a week, they in turn would be able to walk around the Kenilworth Road pitch at half-time of each game with an advertising banner.

Promotion was celebrated in style with a special dinner laid on and a bonus of £125 handed out to the players to be split based on appearances. Also, a glossy photographic souvenir was published by the ‘Luton News’ which included the text of congratulatory telegrams most of which were sent by clubs in Southern League Division One who seemed genuinely pleased to have the Town back in the fold.

The 1914/15 season was played out with the increasing backdrop of the Great War and at the end of April 1915 it was announced that the Southern League competition would be suspended for the duration of the hostilities. Unlike in the Second World War when competitive football was looked on as vital to keep everyone’s spirits up for helping with the war effort it was the complete opposite during the Great War with all sports frowned upon as frivolous while men were dying in the trenches of northern France and Belgium.

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‘The absurd arrangement of the English Cup authorities in putting a club such as Luton, which had won its way back to the first division of the Southern League, into the fourth qualifying round, led on Saturday to a sort of ‘game’ that can only take place when two sides are in such absolutely different classes that they ought not to be put together unless they both want a vacant date filled. When the better club has to re-arrange first-class matches to make room for such a fixture, then the affair is ridiculous.’ So wrote a very miffed ‘Crusader’ (J.J.Hunt) in the ‘Luton News’.

A crowd of 4,000, including 1,000 soldiers, paid £88 on a cold day to see this massively one-sided contest which remains the Town’s record score in any competition. Yarmouth were handicapped from the start with three of their regulars missing due to being part of the Norfolk Cyclists Battalion whose duty it was to guard the east coast, but in the eyes of the reporter they did give in rather too easily and after conceding an early own goal, when Housego deflected a cross into his own net after ten minutes, heads dropped.

The Town were five up at the interval and in the second period ran in a further ten without reply. The crowd were willing Yarmouth to cross the half-way line but apart from two corners early on and a couple of long shots, Joe Mitchell in the Luton goal was a spectator.

The players used the second half as shooting practice but most of the goals were simple tap-ins as they took it in turns to set each other up. Some of the crowd went wild when Ernie Simms and Arthur Wileman ran through with the ball shoulder to shoulder ‘like a pair of horses attached to the same pole’ while other spectators were disappointed to see the players show disrespect.

For the record the goalscorers were Simms with four, including a penalty, Frank Rollinson with four, including a genuine hat-trick, Wileman 2, an own goal and singles for Fred Hawkes, Robert Frith, Hugh Roberts and Sid Hoar.

After the mauling of Yarmouth the Town beat both Oxford City and Bromley in the competition before going out 0-3 to Southampton at the Dell in the first round proper.

Luton Town: Mitchell, Elvey, Dunn, F.Hawkes, Frith, R.Hawkes, Roberts, Wileman, Simms, Rollinson, Hoar.

Gt Yarmouth: Gay, Housego, Malachowski, Watts, Adams, Wade, Turner, Millican, Perkins, Harris, Newson.

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In September 1914 the club’s directors resolved that the players should attend the shooting range at the Luton Rifle Club once a week with the club paying the membership fee of 10/6 (53p). The players would have to pay for their own ammunition.

Charles Green, the Town’s long serving secretary, kept the club running throughout the period of the Great War almost single handed and after arranging friendlies in the autumn of 1915, following the refusal of the hastily formed London Combination not to consider clubs more that 18 miles from London, he managed to talk the club into the competition for the back end of that season for a run of 14 games.

Due to his efforts the Town took part in the London Combination for the whole of the 1916/17 season and managed to score 101 goals in only 39 games. Ernie Simms made even more of a name for himself that season when he netted 40 times from 30 starts which not only made him the record goal scorer for the season but also, apparently, in football history at that time.

Even Green though, could not use his persuasive powers to convince the authorities that the Town should take part in the London Combination over the following two seasons as it was decreed that because of security and travel once more the competition should be restricted to clubs in the London area.

Friendly matches were all that could be arranged over the next two seasons but Green tried to make them as varied, competitive and interesting as possible although he did not always get it right with Simms scoring six in four consecutive games in March 1919.

Sadly, the Town’s players did not escape the ‘war to end all wars’ and Ernest Dodd, Arthur Wileman and Frank Gilder were all killed in action while Ernie Simms, Frank Lindley, Westby Heath and Arthur Roe were injured and Sid Hoar gassed. Two ex-players Jack Jarvie and George Porter were also killed in action.

With the war finally over everyone tried to get back to normality and all at Kenilworth Road were geared up to make the 1919/20 season one to remember. Unfortunately, the season became one to forget as the Town finished third from bottom with a team that on paper was as good as anything else in the division. Although ex-Dunstable Road schoolboy forward Jimmy Chipperfield was sold to Tottenham for £1,000 in June 1919 he was soon replaced by Irish international Louis Bookman.

Bookman came to Luton for £250 in what must have been one of the first deals to include a sell-on clause. If Bookman were to be transferred for more than £250 in the future, then the profit would be split between the Town and West Bromwich Albion. It is interesting to note that the Supporters Club was still handing out cash to the club with £50 being donated towards Bookman’s transfer.

The deprivations of war seemed to affect the players with, for example, Simms a pale shadow of his former self, but gradually fitness returned and by the start of the 1920/21 campaign everyone was raring to go.

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A run in the F.A.Cup was seen as just the tonic to brighten up a dismal season for the Town.

After seeing off Brighton in the sixth qualifying round the Town were drawn at home to Coventry City of Football League Division Two at Kenilworth Road. A healthy crowd of 10,054 witnessed a thrilling 2-2 draw but in fairness did not give their heroes much chance of winning through in the replay.

Amazingly, given the state of the Town’s season, the away side took the lead in the 12th minute when Sid Hoar, receiving the ball in a seemingly offside position, took the ball down the wing before centring accurately to Ernie Simms who slammed the ball home to stun the crowd of 21,893.

It was now a case of hanging on, which they did with ease as full backs Jack Elvey and John Dunn buttoned up the Coventry wingers. If Simms had realised that time was on his side he could have sewn the match up long before the end when one on one with the goalkeeper, but he rushed the chance.

Cup fever now hit the streets of Luton once more when it was learned that First Division Liverpool, losing finalists in 1914, were to be the visitors to Kenilworth Road.

Another record crowd, 12,640, was present on a wet day to see the Town almost take the lead in the first minute. A clearance by Liverpool’s Don McKinlay cannoned off one of his fellow defenders into the area where a mass free for all developed before the ball was hacked clear.

Dunn was cautioned by the referee for fouling Billy Lacey for the third time in as many minutes before the Liverpool man got his own back when heading home a Jackie Sheldon corner in the tenth minute. Soon after, Luton goalkeeper Percy Summers, who had fainted in the bath after being kicked on the head in the first Coventry tie, showed he had fully recovered when tipping a fierce Harry Lewis shot on to the bar.

Liverpool managed to hold the Town at arms length for the remainder of the half as the heavens opened but in the second period the rain clouds lifted and the weather changed into bright sunshine.

The game then hinged on a crucial decision by the referee. Sid Hoar scored direct from a corner with the goalkeeper and defenders all shielding their eyes from the bright sun. The Town players all felt that Kenneth Campbell in the Liverpool goal had touched the ball but the referee thought otherwise and disallowed the effort. If the same move had happened seven years later then the goal would have stood but in 1920 a corner-kick was regarded as an indirect free-kick!

The disallowed goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Town and when Lacey netted again with twenty minutes left the game was over. Liverpool went on to the quarter-finals where they were knocked out by Huddersfield.

Luton Town: Summers, Elvey, Dunn, Urwin, Rutherford, Parker, Hoar, Roe, Simms, Dodd, Bookman.

Liverpool: Campbell, Longworth, McKinlay, Bamber, Wadsworth, Bromilow, Sheldon, Lacey, Miller, Lewis, Pearson.

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After talks which were first mentioned as far back as April 1909, Southern League Division One became Division Three of the Football League and all the clubs moved en- bloc in the summer of 1920. At the same time, out went the light blue shirts and white shorts and in their place the black and white which supporters have come to associate with the Town. Unfortunately, the move back to the Football League came too late for two Kenilworth Road stalwarts Fred and Bob Hawkes who were fast approaching 40.

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Born in Luton in April 1881, Fred Hawkes was the original schoolboy football star and the talk of the town as a youngster. After turning out for the Town’s junior side, Stanley, where he played alongside his namesake Bob it was no surprise when he signed on for the Strawplaiters and after a couple of seasons in the reserves made his first team debut as an inside-forward just as the club were dipping out of the Football League in 1900.

With the Town in the Southern League it was not long before Fred made a half-back position his own, and he never looked back, forming a partnership with Bob Hawkes and Fred White which was the mainstay of the Luton side for several seasons.

Although not particularly tall, Fred made up for his lack of height with good anticipation, a firm tackle, the ability to remain cool in tight situations and excellent distribution.

A model of consistency, Fred was also lucky with injuries and at one stage did not miss a Southern League game for over six seasons. His final tally of over 500 Southern League appearances is remarkable when four years were taken from him by the Great War.

A loyal, one club man, with only a bid from Chelsea slightly turning his head, Fred finally bowed out at the end of the 1919/20 season but continued playing football into his fifties.

Below: Fred Hawkes's Luton News Handbook Entries

Bob, no relation to Fred, was born in Breachwood Green in October 1880 and played junior football in Luton before signing on for the Town on amateur forms in 1900.

He took some time to make his breakthrough as a regular in the first team but once established there was no looking back. Bob looked nothing like a footballer, but his slight frame belied a rare talent and it was not long before he was regarded as the best left-half in the country.

A true amateur, Bob rejected many overtures from Football League clubs and remained loyal to the Town throughout his career. Picked to play for England, Bob also won many amateur international caps as well as playing a part in England’s gold medal winning football side in the 1908 Olympic Games. His caps are still on display at Kenilworth Road.

Throughout his career it was always thought that his aversion to heading the ball was down to the fact that he had a gold plate under his ginger hair which protected an old skull fracture. Bob, though, thought that football should be played with the feet and preferred to bring the ball down before playing an inch perfect pass out of defence.

On the occasion of Bob’s wedding in September 1909 the club’s directors asked him what he wanted as a present (which they had never done for any other player) and after much thought he decided upon a piano. After the wedding Bob wrote a letter giving thanks for the ‘splendid instrument’ which was a ‘beautiful present’.

Bob eventually turned professional in the 1911/12 season and was immediately made the highest paid player at the club. Like his namesake Fred, he also finished his Luton career at the end of the 1919/20 season and after a short period at Bedford, fully retired from playing and went back to his old trade in the hat making industry.

Below: Bob with England cap.

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At the start of the Town’s first season in Football League Division Three the supporters of the club could have been forgiven for doubting the ambitions of the directors when the full back pairing of Jack Elvey and John Dunn were transferred to Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday respectively, especially when the team went down 1-9 at Swindon on the opening day.

Ex-Dunstable Road schoolboy (no guesses where the writer went to school) Elvey was being looked on as a future England international having already played for the F.A. on a tour to South Africa and the massive fee of £2,500 reflected this. Elvey was paid half of this figure by way of benefit but later the Football Association made him donate 50% to charity. Unfortunately, his career was cut short after a cartilage operation proved unsuccessful in the days before laser and keyhole surgery.

As it turned out the two full backs were not missed, as ready made replacements George Lennon and Alf Tirrell stepped into their shoes and with Ernie Simms back to his best, and banging in 28 goals, the club finished a creditable ninth and also enjoyed their best ever F.A.Cup run to date.

A request was made by the club for takings from each Saturday home game to be lodged with the Luton police station over the weekend. The request was granted immediately.

Harry Higginbotham became the first Luton player to be sent off in the Football League after being dismissed at Portsmouth on 8th September 1920.

This was quickly followed by Allan Mathieson being dismissed at Southampton on Christmas Day 1920. ‘Mathieson’s offence cannot be disputed, but the decision was autocratic and reflected a pettish disposition. What happened was this. Parker (Southampton), in order to stop Simms and Mathieson, deliberately handled the ball within three yards of the goal. Simms made an attempt to force the ball through, but it rebounded to Mathieson who shot over.

Mathieson and Simms appealed for a penalty but the referee waved for play to continue. The exuberant Mathieson, in a determined effort to get the referee to reconsider, took hold of the official’s coat and was promptly ordered off.’

In the days when you could more or less commit murder on the pitch, the word of the referee could never be questioned and to actually touch the official was a heinous crime as Mathieson found out when he received a massive two month ban.

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The Town’s record breaking F.A.Cup run began away at Division Two side Rotherham County, predecessors to today’s Rotherham United, in the sixth qualifying round and many eyebrows were raised when a 3-1 victory was recorded with Simms bagging a hat-trick.

The reward was a home game against Division Two leaders, and eventual champions, Birmingham City in the first round proper and a crowd of 12,700, narrowly beating the record set against Liverpool the previous year, was present to see Simms and Louis Bookman score the goals in a 2-1 win. The game was not without its controversy, however, as when Birmingham were awarded a penalty Luton full-back George Lennon stood by one of the goalposts and watched as Blue’s Jack Jones hammered the spot-kick wide.

A formal complaint was forwarded by Birmingham to the Football Association and the player was called to account as the dispute hit the national press. The matter seems to have been brushed under the carpet as far as the Town were concerned, although the referee did eventually receive a censure from the Football Association and, as there appears to be no further instance of a player distracting a penalty taker in such a way, it can only be assumed that the present law, which states that all players must be on the field of play and that no outfield player may be behind the goal line, could possibly have stemmed from that incident.

In any event the Town were through to the second round and were drawn to play at Second Division South Shields where a record crowd of 21,003 gathered at the Horsley Hill ground. The players had stayed at a Whitley Bay hotel over the previous week and, suitably relaxed, tore apart their more illustrious opponents with Harry Higginbotham opening the scoring against his old club in an eventual 4-0 win.

Matters were now getting serious as the Town were through to the last sixteen for the first time in their history. The draw pitched the Town against top flight Preston at Kenilworth Road and immediately it was announced that parts of the ground were made all ticket as cup fever once more swept throughout the streets.

Preston, previous winners of the competition, had thrashed Watford in the previous round and were strong favourites to see off another side from two divisions below. The supporters of Luton Town thought differently, however, and turned up in their thousands to see this David versus Goliath contest and when the turnstiles stopped clicking it was revealed that all previous gate records had not only been beaten but they had been smashed out of sight. The final figure was 17,754 beating the previous best by over 5,000 and it is difficult to see how they could have fitted into the ground as it was then.

The only area with crush barriers, erected before the Birmingham tie, was the clinker banking behind the Kenilworth Road goal although they were not up to much as one gave way before the start of the match, such was the crush, as did part of the fence around the pitch. Supporters were perched on roofs and up telegraph poles and some 25 people with Lane stand tickets could not get through the crowd to take their positions. It is a miracle that no-one was injured or even killed in those far off days before Health and Safety legislation.

The game itself was a cracker with England international centre-half Joe McCall cancelling out Ernie Simms in a breathless contest which moved rapidly from end to end. The Town had more chances but could only put away two with both goals coming from Harry Higginbotham while at the other end Preston had four efforts with striker Tommy Roberts netting three of them and hitting the bar with the other.

The pressmen at the game bemoaned Luton’s luck, but the experience and intelligence of the first division men finally won through. The Town were, meanwhile, left to count record receipt of £2,226/5/3 (£2,226.26).

Luton Town: Bailey, Lennon, Tirrell, Molyneux, Parker, Lamb, Hoar, Higginbotham, Simms, Butcher, Bookman.

Preston North End: Causer, Doolan, Speak, Waddell, McCall, Mercer, Rawlings, Jefferis, Roberts, Holland, Quinn.

Below: Alf Tirrell in the coin toss with Preston skipper Joe McCall

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The police tracked down an airman from R.A.F. Henlow and arrested him for taking a ball from Kenilworth Road after the Preston cup-tie. He was up before the local magistrates during the week after the game.

The crowds did not fall off after the cup defeat and with the team playing well as a unit it was hoped that the 1921/22 season would see a tilt at the title. The new campaign opened well with the Town amongst the leading pack from the start and, such was the regard that the forward line held in the football world at the time, an unprecedented three players were picked to play an international match.

On 22nd October 1921, Ernie Simms was chosen to lead the English line against Northern Ireland in Belfast while in opposition was right wing pairing Louis Bookman and Allan Mathieson.

Belfast born Bookman, who had changed his name from Buckhalter to disguise his Jewish origins, was a dazzling winger while his partner, the bulky but twinkle toed Mathieson, was a goaltaker of class. Both had played previously for their country while for Simms it was to be his international debut. Unfortunately, none of the Luton trio covered themselves in glory, much to the delight of the London press who wanted to see representatives from Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea playing, and were not picked for their respective countries again. Back at Kenilworth Road the Town had to struggle on without three of their best players, with no postponements for international call-ups in those days, but still managed to beat fellow promotion chasers Portsmouth 1-0 with reserve centre-forward Billy Walsh bringing the house down with the all-important goal.

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With only one team promoted from Division Three (South) each season and one from its new sibling Division Three (North) it became quite common for the campaign to be as good as over by Christmas with most sides playing for pride.

The 1921/22 season, however, was closely fought in the southern section right to the death and at Christmas any one of a dozen teams had good claims for the title. The Town had gone ten games without defeat, including a 1-1 draw with fellow promotion aspirants Swindon at the County Ground on Boxing Day.

Although the Town were to be without the injured Sid Hoar, Jimmy Walker, John Foster and Ernie Simms the return game the following day was eagerly anticipated and a record league crowd of 15,761 was present to see the Robins take the lead through future Hatter Bert Davies ten minutes from the start.

This was not what the large crowd expected and within minutes they found their voices once more and attempted to roar their favourites back into the game. The crossbar was struck twice before Harry Higginbotham headed in a Bill Molyneux cross just before the interval.

The Luton supporters went wild when, ten minutes after the break, a hopeful lofted cross from George Butcher was fumbled into his own net by Swindon goalkeeper Len Skiller. This was a mortal blow for the Robins and although they pushed forward they could not find a way past the resolute Luton defence.

Luton Town: Bailey, Lennon, Tirrell, Molyneux, Walsh, Roe, Bassett, Higginbotham, Mathieson, Butcher, Bookman.

Swindon Town: Skiller, Weston, Maconnachie, Ing, Archer, Dawe, Denyer, Davies, Metcalfe, Johnson, Turner.

Below: George Butcher, scorer of the winning goal.

The F.A.Cup run of 1921 had bought home to the directors the fact that the ground lacked the creature comforts to accommodate a large crowd and, in particular, the thirty year old grandstand was nowhere near big enough.

In March 1921 a deputation of Luton Town directors paid a visit to Southend’s Kursaal Stadium to have a look at the new stand erected there by Humphries of Knightsbridge. Liking what they saw they asked the builder to come to Kenilworth Road to quote for a new stand but they turned white when told that the cost would be £9,000 and quietly shelved the idea citing the poor industrial outlook for the country.

On the night of Saturday 12th March 1922 the main grandstand at Kenilworth Road caught fire and despite the efforts of the Fire Brigade it was completely destroyed.

‘Charles Green, the club’s long serving secretary who lived in Hazelbury Crescent, was in bed when he was notified of the fire by a Mr King of Kenilworth Road. Mr King had seen a small blaze, but by the time Mr Green arrived on the scene seven or eight minutes later the whole of the stand, offices and dressing rooms were well alight and it was impossible for the Fire Brigade, who arrived soon afterwards, to get the flames under control until every part of the stand and rooms underneath were destroyed. There was hardly a bootlace left.

The Fire Brigade had been notified from three street alarms, the final communication being received from Walsh, the Town half-back, who was informed of the outbreak when returning from a whist drive at the Commercial Cars premises. Chief Officer Andrew saw at once that the only useful work the Brigade could do was to prevent the fire spreading to other parts of the ground, and in this they were successful. Nothing of any value was recovered from the debris.’

On the Monday following the fire the players had to obtain new boots and equipment and as the bath at the club had been destroyed they had to use the public baths. The home game with Brighton scheduled for the following Saturday, 18th March, was re-arranged and played at Brighton, while the second eleven played their Brighton counterparts at Kenilworth Road.

An insurance claim of £3481, presumably the cost of replacing the stand like for like, was immediately made to Royal Exchange, of which Town director Ernest Gibbs was an agent, and was settled at £2,100 less than a month after the fire.

There was a bitter quarrel when the question was raised as to who was entitled to the money, the landlords or the club, and the former agreed that if they could have the claim money they would erect another stand.

For as long as this writer can recall it was always stated that the ‘new’ stand came second hand from Kempton Park racecourse. The club’s minutes do not mention this, the local press is silent and the minutes of Kempton Park show that no stand was taken down, demolished or sold at any time around this period.

Although the Kempton Park rumour would appear to be an urban myth, aerial views of the ground soon after the erection of the new stand shows that it was not purpose built for the site, but instead a rectangular box with a piece sliced off to fit the contour of the railway line. Perhaps the stand had been ordered ready for erection elsewhere but the buyer pulled out leaving the Town’s landlords to pick up the structure for a knock-down price. Conspiracy theories can now start to be formed!

In any event the new stand, which according to reports cost £8,227, was ready for the start of the following season and, at a grand opening ceremony before the visit of Charlton on 26th August 1922, Mr J McKenna the President of the Football League hoisted a flag in front of almost 12,000 spectators before toasting the King.

The upheaval caused by the loss of the stand did not appear to affect the players as they managed to finish fourth in 1921/22 but still nine points away from champions Southampton. The summer saw the departure of Bassett, Bookman and Mathieson which together with Simms, who had moved to South Shields the previous March, meant that the forward line was somewhat depleted.

New season, new stand and a new crowd favourite in the shape of young Welshman Sid Reid who, although only 5’6”, managed to net 18 goals as the Town enjoyed another successful season finishing fifth. The youngsters introduced into the side had gelled and the expectation levels on the terraces knew no bounds.

In March 1922 the Town’s directors turned down an invitation to an end of season tour of Sweden as the match itinerary would have involved playing games on Sundays.

Below: Harry Arnold is front and centre as the new stand opens.

At the end of the 1922/23 season came the sad news that trainer Billy Lawson, a fixture at the club for 30 years was to retire.

A larger than life character, who had been a boxer of no mean ability in his youth as well as an athlete of renown, his sunny disposition lit up Kenilworth Road as he trained and treated several generations of Luton Town players.

Born in Luton, Lawson originally came to the club as reserve team trainer in 1893 before stepping up to take charge of the first team four years later at a wage of 30/- (£1.50) a week. He had several skirmishes with the committee members in his early years, some probably over wages and some certainly over his alcohol intake, but matters settled down and he proved not only a loyal employee, turning down moves to larger clubs, but also very good at his profession.

On retirement from Kenilworth Road he was awarded a benefit match against Arsenal in December 1923 which raised over £100 before going to work on his own account as a masseur in the town.

Below: Billy Lawson

Unfortunately, despite all the optimism at the club that this would be the Town’s year, a very poor start to the 1923/24 season, with only one win in the first seven games, meant that the team was always playing catch-up and ended up finishing a disappointing seventh in the table. Reid was unable to maintain the form of the previous campaign leaving the mantle of goalscoring on the shoulders of new man Andy Kerr who had been recruited from Scottish junior football.

The 1923/24 season was not one to smile about disciplinary wise with two players dismissed in games. Firstly, full-back Joe Till was sent off during a tempestuous match against Exeter at Kenilworth Road and then ex-boxer George Butcher was dismissed in a home clash with Norwich. The latters punishment was a months suspension.

For the first time supporters began to question the ability of the board to scout for players, sign them and then pick the team. Most clubs now had a manager in charge of team affairs but when it was mooted at Kenilworth Road one of the directors, Ernest Gibbs, who looked on himself as a judge of players of no mean ability, threatened to resign.

Again the team got off to a slow start with, this time, Kerr unable to keep with his goalscoring success of the previous season and by February 1925 the board had to bow to the inevitable and appointed the club’s first proper manager, although they still reserved the right to pick the team!

George Thompson was a rather strange choice inasmuch he had no managerial experience following a career as a journeyman right winger for Sheffield United and Derby. Age 40 at the time of appointment, Thompson, who was to be paid £300 per annum salary, set about adding weight and height to the team and had a major clearout at the end of the 1924/25 campaign.

The replacement for Billy Lawson at Kenilworth Road was Fred Westgarth who was another eccentric character. He was summoned to appear before the board after reports that he struck one of his assistants. Such was his impassioned plea for leniency that he was told ‘to be more careful next time’.

Unfortunately, he did not last long in Luton for new manager George Thompson wanted his own man in tow and appointed Billy Barr, who had not only had trained teams in this country but in Germany and Switzerland also.

In October 1924 a kind benefactor offered to loan the club a billiard table which was to be placed in the players recreation room to perhaps engender a better team spirit. Unfortunately, the club did not have a players recreation room so had to go to the expense of kitting one out.

Four players made their debut at the start of the 1925/26 season but they were no better than the players released in the summer and, after five defeats from six games through September into October, Thompson was relieved of his duties leaving the directors, who were in no hurry to appoint a replacement, back in full control of the playing side of the club.

One lasting legacy of George Thompson’s short reign at Kenilworth Road was the signing of his namesake, the charismatic Jimmy Thompson, who turned out to be a goalscorer of some ability. Thompson’s goals enabled the Town to finish in a respectable seventh position and only one place below that in the following season.

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The Town were building up a reputation as a footballing side, playing the ball along the ground rather than launching it down the pitch. This style of play did not always work in Division Three at a time when the game was rather more ‘robust’ than it is today but if a strong referee was in charge to clamp down on downright thuggery then the Town were able to turn on the style.

Old adversaries Millwall were the visitors to Kenilworth Road on Christmas Day 1926 and with both clubs on the edge of the promotion race a healthy crowd of 9,447 turned up to see the Lions overwhelmed from the start.

Although Millwall did try to resort to ‘unfair tactics’ the referee was having none of it and allowed the Town to move into a 3-0 interval lead courtesy of goals from John Black, Norman Thomson and Sid Reid. In the second period there were times when the Town were toying with the opposition allowing Reid to complete his hat-trick with number six coming from Harry Woods.

The Town had, it was thought, fully avenged their 0-7 thrashing at the Den the previous season and went to south east London two days later intent on giving the Lions another footballing lesson.

‘Crusader’ of the Luton News takes up the story. “For some time I have wondered how long it would be before opponents were found who would take mean advantage of the Town’s sporting style of play. By the irony of things it came in the season of goodwill, for on Christmas Day Millwall Athletic could not defeat as sportsmen should and several of their players were guilty of the meanest tricks yet conceived. In spite of that we saw skill triumph over brute force, largely because the official in charge insisted on literal interpretation of the rules. Alas! The same official could not take the return match at New Cross (the new referee came from London!) and from the kick-off it was clear that several of the Millwall players were out to win by means without any qualification to fairness at all.

Kicking, hacking, brutal charging, kneeing, elbowing and in two cases blows - such was the so called play that there was not one of the players required by the Town that did not show severe damage on his body. In thirty years experience of serious football I have never seen a team suffer to the extent that Luton suffered and take it so meekly.”

As you can probably guess, the Town players were kicked off the park and received no assistance from the referee. Reid had to leave the pitch injured and the ten men capitulated and went down 0-7 for the second season running.

Luton Town (both games): Harper, Graham, Till, Black, Rennie, Millar, Pointon, Thomson, Reid, Woods, Thompson.

Millwall (first game): Lansdale, Fort, Hill, Amos, Bryant, Graham, Chance, Moule, Parker, Phillips, Gore.

Millwall (second game): Gomm for Moule and Black for Gore.

Below: Hat-trick hero Syd Reid.

After the erection of the new stand at Kenilworth Road very little was done to the rest of the ground throughout the 1920’s apart from six foot netting being put up behind the Oak Road goal to stop the ball from breaking windows.

As has been stated before, Health and Safety left a lot to be desired in those days and so the smell must have been overpowering for the local Sanitary Inspector to condemn the urinals at the ground, as he did on two separate occasions during the decade.

It is only hoped that HRH The Prince of Wales, who presented colours to the 2nd Battalion of the Beds and Herts Regiment at Kenilworth Road in November 1926, did not need to use the facilities.

The Town’s directors tried to make the Eight Bells and Granville public houses out of bounds for the players after tales of misbehaviour had filtered back to Kenilworth Road but, after taking legal advice, found they could not impose such a restriction.

They were on stronger ground, though, when trying to prevent players from driving one of those new fangled motor cars although even then they could only point out that pay would stop immediately should anyone be unable to play due to a motor accident.

With Jimmy Thompson taking his shooting boots to Chelsea in the summer of 1927, the Town were left toothless in front of goal and after the first four games of the new season ended in defeat the directors once more decided to move the flack away from themselves by appointing a manager.

The appointment of John McCartney was both brave and very bizarre. No stranger to these parts having played for the Town with distinction in the 1890’s he had gone on to make a considerable name for himself as manager of Barnsley, St Mirren, Hearts and finally Portsmouth who he had lifted from Division Three to the top flight. He had though resigned from Fratton Park only three months before through ill health but obviously the 61 year old now felt that he was well enough to resume his career.

His appointment was as secretary/manager on a three year contract at £416 per annum. Long serving secretary Charles Green had his nose severely put out of joint when he was asked to become Financial Secretary and Company Secretary. Both were grand titles but everyone knew they represented a demotion and a curtailing of power that he had enjoyed for years.

The directors bought 24 Kenilworth Road for £875 for the manager to live in at a rent of £1 per week as he set to work attempting to move the club away from the re-election positions. The centre-forward problem was solved when, out of desperation, centre-half Andy Rennie, who had scored one goal in 53 league appearances, was moved up front and he responded by banging in 24 goals. His strike partner, Jimmy Yardley, a recruit from Clapton Orient netted 23 times as the Town scored 94 goals.

This spell of sharpshooting enabled the Town to finish in a respectable 13th spot after their poor start but the club was once again without a manager as McCartney, only five months into the job, suffered from more ill health and had to be admitted to hospital.

In a bid to generate a bit of enthusiasm in the crowd, the club decided to include the ‘chorus’ in the match programme.

Zee--la--zee--baa!

Zee--la--zee--baa!

Luton bella! Luton bella!

Ching! Ching! A--Chinga!

And we shall be for Luton!

For Luton! For Luton! For Lu--ton!

Wa--a--ah!

The days of innocence on the terraces!!

With no sign of McCartney returning to work the club reduced his salary by 50% in May 1928 and then appointed a new trainer/coach in ex-Bolton and West Ham stalwart George Kay during the close season. This left the club with two trainers as Horace Pakes, who had been assistant trainer for well over 30 years, had been promoted the previous summer but now had his authority usurped by the new recruit. Pakes accepted the position with his normal good grace.

One who was still quietly seething was long serving secretary Charles Green who decided to retire just short of his 60th birthday. For his services to the Southern League he was presented with a medal and from the Town the proceeds of a testimonial game against Hearts.

As the new season of 1928/29 started and McCartney was able to return to Kenilworth Road part-time the first bombshell he had to face was a request from Rennie to return to the half-back line! It was a good job that McCartney and his lieutenant George Kay managed to talk him out of his demands as he went on to break all records when scoring 43 goals as the Town were within an ace of promotion. Not only was he, obviously, the club’s top scorer but he shared top billing in the whole of the Football League with Dave Halliday of Sunderland.

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The Town were early season leaders of the division following a run of six successive wins but a slump in form just before Christmas saw them lose top spot to Plymouth. Apart from one week in March 1929 when they regained pole position after a 5-2 thrashing of Newport at Kenilworth Road the Town were always in the chasing pack but could not put another sustained run together.

This all changed when, after losing at Charlton on Good Friday, a run of three undefeated games sent the pulses racing once more as the Town found themselves, tantalisingly, only two points off top place in the days when only the champions were promoted.

The visit of Gillingham to Kenilworth Road attracted a reasonable crowd of 7,278 but none could possibly realise the crushing display they were about to witness. After a gentle start, a penalty awarded for handling was converted by sharp shooter Andy Rennie before Gills were reduced to ten men when defender Harry Bruce had to retire injured.

With no substitutes allowed, the Town went to work with ruthless efficiency and from then on it was the Andy Rennie versus George Hebden show. Hebden performed magnificently in the Gillingham goal, but according to match reports could do nothing about the eight goals that flew past him which ‘would have beaten any goalkeeper.’

Rennie bagged five of the total to take him up to 41 for the season and 11 from the previous five games as the other Town players teed him up for shooting practice with the game ending with the team only one point off the top. Surely they must do it now.

Unfortunately, the story does not come with a happy ending as only one point was picked up from the final four games of the campaign with Charlton sneaking up on the blind side of everyone and going top for the first time in the season during the penultimate week and staying there.

Luton Town: Banes, Kingham, Richards, Clark, Fulton, Millar, Daly, Yardley, Rennie, Woods, Bedford.

Gillingham: Hebden, Wilson, Tyler, Bruce, Crawford, Forsyth, Legge, Taylor, Hanney, Dowell, Poxton.

Below: Five goal hero Andy Rennie takes on a Gillingham defender. 

At the end of the season McCartney saw his contract cancelled ‘by mutual consent’ but strangely he was retained for three months at a salary of £6 per week when the position would be reviewed. Although no mention is made of this, particularly as McCartney wrote the minutes, the decision was presumably taken due to continuing doubts over the managers health.

Major changes at board level were announced at this time with Chairman Harry Arnold stepping down to become Club President and Life member. Arnold had joined the board in 1893 and had been Chairman since 1897 so the honour was apt. At the same time another long server, Harry Smart, was also made a Life Member while the position of Chairman was taken up by Ernest Gibbs who had shadowed Arnold since Victorian times.

Of perhaps more significance was the appointment of a new younger breed of director which included local builder Charles Jeyes who was set to oversee great success for the club over the ensuing two decades.

In April 1929 some wooden terracing gave way during a game which prompted a compensation claim from a supporter for severe bruising. The claim was dismissed out of hand.

The 1929/30 season was a major disappointment given the successes of the previous campaign with the Town at best a mid-table team from start to finish. The loss of Rennie for a major chunk of the season through injury did not help but the much vaunted youth policy nurtured by McCartney did not bear fruit with most of his charges perhaps a year or two away from making a significant contribution to the cause.

John McCartney finally resigned on 31st December 1929 citing ill health, with his position being taken up by George Kay who was appointed on New Years Day 1930 with the brief to take the club on to a higher plane in the new decade.

In 1929 it was reported that nine passes had been issued to players for the use of their wives. ‘Sweethearts could also be issued passes if applied for.’