Relegations, promotions, administration, a points deduction, Luton Town have seen it all in their long and storied history in English football. From the heady days of competing with the best in the business in the old First Division to the lowest ebb of non-league football, Luton’s story reads like a work of sporting fiction.
📈 2013/14: Win promotion to League Two
📈 2017/18: Win promotion to League One
📈 2018/19: Win promotion to the Championship
📈2022/23: Win promotion to the Premier LeagueFrom Non League to Premier League, Luton have completed an incredible journey 🤯👏 pic.twitter.com/d0adhipkXJ
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) May 27, 2023
Premier League Return
Having missed out on the inaugural Premier League after relegation from the old First Division, Luton Town are finally preparing for their first taste of elite English football in the 2023/24 season. Obviously, after their surprise promotion last year, The Hatters are currently the favourites to suffer relegation with the best New Zealand betting sites..
Having surprised the entire football world with their entertaining, and successful style of play which led to a third-place finish in last season’s Championship, Luton came through the dreaded playoffs with a victory over Sunderland, and a stunning shoot-out win over Coventry at a rapturous Wembley Stadium.
The Hatters had endured a frustrating start to the season, with the loss of inspirational long-term boss, Nathan Jones, to Southampton just a couple of months into the new campaign. It was not the start that the club wanted, but the appointment of Rob Edwards as the new boss proved to be an inspired decision.
Edwards arrived at Kenilworth Road with a point to prove after surprisingly being shown the door at Watford, and taking the reigns at Luton was the perfect move for the former Forest Green boss. Edwards’ style of play quickly endeared him to the fans, and it was an instant match made in heaven.
Epic Fall From Grace
Things could have been oh so different for Luton had they not been relegated prior to the birth of the Premier League. The boost in money would have allowed them to grow substantially, but it was not to be and The Hatters soon began what would be one of the most epic falls from grace in the history of English football.
In just four years, Luton found themselves suffering a further two relegations, seeing them fall to the Second Division as it was then known. Yet another relegation followed in 20/21, with them now featuring in the bottom division of league football.
After a brief upturn in fortune with two promotions, two successive relegations in the 06/07, and 07/08 seasons. From here, things were about to get even worse for the beleaguered club.
Administration And Points Deduction
Years of financial troubles under the ownership of the despised John Gurney eventually caught up with the club in 2008. Now, once again stuck in the bottom division, Luton went into administration and were hit with a record points deduction of 30 points for the 08/09 season.
Despite winning 13 games and drawing 17 that season, the points deduction was too much to overcome, and Luton entered the lowest point in the club’s history by being relegated to non-league football.
Resurgence
Despite making the Conference playoffs on three occasions, Luton would have to wait until the 2013/14 season to finally make it back into league football. The appointment of former player, Nathan Jones, as manager in 2016 proved to be the catalyst for the rise of the club, with the Welshman guiding them to two successive promotions which brought them back to the Championship.
Jones would leave the club for Stoke in 2019 but would return after a failed period in charge of The Potters. He would be poached away once again in 2022, with Southampton giving him the chance to manage in the Premier League.
Jones had become a cult hero at Luton, and prior to his departure to Southampton, he had led The Hatters to the Championship playoffs in the 2021/22 season. Rob Edwards was appointed as the new manager the following season and he also led the team to the playoffs, this time going on to win and return the club to the top division after an absence of 31 years.
Will The Hatters Achieve Premier League Survival?
Most fans and pundits believe that Luton’s Premier League return will be over quickly, as they are the current favourites to be instantly relegated back to the Championship. With so many Premier League clubs spending huge amounts of money each season, the biggest threat to the club’s survival is likely to come in the form of not being able to match any of their counterparts in the financial department.
Rob Edwards has proven himself to be a very good manager, but despite the certainty that Luton will entertain many throughout the season, competing in Europe’s top league is not going to be easy at this moment in time.
