đď¸ Through the Archives: Luton legends of the past and the Anguish of Departure
Mike Simpson, a Hatter for 57-years, explores his love for Luton Town players, past and present, and the rollercoaster of emotions fans go through as players come and go.
The range of emotions that a football fan experiences arguably hits its lowest point when a favourite â which by definition tends to mean the best â player in the club is sold. I have some personal experience of such disappointment, or in the case of my younger self, heartbreak, and one of the earliest upsets early in my life was when my first hero, Bruce Rioch, was sold to Aston Villa. It was difficult for a 10-year-old to understand the financial realities of life, especially in the football business, and how clubs like Luton had to sell its best players to survive. It wasnât much better when my new hero, Malcolm Macdonald, who had been signed from Fulham as a left back and converted by Alec Stock to a prolific centre forward, left for Newcastle in 1971.
The early 70s were spent hoping to find a worthy replacement idol, and while Viv Busby had his moments, that part of the clubâs history was fairly bereft of any real heroic contenders, the experienced (metaphor for old) John Aston notwithstanding.
The Division One campaign of 1974-75 produced some potential candidates, as young players like Andy King, Steve Buckley and the Futchers played with a fearlessness that nearly saw us avoid relegation, but for Leeds Unitedâs decision to field a weakened team at Tottenham during the final weeks of the season. Meanwhile, my classmates at school who were decent footballers had decided I should play in goal, due to my perceived lack of ability as an outfield player, and as the decision regarding my best position shaped my entire football playing life, I started looking between the goalposts for my heroes. The big, bearded Graham Horn met the criteria for a while, until Harry Haslam decided that Keith Barber was a better option, and I responded by starting a petition at school which expressed disagreement at the managerâs decision. Clearly it had little impact, as Barber remained the first choice âkeeper for another couple of seasons before Milija Aleksic replaced him.
Now in my mid-teens, I was less likely to be broken up emotionally by the departure of a favourite player, but goalkeeping salvation returned several years later in the shape of Andy Dibble, due largely to his performance in the 1988 Littlewoods Cup Final. Unfortunately, he was not to become the first choicer âkeeper that I thought he should â perhaps thatâs why I never enjoyed a career in football club management â and off he went to Manchester City while we had the late Les âMr Angryâ Sealey preceding the Watford-oriented Alec Chamberlain.
Luton's Steve Foster, Andy Dibble and Brian Stein celebrate the Littlewoods Cup final victory
As one became older, heroes were replaced by favoured players, or perhaps just those whom we believed warranted a place in the first team, no questions asked. Strikers tended to be the most popular, as it was their job to score the goals which, we hoped, would push us on to victory. As a 16-year-old, I had a lot of respect for Ron Futcher who, I realised, was not as naturally talented as his twin brother and was certainly not the quickest, but something about his style of play resonated with me â much to the bewilderment of my peers.
One player stood out above all others during the 1980s and was probably everyoneâs favourite. Michael Gordon Harford was as hard as granite but could take whatever he dished out â unlike John Fashanu at Wimbledon who would stick a boot or elbow in but fall over and cry if the same was administered to him. Mick was a hero to Hatters of all ages everywhere, and unlike the badge-kissing mercenaries whoâd jump at the offer of a better payday, Mick was, and still is, Luton Town through and through. The word âlegendâ is used far too glibly to describe average players who may had had an inspired moment or two, but Mick Harford was a legend as a player, and is a legend as a man.
Itâs reasonable to say that any Luton player who scores against Watford is guaranteed some affection in the hearts of supporters â even Wayne Turner, who for years overachieved in the professional game and even kept Raddy Antic, a hero in his own right for the goal scored against Manchester City on 14 May 1983, out of the side.
The homage paid to our idols became more visible with the advent of playersâ names on their shirts. While the smart kids had their own names printed on their replica tops, some chose to go public with their favourite, meaning that when said player signed for another club, one more Luton Town shirt ended up in landfill. Very recently, before the pre-season friendly with Celta Vigo, a shirt was spotted bearing the name âBarkleyâ. Itâs likely that some tears were shed in that household when the playerâs inevitable move to Aston Villa was confirmed.