PU PREVIEW 11: LUTON TOWN

Luton Town was founded in April 1885 as a result of a merger between Luton Town Wanderers and Excelsior. The new club became the first in southern England to be fully professional in 1891. Luton was a founder member of the Southern Football League in 1894-95 and joined the Football League in 1897-98. However, Luton returned to the Southern League for the 1900-01 season due to the cost of competing in a league then based mainly in northern and central England. After playing at Dallow Lane and then Dunstable Road, Luton moved to their present home, Kenilworth Road, in 1905. The club rejoined the Football League for the 1920-21 season. In 1936, striker Joe Payne scored ten goals in one game versus Bristol Rovers, a record that stands to this day. After a solitary season in the First Division in 1974-75, Luton returned in 1982 under the managership of David Pleat. The club stayed up in their first season back courtesy of a late goal from Raddy Antic that prompted Pleat to dance across the Maine Road pitch, an image that has become iconic. The Hatters won the League Cup in 1988, defeating Arsenal 3-2. Luton lost their First Division status in 1992. Three successive relegations starting in 2006-07 saw Luton relegated to the Football Conference in 2009, a fall precipitated by points penalties for administration (10 in 2007-08) and financial irregularities (30 in 2008-09), but despite the latter the club still won the Football League Trophy in 2009. Luton became the first non-league side to beat an English top division side in the FA Cup since 1989 when they defeated Norwich City 1-0 at Carrow Road in 2013. The club returned to the Football League by winning the Conference title in 2014 and were promoted to League One in second place at the end of the  2017-18 season.

Comedian Eric Morecambe was a fervent Luton supporter and became a director of the club. A suite at Kenilworth Road is named after him.

Luton's interim manager is Mick Harford. The club's nickname, "The Hatters", reflects Luton's connection with the hatmaking trade, prominent there since the 1600s.

Pompey have played Luton on fifty-two occasions. Luton have won four of the five FA Cup meetings, the other being drawn. Of the forty-seven League meetings, Pompey have won seventeen, Luton eighteen and twelve were drawn. The last League meeting was in August 2018 when Pompey won 1-0 at Fratton Park.

(Information via Wikipedia and www.11v11.com)