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Memories of playing the Hatters… and not the good kind!

Memories of playing the Hatters… and not the good kind!

3rd September 2020 By Martin Penney 42 Comments

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The only time I have ever played on a professional football club’s pitch was back in the early 1990s at Kenilworth Road Luton when, together with Preston and QPR, they had an AstroTurf surface that they were prepared to hire out to just about all and sundry during the off-season.

My then company BASF took them up on the offer and the might of our Seal Sands [Teesside] site took on a *rest of the UK and Ireland* squad for what was a fine day out for all concerned.

We [as in the Rest] got stuffed 3-0 as most of us could not cope with the width of the pitch because we weren’t used to those dimensions. But that was an early one to get off the bucket list and there was a great spread and bar on tap for us all after the game. I don’t think the Eric Morecambe statue was there then but we might have missed it if it was.

For some crazy reason the Seal Sands coach was allowed to park in the official car park but our private cars were not so myself and a mate parked up opposite a patch of neglected grass at the end of a massive row of terraced houses. We had bad vibes but it was a company car so ashamedly we didn’t care about it too much.

On our way back to the car we saw a group of what I can only describe as a cohort of angry men armed with staves charging down the street in order to remonstrate with another group similarly loaded. They completely ignored us and continued with their mission. I’m hardly up to Royal Protection standards but I can seriously drive and the quickest three point turn I’ve ever done – not too easy in an automatic Rover 827 – got us safely away. The whole experience was surreal.

As was a Division One match in 1990 when we went one up only to succumb to a Lars Elstrup hat-trick. He was slow, ponderous and unmarked. Possibly one of my worst Carrow Road memories of all time. We were so naive it was ridiculous. For anybody brave enough:

Of course the absolute nadir came along with the Fourth Round of the FA Cup in 2013. Scott Rendell’s late winner made certain that Norwich City became the first Premier League side ever to lose to a non-league outfit. Luckily I wasn’t there that evening. Look away now, as they say:

But despite all this there is a positive spin we can apply to our friends from Bedfordshire.

We acquired two highly rated young guys from them a few years ago. You might have heard of them: Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis, still [for now] of this parish.

So the anxiety, grief and angst I have suffered at the hands of Luton Town has been dissipated by those signings alone.

And on Saturday we meet again – without 15 of our finest who are away on international duty and the suspended Emi Buendia of course. Josip Drmic is also suspended but that’s not really going to affect the outcome too much now is it?

Luton are missing a single player who has been called up by Croatia.

Luton Town have provided me with an extreme high, a couple of lows and the bonus of Max and Jamal.

So literally anything might happen on Saturday.

I’m just pleased that the result will mean very little to me on a personal level.


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Filed Under: Column, Martin Penney

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Comments

  1. Herr Cutz says

    3rd September 2020 at 9:57 am

    Marty, it’s easy to forget that football pitches do vary in size and how fit professional players need to be to cover the yardage that they do. Luton are one of our bogey teams, one of my early memories is the FA Cup semi final replay back in the 50’s when they beat us 1-0. The game was played one afternoon in the week and our school stopped lessons and put the match on the ‘wireless’. The whole city had cup fever.

    2
    Reply
    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 10:53 am

      Hiya Cutty

      Yes that pitch freaked me out with the sheer size of it. The Seal Sands lads had a couple of players on the books of Harrogate Town and I think they were the only ones who truly coped. The rest of us were Sunday morning lads and had – honestly – never seen anything quite like it before.

      I was 18 months old in 1959 but I’m never that far from second-hand recollections – see reply to Jim D below.

      Cheers ole pard.

      Reply
  2. Jim Davies says

    3rd September 2020 at 10:04 am

    The 2013 result was bad, Martin, but the one that really gutted me was the 1959 FA Cup semi-final replay. Luton Town (Division 1) v Norwich City (Division 3). We lost 1-0, and had we got through, we’d have been the only third tier club to get to the final. I was really glad when Forest beat them! (We do still hold the record for the furthest a third tier team has progressed in the Cup. Others have got to the semis, but I don’t think anyone else has got to a replay).

    2
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    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 11:16 am

      Hi Jim

      As I said to Herr Cuttz [above] I have no personal recollections of the 59ers but my mate and Barclay neighbour Keith often pops up with tales of the likes of Ken Nethercott, Terry Bly and several others.

      I actually find his reminiscences from an era when the Teds still stalked the streets and the Beatles had not even started very interesting.

      Keith would have been about 19 at the time so obviously went to [at least] all the home ties.

      I think you and Cutty have given me an idea for an MFW article for the semi-final replay’s 61st anniversary next year 🙂

      Cheers

      1
      Reply
      • Jim Davies says

        3rd September 2020 at 12:03 pm

        Always pleased to be of assistance, Martin!

        Herr Cutz and I must be of a similar vintage. I took my sister’s (valve, not transistor!) portable radio to school, and we listened to the replay instead of the biology lesson we should have had. I’d managed the earlier rounds, including the Blades away when Ken Nethercott played on with a dislocated shoulder, keeping goal one handed. No subs in those days, so if he’d gone off, Bobby Brennan would have gone in goal. He scarred the equaliser late in the game!

        Bramal Lane was odd, it also held a cricket pitch, so one of the stands down the side was miles away from the pitch. Fortunately, we were behind one of the goals.

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        • martin penney says

          3rd September 2020 at 12:32 pm

          A lady never discusses her age – or didn’t back in the day of course. I believe [okay I know] that Herr Cutz is a little bit to the senior side of yourself but it would be rude of me to declare his exact venerability.

          Mum & Dad had an old Dansette transistor finished in red leatherette i the early 60s. It would be worth a tidy sum today I’d guess.

          You’ll be of even more assistance when you contribute to the 59ers article, which I’m sure you will.

          That situation that time – I’ll give you a shout next year.

          Reply
    • Wanstead Canary says

      3rd September 2020 at 1:16 pm

      What often gets forgotten about the 59ers is that Nottingham Forest came to Carrow Road to play a pre-season friendly just a couple of months or so after winning the Cup. They brought the cup with them and we beat them! Sadly, they took the cup back with them.

      4
      Reply
      • martin penney says

        3rd September 2020 at 3:00 pm

        Thanks Wanstead

        I love these tales from before my time!

        The only occasion I ever had my hands on the FA Cup was in 1981 when Steve Perryman accompanied by a THFC minder brought it into my then local the Bald Faced Stag in Buckhurst Hill [I worked bar there part time for several years] which was a massive Spurs pub. Spurs are my second team as I occasionally mention on MFW.

        Blue & white ribbons and a photo with it for the chosen few, including me. I’ve still got the pic somewhere I think. The Cup was a lot lighter in weight than I had expected.

        I think a Spurs player [not Perryman] did the same thing at the Wheatsheaf in Enfield a few weeks later and some silly bugger sent the lid crashing to the tiled floor and dented it so badly it had to go to a specialist for repair. Perhaps the minder on that occasion chose that moment to visit the Gents.

        And that too must remain an apocryphal tale of its time but I’m sure it’s true 🙂

        Reply
  3. AlexB says

    3rd September 2020 at 10:36 am

    Hi Martin

    Reading this only reminded me of Lutons great escape and their manager galloping over the pitch one and only David Pleat who went on to manager Spurs and lost his job for curb crawling in said Luton.

    When you look at some of the tips and downs of Luton you can only say City have had some near misses not to follow.

    So Saturday will really be a test of cities strength in depth or lack of it, can the remaining players lead by Tettey over turn a fully first team 11 only time will tell can or do we really want to progress in this competition.

    I can’t see either club getting anywhere near to winning this cup but progressive will top up the coffers once supporters are allowed in and it could build up confidence let’s hope that some prove themselves ready if need for the start against Huddersfield.

    Aussie to the slaughter 6pm tomorrow

    Onwards and upwards

    OTBC

    Stay safe and stay healthy

    1
    Reply
    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 11:27 am

      Hi Alex

      Ha!

      Yes I remember the David Pleat kerb-crawling incident now you come to mention it. Silly $od. An early incarnation of one W Rooney perhaps.

      As long as we stay free from injuries I really, really don’t care about Saturday, but at least it means the season [such as it might be] is truly underway.

      With all the internationals coming back post-Luton let’s pray to the football gods they all retrun with a clean bill of health too.

      Aussies to the slaughter? It’s not in their DNA mate.

      Thanks.

      Reply
  4. AlexB says

    3rd September 2020 at 10:53 am

    All highlights for Carabao Cup on Quest from 9pm

    3
    Reply
    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 12:11 pm

      Yeah

      I’m the early to bed early to rise type so these days and there’s nothing like waking up with Colin Murray after Match of the Day on a Sunday.

      Hang on, I think I phrased that rather badly 🙂

      1
      Reply
  5. Chris S says

    3rd September 2020 at 11:48 am

    Hopefully some better memories soon.
    Out of interest, Lars Elstrup has two of the most unexpected sentences I’ve ever read in a Wikipedia bio. Strap yourself in and get a load of this: ‘He (Elstrup) joined a spiritual sect, and took the spiritual name ‘Darando’ (meaning ‘The River that Flows’). He moved away from the sect in December 1999 after being arrested for punching a schoolchild.’
    Cripes. I hope that isn’t true.

    2
    Reply
    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 12:38 pm

      Hi Chris

      That to me is the original wtf 🙂

      I know all about David Icke and that Fleetwood Mac’s Jeremy Spencer ran off to join the Children of God [giving them his current and future royalties of course, which tends to happen when joining a sect] but this one is a real slap in the kisser.

      It sounds as unlikely as Gazza joining the Plymouth Brethren but thanks for the info!

      2
      Reply
  6. Don Harold says

    3rd September 2020 at 12:03 pm

    I haven’t got any football based Luton stories, but there was a holiday romance with Linda from Luton (honest) in about 1985. She came to visit me in Norwich, I took her to City v Watford (we won 3-2 I think) and we prepared for a night out. However, she was rushed to hospital to have her appendix removed.
    I went out with the lads, played football the next morning and visited her in the N&N later that day. She stayed in the N&N for about a week and I never saw her again.

    I do care about the result on Saturday, I love a cup run.

    1
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    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 12:45 pm

      Hi Don

      I had some awkward *dates* back in the day but nothing quite like that!

      How could Linda have been so goddam inconsiderate?

      No need for the [honest] – you couldn’t make that one up!

      Of course deep down I hope we get a result on Saturday but equally I’m not too fussed if we don’t.

      Thanks for the laugh on what is a miserable day in Norfolk.

      2
      Reply
    • Jim Davies says

      3rd September 2020 at 1:37 pm

      Great storey, Don! Was she “wafted in from Paradise?” For those who recall adverts of a certain vintage?

      2
      Reply
      • martin penney says

        3rd September 2020 at 3:04 pm

        Oh gawd bleedin’ Lorraine Chase.

        I would have backed Don to know his Lorraines from his Lindas but hey-ho.

        2
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      • Don Harold says

        3rd September 2020 at 3:06 pm

        Nah, Luton Airport.

        2
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        • martin penney says

          3rd September 2020 at 4:53 pm

          Then there was the classic Joan Collins/Leonard Rossiter ad.

          So good that [as ever] you can’t remember the product they were pushing!

          Reply
          • Jim Davies says

            4th September 2020 at 9:10 am

            Cinzano Branco, I think, Martin!

      • John says

        3rd September 2020 at 3:59 pm

        Nah!!! Luton Airport……..

        2
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        • martin penney says

          3rd September 2020 at 4:54 pm

          Copyright D. Harold 🙂

          Reply
  7. dp3 says

    3rd September 2020 at 12:05 pm

    My only recollection of a match against Luton was the first of the “on loan to the Endsleigh” season. Remember being pictured by some local journo who found it highly amusing that we’d actually had t-shirts made saying that and that I was mug enough to wear one!
    Can’t even remember the outcome either!!

    1
    Reply
    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 12:58 pm

      Hi dp3

      I remember those shirts very well but I cannot remember who produced them. There was no ACN or the equivalent in those days of course. I never bought one cos it smacked too much of tempting fate for my liking. And so it proved.

      Maybe it was even NCFC official merch? If your goodself or anybody else knows the answer I’d love to know.

      Cheers

      Reply
  8. Keith B says

    3rd September 2020 at 12:19 pm

    My brother played in a Sunday league in Lincolnshire and against the odds his team reached a local cup final at Sincil Bank. He said exactly the same thing about the huge pitch.

    He played right midfield and took the left-wing corners and reckoned his finest moment was when one of them reached the near post. Their opponents were from a higher division and had a couple of ex-Lincoln youth players who hadn’t quite made the grade and not surprisingly won comfortably.

    One curiosity about this week’s game is that when they gave out squad numbers yesterday they don’t appear to have allocated one to the stand-in keeper.

    I think it’s a very poor situation we, and presumably a few other clubs, have been put in by the EFL. I know scheduling is tight, but there must surely have been an option to delay one of the early rounds of midweek league matches until perhaps the same week as the last 16 of this cup. By then most of the surviving teams are likely to be Premier League so only a small number of EFL sides would have had to reschedule their league game as a result.

    1
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    • Don Harold says

      3rd September 2020 at 1:10 pm

      I think we had the option to play last week, some games were on then.

      Reply
      • martin penney says

        3rd September 2020 at 5:57 pm

        Bit difficult when we’re in Germany mate!

        Reply
    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 1:17 pm

      Hi Keith

      I certainly agree with your point about the timing of this particular match.

      After all we are in the same Championship as Luton and I’m pretty sure that any team in Leagues I&II fortunate enough to have internationals in their squad can get an instant postponement if 2/3 of them are away at the same time.

      I don’t see this competition being around for much longer myself but I sincerely hope I’m wrong on that.

      As for the GK squad numbers Krul’s #1, McGovern is #33 and Aston Oxborough has a number in the late 30s/early 40s. Barden is classed as an under 23 where the numbers literally can go from 40 through to 90 and never announced officially by the Club. We’re entitled to play a correctly registered under 23 at any time of course but obviously not if he’s out on loan.

      I’ve never been to Sincil Bank but I can sure empathise with your brother. I bet he enjoyed it though!

      Thanks a lot – good comment.

      1
      Reply
  9. AlexB says

    3rd September 2020 at 12:47 pm

    I see Fulham’s Mawson is of interest to Bristol Tity for a loan with option to buy if promotion is gained surely City should be all over this option

    Reply
    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 3:06 pm

      If the Robins can afford Mawson we can too. But do Webber & Farke want him?

      Reply
  10. John T says

    3rd September 2020 at 2:50 pm

    I got to all the 1959 Cup run matches except the semi-final replay. I remember that in the first match at White Hart Lane we didn’t play as well as we had been doing (nerves perhaps) and my friends and I were quite relieved to come away with a draw. I was not allowed time off work to go to the replay at Villa Park. I still bear a grudge! That afternoon I was one of a small team working on the audit of Bussey’s garage, then located near the Maid’s Head. We smuggled in a radio and kept up to date with the game. Jimmy Hill missed a great chance for us (was it to take the lead or equalise?) and that was the end of the deam.

    1
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    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 5:19 pm

      Hi John

      As I said to Jim above I was going to contact a few folks about a 59ers article for next year but after so many lovely comments on the subject today I reckon a quick chat with my mate Keith will complete it. I’d do it now but I can’t really as the new season’s about to start!

      Mrs P’s house isn’t too far from Busseys on Whiffler Road which is still going strong largely thanks to its commercial section. I’m not sure they moved there directly from the Maids Head location but it’s by no means an anomaly if they did.

      The last main dealer in the City itself I can remember was Lind BMW near the Shirehall around 1991 and when I took my company Beemer in there for a service I had to drive through the narrowest coaching arch I’ve ever encountered. It was a fold the wing mirrors in job to be sure.

      Thanks as always.

      Reply
  11. AlexB says

    3rd September 2020 at 3:34 pm

    Martin
    Beside Fawwmo, Lewis, Aaron I can only name 2 players that have played for both clubs I must be wrong with
    David Bell
    John Ryan
    But Cameron Mcheachen played first team at Luton but not for city

    Reply
    • Keith B says

      3rd September 2020 at 4:46 pm

      Two birds with one stone here.

      I was just looking up one game against them that I remembered being at which I thought (correctly) might have been Dickson Etuhu’s debut. I can’t recall exactly what happened but he was involved in some sort of altercation and a couple of Luton players were sent off in the final moments – one of them possibly after the final whistle.

      Looking at the teams that day (it was in November 2005) one of their subs was Leon Barnett, and next time they visited Carrow Rd he was playing for them.

      Reply
    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 5:23 pm

      I don’t think either Max or Jamal played for Luton’s first team – in fact I’m pretty sure they didn’t. John Ryan is right off the top of my head and Cameron McGeehan is a definite.

      Ashamed to admit it but I can’t recall David Bell at all!

      Reply
  12. Segura says

    3rd September 2020 at 4:03 pm

    ‘Tough place to go’ and ‘straight out of the ark’ come to mind when I think of Kenilworth Road.
    That said one of my favourite away days was our trip there in 2007 (I think) when Lappin curled in a last minute free kick winner and I ended up embracing a stranger in the ramshackle stand.
    Seem to recall the entrance to the away stand involved going through the alleyway of someone’s house, which was a bit different.
    Certainly not one for the prawn sandwich brigade!

    2
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    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 5:29 pm

      Hi Segura

      Yes the environs around the ground were a bit scary nearly 30 years ago if your face didn’t fit and Jeez knows what they’re like now.

      The King of Spain was one of my favourite players back in the day. He had a great left foot and is still turning heavily involved with Wroxham as if you didn’t know.

      Not wishing to come across as a pseud I’ve yet to see us play there!

      Cheers

      Reply
  13. John says

    3rd September 2020 at 4:09 pm

    Most enjoyable Martin.
    I’ve seen City v Luton a number of times, but the onlyone I can really remember was the “shock” (??) of losing in the FA Cup whilst Mr Hughton was in charge.
    It was a bit like us post lock-down, in that it seemed most of our players wanted to be anywhere other than on that pitch!!
    A colleague who had (and still has) a season ticket at the Carra was/is a true Hatters fan, and in the post match chat on Monday, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
    We’re missing a fair few for Saturday, and according to the Beeb’s transfer pages, Luton appear to be signing a whole new team/squad to face us.
    Mr Farke says that he wants to win, but somehow we’ve found ourselves in a typical no-win situation.
    Hopefully we will manage to stay injury free, and who knows, maybe an early season star may be born….

    O T B C

    3
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    • martin penney says

      3rd September 2020 at 6:11 pm

      Hi John

      Staying injury free is my major concern although it looks like we’ve taken on a few ruffty-tufftys on board this time around so I’m hoping we’ll be okay. Ollie Skipp for example.

      I so nearly went to the great FA Cup disaster of 2013 but something happened and I swerved it late in the day. I can’t remember why, which at my age is slightly concerning.

      Under the circs I don’t expect too many of the Canary nation to be that upset if it all goes wrong on Saturday.

      I understand how your Luton friend feels. I never had a season ticket at White Hart Lane but during say 1975-85 I found myself part of the furniture and with mates I probably managed at least 10 Tottenham home matches a season. You could pay at the turnstile in those days of course. I thoroughly enjoyed it. MFW’s Alex B follows Spurs too so I am not alone.

      Thanks as always.

      Reply
  14. Alex B says

    3rd September 2020 at 9:26 pm

    Well lets jump the gun shall we

    Papers
    1) Gibson signs on permanent deal and says he has been on strike after falling out with Dyce been at his old club training not played for nearly a year
    2) Gibson signs on loan with view to permanent transfer if promoted and paying 70% of his salary and a £2m loan fee
    3) Neither Middlesbrough or Notts Forest could offer better terms than city either on loan or permanent

    Not over impressed if any of those above are turn
    If # 1) is ture then then he is so unfit we might get game time come xmas
    If #2) is true he will be the highest paid player at the club
    If #3) is true and a permanent deal has been done I hope he is getting paid inline with the others at the club so he would have taken a big cut in pay but Burnley might have given him a payoff to leave and how much has city paid for him.

    A little hope that just maybe he is fit enough to play some part in the Luton game, for kess money city could have got Carter Vickers or Mawson both younger and neither been on strike

    Reply
  15. martin penney says

    4th September 2020 at 7:33 am

    Hi Alex

    The strange part about this is that if we are indeed to pay £2m for a loan fee that isn’t out of the way [Ralf Farhmann was rumoured to have cost £1.5m] and during the loan period Gibson’s own wages are the responsibility of Burnley If he’s on £40k a week we pay £32k of it.

    But if we sign him on a permanent he won’t be getting £40k a week and must surely know that.

    How fit he is I have no idea but I don’t like the strike rumour. At all.

    We seem a pretty happy ship right now and I wouldn’t want to spoil that for anything. Or anybody.

    1
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