Luton Outlaws - Independent Message Board for Luton Town FC

Matches played: https://hattersheritage.co.uk/matches?played-today=yes&sort=date-desc

Born today: https://hattersheritage.co.uk/players?born-today=yes&sort=date-active

Debuted today: https://hattersheritage.co.uk/players?debut-today=yes&sort=date-active

Directors and staff: https://hattersheritage.co.uk/directors-and-staff?born-today=yes&sort=name

5 matches have been played today with the first one being 60 years ago, when we beat Port Vale 5-0 at home in the Fourth Division.

The next match to be played on this day was 11 years later, when we beat Oldham 2-1 away in our last game of the 76/77 season.

However, arguably the most consequential match in our history was played 43 years ago today, in 1983, when we travelled to play at Maine Road against Man City (enough said).

It is always sobering to realise that without that win the subsequent history of the club would have changed, with no 9 further seasons of Division 1 football, Littlewoods Cup triumph and further final appearance, a number of FA Cup semi finals and the Championship play off final not having occurred/been possible. For me the subsequent joys and disappointments since then make that day all the more poignant.

The other 2 games to be played on this day (since that famous day in Manchester) were both play off semi final matches, with the first being at home to Crewe and the last game being away at Blackpool. These matches took place 20 years apart, in 1997 and 2017.

Only one player has been born on this day and that was goalkeeper Alan Judge, who was born in 1960.

Only one player has made his debut on this day and that was David Carr in the match at Oldham in 1977.

Finally 100 years ago our most famous fan, director and Vice President, Eric Morecambe was born. There are so many LTFC stories that fans will have of him over the years (from when he bought his son, Gary, to his first match in 1968, to his sad and early death in 1984, 2 weeks after his 58th birthday). I will always remember him for travelling with the team and fans on the “Soccer Special trains”, which ran from the late 60’s to the mid 70’s to most LTFC away games. What he did though was provide a legacy to the club which remains beyond compare.

The link to the relevant page of the Hatters Heritage website sets out, however, what he achieved over the years and the magnificent publicity and fun he bought to the club https://hattersheritage.co.uk/directors-and-staff/eric-morecambe-p800083