In the spirit of starting again and trying to build a community of Hatters fans here on Bluesky, why not share the first ever Luton game you went to? I posted mine earlier today if you're interested. - ThreadSky

Great to read all these memories, my first Luton match was December 1983 - and a 2-0 win against West Bromwich Albion http://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-west-bromwich-albion-18-dec-1983

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

I hope you were at commentating even back then to everyone around you! 😀

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iandixon.bsky.social•99 days ago

1982 promotion game 4-1 Vs Shrewsbury in the Kenilworth Rd end. Proper glory hunting.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

Those scoreboard graphics are John Pyper's finest work!

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ceph3.us•98 days ago

FL Trophy (Auto Windscreens at the time) in Jan 1998. 2-1 to Brentford. Was 5 at the time. Dad says I was completely uninterested until the first goal went in and then I was hooked!

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ceph3.us•98 days ago

Did my maths wrong - was actually 4. Don’t remember much myself except being excited that I got to go out on a Tuesday night!

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

Fair play to your Dad, the Auto Windscreens Trophy is the brutal kind of introduction kids need to Luton.

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-brentford-13-jan-1998

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stevemoore1988.bsky.social•98 days ago

1994. The 'Kerry Dixon' Testimonial.
We were David Pleat sentimentality and a injury-time equaliser away from a Luton v Oldham Cup Final.

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

Damn Gavin Peacock and his irritating face celebrating his goals!

Still, Luton at Wembley for your first game isn't bad!

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leginmasse65.bsky.social•98 days ago

17th Aug 1974, Luton 1 Liverpool 2.

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

There are worst teams to lose to in your first game!

https://youtu.be/usgVCiXp2_g?si=p9KJYcgJpGAvZDeo

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-liverpool-17-aug-1974

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peter79.bsky.social•98 days ago

I'm fairly sure it was a preseason friendly against Monterey, very little to be found online about that game. First league game was a 1-0 home defeat to Coventry in 1987.

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

A 1-1 draw with Peter Nicholas getting our goal.

This is from the Southampton programme on @hattersheritage.bsky.social's website...

https://cdn.hattersheritage.co.uk/archive/1986-87+Season+DONE/Matches/M3720+Luton+Town+v+Southampton/Programme/Programme.pdf

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peter79.bsky.social•98 days ago

That's an excellent find, thank you.
We moved from SE London to Hertfordshire in 1985, I probably would have been taken to games sooner but after the Millwall game my dad chose to wait a little longer.

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

Yeah, I can understand that decision! 😬

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markthehatter.bsky.social•98 days ago

The first game I remember going to was a League Cup game against Barnsley in 98. 4th Round. Phil Gray scored the winner. They were a Premier League so it was a decent scalp.

I went to games before that but my old man is up in Hatters Heaven and I can’t recall which games.

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dancraft.bsky.social•99 days ago

Luton 2 Spurs 0, November 1987 at the Kenny. Can’t remember the goals but I do remember Mark Stein getting sent off for throwing a punch at a Spurs player!

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

An Ian Allinson double!

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-tottenham-hotspur-21-nov-1987

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jimigizabit.bsky.social•99 days ago

Luton 4 v Burnley 1.
1977 I think, maybe 1978.

Stood in the bobbers

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

1979 from the looks of Hatters Heritage. Hatton got 2 goals if that sounds familiar?

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-burnley-7-apr-1979

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fuertahatter.bsky.social•99 days ago

Bobs apprentice ended up doing ok.

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jimigizabit.bsky.social•99 days ago

If I’m honest, I was so young my only memories of the match was the smell of pipe smoke!! 😂

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

Haha yeah! I can still remember the smell of cigarette smoke from my first match.

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paragoric.bsky.social•99 days ago

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-manchester-city-11-dec-1982

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paragoric.bsky.social•99 days ago

Paul Walsh was unbelievable in this game

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

What a photo!

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aracimark.bsky.social•98 days ago

My dad used to tell me it was Forest at home when I was about 18 months old, so some time in 1974? Strangely enough, no recollection of score…

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

A 2-2 draw from the looks of it!

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-nottingham-forest-19-jan-1974

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stuofbedford.bsky.social•99 days ago

Derby (h) in 1991 where Big Mick scored that dubious own goal to keep us up and we all celebrated on the pitch after. As a 8 year old I was hooked forever. Also was convinced we would never score against Shilton knowing he was recently England's no 1 not realising what a donkey he really was 😁

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

I remember that game well! One of the games I got to before I got my season ticket a few years later.

Shilton was 41 at the time 😆

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stuofbedford.bsky.social•98 days ago

Another reason why he should have been nowhere near that shoot out in Turin 😃

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awk333.bsky.social•99 days ago

Luton Town 4-0 Wolves. 17th September 1983, I stood in the Oak Road end and it was as one sided as you could get.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

Whilst I'm very jealous of those who've replied with big wins for your first games, including yourself, I can't help but think it was bit like false advertising by LTFC 😄

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awk333.bsky.social•99 days ago

Yeah, it definitely wasn't like that every week 😂

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svennyhill.bsky.social•99 days ago

Luton v Watford 26th April 1986. A glorious Mick Harford hat-trick!

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

That's near on perfection as far as first games go!

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-watford-26-apr-1986

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philclark60.bsky.social•98 days ago

My Dad picked a good one. October 1978. Luton 6-0 Notts County! Sat in the Wing stand as it was called then.

46 years later, season ticket holder with my son, and we're not too far away in block E 🧡⚽

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

6-0!!! Not jealous at all 🙃 😄

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mwhogg.bsky.social•98 days ago

Luton 1 - 0 Sheff Wed - March 1 1986 - Mick Harford header from a Preece corner. Shook with excitement the whole game my muscles ached for days afterwards 😂

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

Haha! Understandable 😄

Do you remember that we played in blue for that game?

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-sheffield-wednesday-1-mar-1986

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mikefanning.bsky.social•99 days ago

October 79 . Luton 2 Sunderland 0 . David Moss scored both . First game on Match of the Day that night . Been hooked ever since

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

Solid start and you got to watch it back!

https://youtu.be/0KEd7f57SgU?t=86

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farnborohatter.bsky.social•99 days ago

First game, was Supermac's last game with luton. 3-0 hatrick for him.
2nd game Texaco Cup vs Man United. Best Law and Charlton.

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fuertahatter.bsky.social•99 days ago

My first game too,thanks Dad.

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paulrance.bsky.social•98 days ago

Better than my first two games from the same season! Supermac and George Best were my two boyhood footballing heroes. Never forgotten my Mum saying, as I came home from Warden Hill Junior School: "They've sold Malcolm MacDonald." Was sweet to knock Newcastle out of the Cup two seasons later...

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

That's an impressive first two games with so many legends of the game!

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-cardiff-city-4-may-1971

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stevotheman.bsky.social•99 days ago

4 September 1982 Luton 5 Notts County 3. Paul Walsh with a brilliant hat trick.
The 2nd match I attended two weeks later we beat Brighton 5-0, Brian Stein with a hat trick, so I thought that supporting Luton Town was going to be easy.......

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fuertahatter.bsky.social•99 days ago

That day was an absolute fantastic display from Walshy.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

An 8 goal televised classic is just showing off 😄

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chrislennonpr.bsky.social•99 days ago

Luton 7 Oxford 4 in 1988. Trip with the Cubs.

A scoreline to get you instantly hooked (although quickly discovered it wasn’t always like that!)

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svennyhill.bsky.social•98 days ago

Was a crazy game! I'm sure David Evans pledged a grand per goal for charity!!!

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

Have we ever been involved in a game with as many goals since? I can't think that we have.

You can relive the full match on YouTube - https://youtu.be/FiHNtnKZpHM

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hypocentre.bsky.social•99 days ago

First full game was 1969 Division 3. 2-1 at home to the Orient.

As a kid I used to visit my nan who lived in Beach Road on Saturday afternoons and used to sneak into the Bobbers Stand to watch the last ~five minutes when the gates were opened towards the end.

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rogerholdstock.bsky.social•98 days ago

Same!

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hypocentre.bsky.social•98 days ago

Our next-door neighbour took me to the match. He printed that programme.

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teamslikeluton.bsky.social•98 days ago

Your nan lived on Beach Road too? Reckon you're cousins.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

55 years since your first full game this past March. That's a lot of ups and downs!

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hypocentre.bsky.social•99 days ago

A rollercoaster!

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abcdinluton.bsky.social•99 days ago

Charlton Athletic 1981. My Friends Dad was a Steward and took us both along.. Recall having to wait around a couple of hours before the game.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

A 3-0 win in the first game of the Second Division title winning season!

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-charlton-athletic-29-aug-1981

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abers1.bsky.social•99 days ago

4-1 home win over Burnley. Stood in the Bobbers, had a pack of Bubbalicious and marvelled at how angry dad seemed to be, in spite of the scoreline!

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

He must have been livid at the award of Burnley's penalty then 😆

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abers1.bsky.social•99 days ago

Ha, almost certainly!

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twopennybit.bsky.social•99 days ago

Luton 0 Bolton 2, 13th September 1975 - not exactly a classic.

Though I have much better memories of my first night game Luton 4 York City 0 a couple of months later. I think York were bottom but I loved that one!

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

Yeah, that's a disappointing start, but it put you in good stead for following us at least!

RIP York for that night game 😆

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fuertahatter.bsky.social•99 days ago

Ooh ooh Maxi Faulkner

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jamiecastle96.bsky.social•99 days ago

First (albeit not memorable) was March 2001 - Bristol Rovers at home (0-0 draw). First I truly remember though was when we beat Halifax Town 5-0 later that year.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

Yeah, a 0-0 draw in a relegation season is instantly forgettable, especially as a kid.

We dealt out some right batterings in that 2001/02 season at least!

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jaynesara.bsky.social•98 days ago

My then boyfriend, now husband, took me to see Luton play Wimbledon at home in September 1988 on a second date. I was instantly hooked.

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

A battle between the two reigning major cup holders at the time, so understandably second date territory 😄

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-wimbledon-3-sep-1988

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ltfcever.bsky.social•98 days ago

1964 Halifax at home I believe in old Div 4 2-1 win without checking. Taken by a good old guy Bill Ellingham sitting in the main stand and have been hooked ever since

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

There was a 4-1 win at home to Halifax in 1965...
https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luto...

...and a 2-0 home win in 1966...
https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-halifax-town-20-aug-1966

... could it be either of those, as there doesn't appear to be a match against Halifax in 1964?

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ltfcever.bsky.social•98 days ago

I will have to check on my office window
I have a report. Getting old 🙃

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earlsjohn.bsky.social•99 days ago

The 4-1 promotion game v Shrewsbury in 1981-82. #gloryhunter

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

Sorry I missed this post, but you share the same first game with @iandixon.bsky.social

https://bsky.app/profile/iandixon.bsky.social/post/3lbb4fj2cz22n

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kmoro.bsky.social•99 days ago

Can't remember the year but was against Derby,2-1 the game with the Scott Oakes goal

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kmoro.bsky.social•99 days ago

Thanks, couldn't remember the year cos I'm old

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

A wonder goal and a Ceri Hughes red card!

You can watch the full match on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ja9ooSKgso

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monkeystrawhat.bsky.social•99 days ago

Vs Port Vale. Not sure year. 6? David Pleat scored for us. 1-1
I watched from Bobbers.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

1964. I can't think many people have David Pleat scoring in their first match.

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-port-vale-9-sep-1964

You're somewhere in the photo below...

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monkeystrawhat.bsky.social•99 days ago

Fantastic. I was pretty centre. Maybe a tad towards Maple.

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shenli.bsky.social•98 days ago

Some time late 60s home to Fulham. Johnny Haynes was still playing for Fulham. Can't remember the score. Didn't see much of the game as I was a short school boy surrounded by giants!

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dazltfc70.bsky.social•98 days ago

23 October 1976 Luton Town 1 Southampton 4. I was 6 years old.

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

Ooof! That may be the heaviest defeat for a first match that anyone has mentioned yet.

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-southampton-23-oct-1976

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dazltfc70.bsky.social•98 days ago

I think my next game was a 0-0, I can remember my Dad saying it was the worst game he had ever seen, can't remember who it was against. So not the best start!

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

Made you a hardy Luton fan straight away, like we all eventually have to become 😄

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andyc128.bsky.social•98 days ago

‘ull at home in 1972, not sure if it was 71/72 or 72/73 but whichever one it was we lost which is about all I remember of it

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gfd1967.bsky.social•99 days ago

1982. Luton 5 Brighton 0. Bruno hattrick, Wayne Turner, and David Moss scored for us as well. I was only 9.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

5-0 win in the top flight for your first ever game. Not sure it gets any better!

Shout out to Wayne Turner with what looks like the least acrobatic volley ever 😄

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gfd1967.bsky.social•99 days ago

It was a great game. I was hooked after that.

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jago2012.bsky.social•98 days ago

This one!
Hooked for life. 🧡🎩
I was 16 and my dad took me and a friend for a Christmas treat.
The most amazing thing, it was pay on the gate.

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

Best Christmas present that year!

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robhadgraft.bsky.social•98 days ago

Saw a Luton game or two as a tiny kid, but first I can actually recall attending was 1971 Watney Cup QF at Colchester. We lost 1-0 in a game with an experimental 'no offsides' rule. HH's pic shows ref Burtenshaw explaining this to players! At the end I managed to get Eric Morecambe's autograph!😁

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

No offsides!?! I would have loved to see how that affected the game or whether it was so ingrained into the players that nothing much changed.

The low scoreline would suggest it didn't affect much!

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robhadgraft.bsky.social•98 days ago

I might be wrong, but I think offside only applied if you were actually lurking INSIDE the opponents' penalty area (to prevent blatant 'goal hanging'). But none of the teams involved seemed to have any idea how to make the most of this new rule, and it was never adopted for other competitions.

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okfootballshow.bsky.social•98 days ago

We would be masters of that now.

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andrewkeens.bsky.social•98 days ago

I wish I could say was the 88 final but it wasn’t - sadly was the following year when we lost to forest!

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

You still saw one of the 3 major cup finals Luton have ever played though! So you have that 😄

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lutonjez.bsky.social•99 days ago

Luton Town 0, Fulham 2. September 1976.

It wasn't about Luton that day though as - like many others who attended - my Dad took me purely to see George Best and Rodney Marsh! We stood in the open Kenilworth Road stand.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

70s superstars!

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-fulham-18-sep-1976

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hatters1988.bsky.social•98 days ago

School trip from lower school. Home game finished 0-0 with Wimbledon..... Nigh on 38 years ago I reckon.
2nd game was a 4-1 win against West ham a few years later. Lucky enough to go to cup final aged 10. Glad I can now celebrate similar highs with my now 15 year old!

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

37 years and 7 months to be precise! 😀

At least there were goals in your next game, which I expect you remember even better.

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-wimbledon-4-apr-1987

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hatters1988.bsky.social•98 days ago

Amazing, thanks for this. Never thought to go to heritage to figure this out!!

Going to go hunt the programme down 👌

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

In the meantime you can look through the scanned version - https://cdn.hattersheritage.co.uk/archive/1986-87+Season+DONE/Matches/M3758+Luton+Town+v+Wimbledon/Programme/Programme.pdf

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sparkymarkc.bsky.social•98 days ago

Luton 0 - 0 Arsenal. 1986.

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jemilligan.bsky.social•97 days ago

Ricky hill testimonial against an England select team :)

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windmi.bsky.social•99 days ago

This was mine, under the floodlights!

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

A 3-0 win! That's a pretty good start to life as a Hatter.

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-walsall-11-apr-1970

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davidhird.bsky.social•99 days ago

1995 an uneventful 0-2 loss at home to Sunderland. Sat in the Enclosure with my dad.
Must've worked to get me into it though as have had a season ticket every season since

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

You weren't lying from the looks of the match report!
https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-sunderland-16-sep-1995

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davidhird.bsky.social•99 days ago

Haha wow, I didn't know it was that bad! Think I might win for most dull first game.

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hattersfan.bsky.social•99 days ago

Luton 2 Sunderland 1 1985

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

Getting to see two Luton legends score in your first game is pretty good going!

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-sunderland-2-mar-1985

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hattersfan.bsky.social•99 days ago

I was hooked

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paulrance.bsky.social•98 days ago

Luton 1 Burnley 2. Pre-season friendly, 1970.
First League game shortly after, Luton 0 Norwich 0. https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-norwich-city-22-aug-1970

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

Luton were clearly making you wait to celebrate your first (competitive) goal to make it more special 😄

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paulrance.bsky.social•98 days ago

Thanks for that - never seen that photo before. Looks like Graham Paddon to the left of Supermac. Graham was in the West Ham '75 FA Cup winning team. Opponents Fulham had Alan Slough and Viv Busby in their side, and Alec Stock was manager.

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jpasher.bsky.social•99 days ago

Luton 5-1 Leeds, 2006. What a day that was.

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rogerholdstock.bsky.social•98 days ago

I had nine pints before that game - a personal record at the time.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

That was the height of our rise back up the leagues at the time!

Shame it was all downhill for nearly 8 years after that! 😩

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-leeds-united-21-oct-2006

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jpasher.bsky.social•99 days ago

It was, but I stuck it out through it all and it was more than worth it. Indeed I actually made it to more games back when we were terrible. Even at the lowest point, I always said we would return, though I didn’t think it would be as quick as it ultimately was!

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legendofalexhd.bsky.social•98 days ago

First Luton game was https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37526914

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lutontownfans.com•98 days ago

Danny Hylton and his magic mask!

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-crewe-alexandra-8-oct-2016

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bazhatter.bsky.social•99 days ago

A dull 0 - 0 against Stoke, it could've been Oldham, in 1978.
Stood in the main stand, couldn't see a thing.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

These were the games against those two clubs around that time. Could it have been the 0-0 against Stoke in 1979?

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bazhatter.bsky.social•99 days ago

Stoke most likely, it was definitely a drab draw. Not much drabbness in the following decades though.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

The pitch was icy and rock hard apparently if that helps.

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-stoke-city-6-feb-1979

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bazhatter.bsky.social•99 days ago

Oh, now that's done me. I don't remember it being cold at all..
I'm sure it was the 77/78 season, I was about nine, and it was a northern team, and no goals to cheer.

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lutontownfans.com•99 days ago

The only goalless draw at home during the 1977/78 season was against Blackburn in September 1977, so it must be that match?

https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches/luton-town-fc-vs-blackburn-rovers-17-sep-1977

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