2014 Prediction League; Game 4 v Luton Town (home)

Div3North · 21-08-2014, 00:06

Accrington Stanley

v

Luton Town

2014/15 Prediction League; Game 4 v Luton Town (home)

The Hatters (the town has a long connection with millinery) were formed, so it’s said, in 1885, created out of a merger between Excelsior and the Luton Town Wanderers – which sounds like something that Robb Wilton might have invented (he did have a little-known routine that started, “The day I became a Director of the Rambling Wanderers, my wife said to me .....”

) ..........They joined the Football League in 1897-8, and stuck it out for three years, but the cost of travel and accommodation – most of the teams were Northern

– became prohibitive, and they soon reverted to the Southern League; in 1920, when Division 3 was added, they were founder members, finishing season 1920-21 9th of 22, with 44 points from 42 games, 16 of which they won. 1921-2 saw the Third Divisions North and South set up, and they were placed, fairly obviously, in the South (although you do sometimes wonder at the FA’s and the FL’s knowledge of geography north of Watford

); that year saw them finish 4th with 22 wins and 52 points, and the year after they were 5th. That season (1922-23) saw Nelson win Div 3 North

, which also included such mighty world football powers as Bradford Park Avenue (2nd) Stalybridge Celtic (11th), Ashington (19th) and Durham City (20) ..... The Stanley came 8th!

Over many years they had their ups and downs; they went up to the Second Division in 73-74, and went straight back down again, but in 1981-82 they won Division 2 (losing only four of 42 games all season), and stayed in the top flight for 10 years, which included doing it unto the Gunners

in the 87-88 League Cup Final (3-2), which was probably scant consolation for losing the 58-59 FA Cup Final to Notts Forest 2-1 (Roy Dwight, you may recall, scoring the first goal after 10 mins and then being carried off with a broken leg after 33

); Luton’s team included Billy Bingham, Forest’s outside left (“Dad, what’s an outside left?”

) being Stewart Imlach – remember him? They were relegated from the (old) First Division the following season (60-61), and by 64-65 they were playing in Division 4

....Their more recent tribulations – a 10 point deduction in 2007-08 being followed by a 30 point deduction in 2008-09, and inevitable relegation - are widely and recently recorded ......

If it’s not an odd way to put it, they did well in the Conference; 2009-10 saw them finish 2nd with 88 points and 84 goals, before losing 2-0 on aggregate to York in the Playoff semis; 2010-11 they were 3rd (84 points, 85 goals), putting Wrexham to the sword 5-1, before losing the Final 4-3 on penalties to the Wombles after a goalless draw; they were back the next year (5th, on 81 pts and 78 goals, doing Wrexham again in the semis (3-2) before losing again, this time to York (2-1); 2012-13 was a bad year (7th); the only good thing was that that allowed Wrexham actually to get to the final, where they promptly lost to Newport; and last year they won the Conference, with 101 points and 102 goals; they won 30 and drew 11 of 46, were unbeaten in the League for 28 games (21 wins, 7 draws), and hit the target regularly and often – four goals five times (Woking, Halifax, Hyde, Tamworth and Gateshead), five goals three times (Alfreton, Nuneaton and Wrexham, who must surely have a complex by now

), 6 against Kidderminster, and 7 against Hereford (the advice is still not to invest your money in Hereford, apparently

) .....while the groundwork was laid earlier, the final triumph was John Still’s – once a pro (for one game as a 17 year old, when a knee injury put paid to a career that hadn’t started), and erstwhile manager of Leytonstone, Maidstone (remember them?

) – who he got into the League and promptly left, because he didn’t want to give up the day job (in sales) – the Daggers (v1) part time, then a wholly forgettable 14 months at the Posh, before returning to Dagenham in 2004, staying (v2) for 9 years, before taking the Luton job in 2013 (rumour was that he was hacked off by the earlier-than-planned sale of Dwight Gayle) ....

Apart from Billy Bingham (see above), you’ll likely remember Bruce Rioch and Malcolm McDonald, both of whom graced the Kenilworth grass, and you might dredge up the name of Joe Payne, who scored 55 goals for them in 1936-37, and 10 of their goals in a 12-0 thrashing of Brizzle Rovers that April

....maybe you’ll remember David Pleat’s impression of a bucking bronco as he ran all over the Maine Road pitch to celebrate Luton’s Great Escape from relegation in 82-83 by winning their last game of the season against Man City 1-0 (Raddy Antic with the goal), which gave them 49 points and relegated the Blues with 47 ..... Once seen, never forgotten!

They sold 23 year-old striker Andre Gray (Shrewsbury and Hinckley Town) to Brentford over the summer for an undisclosed sum, speculation putting it at a cool £HalfMillion – probably a decent price, since he netted 57 times in 111 games in his two years with the Hatters (including 30 of their 102 last season); promotion-winning skipper Ronnie Henry (def, 30) chose to leave despite a new offer, and re-joined that nice Mr Westley at Stevenage, were he played from 2005 – 2012; 22 year-old MF J(onathan) J O’Donnell has joined Gateshead; RB Jerome Jibodu (20) left for Dunstable Town; Jake Woolley went to Cambridge City; defender Lathaniel Rowe-Turner (once of Leicester and Torquay) moved to Conference side Alfreton, fellow defender Anthony Charles (33) – ex Brentford and Aldershot, and very unlucky over the years with injuries – was released, and is currently without a club; 30year old colleague Jon Shaw (CF – Sheff Wed, Burton, Halifax and Mansfield) was released too, and re-signed for Gateshead; and David Viana, a 22 year-old Portuguese MF, once of Real Salt Lake in the MSL (he was “waived” in July 2013, which sounds unpleasant

) also left.

They paid Crawley £100,000 to re-secure the services of 30 year old MF Andy Drury, who left Kenilworth Road for Ipswich (“Turn left at Chelmsford, Son”) in 2011; they also added former Swindon and Charlton striker Paul Benson, now 34; defender Luke Wilkinson (22), who played under John Still – well, not “under” him, but you know what I mean

– at the Daggers (and who was once at Pompey) joined for an “undisclosed” fee; they raided Crawley again for journeyman defender Pat Connolly (30), who’s trod the grass at Plymouth, Derby, Leeds and Millwall in his time, which no doubt contributed to his 5-game ban last April following a slight misunderstanding

between him and a Brentford fan; Wycombe’s teenage striker Lee Angol signed, and was immediately loaned out for the season to Boreham Wood (so don’t bother trying to spot him in the highlights programme); Mark Onyemah (LB, 19) arrived from Thurrock (“Turn right at Chelmsford .....”), strikers Ricky Miller from Boston and Ross Lafayette from Welling, and 24 year old Charlie Walker – yet another striker - joined from Peacehaven and Telscombe – of whom you’ve all heard

– after scoring 43 goals last season while they won the Ryman South and the Sussex Senior Cup .....well, somebody had to win them ................

Their season started well, with a 1-0 win at Carlisle, but then went T.U when they lost 2-1 at home to Swindon in the CarlingAsANewtCup

– the Hatters’ goal coming from a penalty by Luke Rooney (does he give lessons?

) which was followed by his being sent off for two yellow cards

– and then lost again, this time 1-0 at home to the Wombles, for whom Matt Tubbs got the goal from a flick-on by You Fat Bastard, who didn’t score himself (he “nodded wide”); on Tuesday night Pelly Ruddock (aka Ruddock Mpanzu) came off the bench after 61 minutes, and got a 91st minute equaliser at home to Bury (1-1); currently they have 4 points from 3 games, and a goal difference of nil, which puts them 14th in the table (exactly where they were after 2 games ............)

Their leading scorers – three of them – have one goal each (Mark Cullen, Luke Rooney from the spot, and Mr Ruddock/Mpanzu); we met them in 2008-09 as they tumbled out of the League, and we helped them on their way with a 2-1 win away and a goalless draw at home

(in front of just 1033 fans

, although it was a Tuesday night!) As far as 2014-15 is concerned, this is the game that starts our season, after losses to three of the top 8 teams in the League, whose 9 games have produced 6 wins, two draws and a single defeat (Southend 0 Wombles 1) .....

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 23rd August ..............Bright, warm sunshine; a pie and a pint; DAV007 agreeing with everyone; Stanley triumph ...........What do you reckon?

Good luck to everyone .............Keep the Faith! .............and thanks for playing!