FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.11: LUTON AWAY

LUTON TOWN 2 OXFORD UNITED 2

Aside from 5 May 1987 trips to Kenilworth Road have been extremely joyless affairs for us. With the rain being quite relentless during the day and the journey of under 40 miles taking two hours because of the bloody traffic, it seemed that this one was set up to continue in the same vein. It wasn’t until I got home that I learned of a pitch inspection less than an hour before kick-off.

Even that day in the 80s wasn’t what a football match should be. Awful plastic pitch and away fans were banned by committed Thatcherite Tory MP David Evans. We got in anyway. Surreal it certainly was and I’ll never forget Dean Saunders putting us back in the lead from a John Dreyer assist right at the end after we’d just been pegged back to 2-2 having been two up. The goals are on YouTube. A piece of history that’s well worth a watch. Think I might have a VHS tape of the game somewhere, not that I’ve got anything to play it on now. Clearly myself and Mrs FV to be weren’t the only Yellows there. There’s noise when we scored the first two and a bit of arm raising and clapping when the winner went in if you look close enough.

As for the rest, not good at all. Before this one, we’d played ten league games at Luton since then with no wins, 3 draws and 7 defeats.

Then there’s their fans. Not all of them obviously but at times a significant minority. Perhaps my view is largely coloured by the 2009/10 season and that’s 15 years ago now. We visited on a Tuesday night in February for a top of the table clash. That table being the Blue Square Premier. Both clubs desperate to get back into the Football League, obviously. 1-0 up entering the last minute of regulation time. Then the Hatters score from a corner. And then still in the 90^th minute another corner goes straight in. To our left in the nearest so-called Exec box to our supporters, were a group of men in suits who took no interest in the game. Just staring at us and making provocative gestures throughout.  LTFC quite happy to let these types into the corporate area. In the section of the main stand closest to the Oak Road End I recall home fans fighting amongst themselves and with the police. On the walk back to the station a gang with faces covered hidden in the darkness of a shop doorway. Presumably looking for like-minded sorts following OUFC.

The history books show that Stevenage went up automatically that year with Luton second and us third and therefore both in the play-offs. We made the final courtesy of our 2-0 second leg semi-final home win against the now defunct Rushden and Diamonds. Luton needed to overturn a 1-0 deficit against York. At home they also lost the second leg 1-0 to a Chris Carruthers goal. The behaviour of some of their fans at the final whistle was absolutely appalling. York players were chased off the pitch and forced to shelter at the back of the Oak Road stand before being bombarded with missiles which could have caused serious injury and they needed police protection to make it to the dressing room.

Tuesday was very different and I’d like to think those days are behind us now with the miscreants either having seen the light or no longer being anywhere near football.

We visited the Black Horse before the game. According to CAMRA it is the nearest “ale” pub to the ground but just over a mile away nevertheless. They describe it as a characterful local and I wouldn’t disagree with that. Some interesting characters in there to say the least but we certainly didn’t feel unwelcome. A few proper decent Luton fans came in later and the beer was quality and just four quid a pint. Walking back to Kenilworth Road the aromas from the various ethnic restaurants added to the feeling that I’d probably done the place something of a disservice over the years.

Luton have played at Kenilworth Road for 119 years. They’re hoping to move to a new ground at Power Court which is less than half a mile from the station right in the centre of town. They need planning permission from Luton Borough Council and put the application in last month for a 25,000 capacity stadium which also includes a music venue and hotel. The club acquired Power Court in 2016 and were granted outline consent for mixed-used development there in 2019.

If the council give approval works would need to be done to divert the River Lea and a major sub-station would also need to be moved. Watch this space.

LTFC have issued a statement saying, “”The physical constraints of Kenilworth Road, packed in among rows of terraced houses in Bury Park, make it impossible for the club to grow. In turn this limits the positive effect a successful Luton Town Football Club could have in helping to regenerate the town centre.” They also say that clubs with smaller stadiums “rarely survive” in the Premier League due to having lesser commercial and match day revenues.

The city of Oxford and town of Luton are like chalk and cheese but each football club is striving to be as successful as possible with moves to new homes. Can we compare? What are our genuine ambitions? Us to be top 30, the Hatters to get back into the Premier League and stay there?

But for now it’s old school, very old school in Bedfordshire. Absolutely unique, entering the Oak Road stand through a row of terraced house. It’s now railed seating behind the goal with away fans being given a small section of genuine seats close by where the Exec boxes used to be. I presume the leg room gave enough room for legs because it didn’t used to be like that in the Oak Road pre-rails. No chance of sitting down comfortably and for some it was impossible.

Standing and leaning on the rail was a positive move forward. No way was I going to attempt to try and sit on the fold away seat at any time.

The view however was still dreadful, how could it not have been? Pillars everywhere. Shallow terrace. Hard to tell whether shots at our end were nowhere near the goal, close or had gone in. The reaction of those with a better view was the best guide.

Before kick-off, twisting my head a little trying to get the best view possible, I couldn’t help but comment “what a crap ground”. The bloke next to me said: “No, no”. And he was right. It was the view that was crap not the ground. One of the few that remain that are so old and not the new sanitised larger stadia that provide perfect lines of sight.

Which do I prefer? Shame we can’t have a mix of both but we have to appreciate places like Kenilworth Road whilst they are still standing. If I’d have stayed at home and watched the game on Sky I would have had a much better idea of what was really going on. Probably the same for every game though to be honest with multiple camera angles and instant replays. But there’s nothing like being there. The rest is for me, for now, just a poor substitute. As age creeps up on all of us one day the comfort of our own homes with feet up will likely have the most appeal though.

Also being on the premises the speed of the game is real, not like on the TV and then there’s the atmosphere. The noise, being amongst like-minded fans with a common passion. Here the low roof kept the din in. Our lot seemed to be way more bouncy than the home contingent. It’s usually hard to judge what volume other sections of the ground are generating but that generated from elsewhere seemed well below the usual at this venue.

I’m going to mention/plug YouTube again now before I move on to the actual football. The Football Tourist YouTube Channel. “What Is Luton Away Actually Like? – Luton Town FC vs Oxford United FC”. It shows the Oak Road End as it is. He got a ticket in with us after they had gone on general sale. Means we only sold out all of our 1322 allocation after they went on general sale so even with away members/season ticket holders (7000) having first and second dibs there were still some left.

This was a cracking game of football. Entertaining throughout. Neutrals will have enjoyed it and TV commentators were complimentary. Luton fans will feel differently though.

In the first half, particularly in the earlier stages, they were incredibly quick in getting to our players on the ball. There were chances for both sides from the off. Jordan Clark went close for them and but for excellent defending Owen Dale would have slid the ball home for us. That opportunity was made by the ever alert Tyler Goodrham who seized on a mistake by Reece Burke.

It was a mistake that gave the home side the lead on 10 minutes and the same again when it was doubled 27 minutes later.

Elijah Adebayo went to ground under the slightest of touches from Ben Nelson. Only half-hearted penalty appeals and with three purple shirts around him the danger should have been over. Idris El Mizouni could have whacked the ball away at the expense of a throw in but instead played a short pass to Ruben Rodrigues who was immediately robbed by Tom Krauss leaving Clark with a relatively easy chance which he put away well. The commentator on the extended highlights rightly called it a hospital pass.

At home we’re making fewer mistakes and not being punished for them. Away it’s a bit of a different story. At the Kassam we have conceded 0.25 goals per game played but on our travels it is now 2.25.

Before the Hatters second we could and should have drawn level. Thomas Kaminski tipped over a Rodrigues shot from distance and then El Mizouni should have done better when he bent a Peter Kioso cut back wide of the goal.

Same can be said of the hosts too as the forced errors kept coming. Rodrigues was robbed in the centre-circle and in a flash Elijah Adebayo went very close.

Their second though wasn’t forced. We just gave it to them. Lack of communication between Elliott Moore and Jamie Cumming. Neither dealt with a speculative ball into the box. Probably our captain was more culpable but these things happen I suppose. Well they do away from home. But – and this says so much about our team in 2024 – we didn’t let it affect our game. Heads didn’t go down. We just kept playing and in the 45th minute pulled a goal back. The build-up was good even if a defender did get a touch along the way. So I can’t claim that it was a goal of pure beauty, but bloody close in my eyes. Kioso sent Dale away and after beating a man he played a pass looking for Mark Harris. A defender got a foot to the ball cutting it out but only sending it to El Mizouni. He clipped it first time to Goodrham who bent it past Kaminski. Some finish that.

The second half like the first was played out with a constant spray of water rising from the turf. It didn’t spoil the game though as the ball zipped around. It seemed to quite suit us actually.

From the restart we were the bosses and had pegged Luton back just nine minutes in. Kyle Edwards had replaced Dale who hadn’t done badly at all but the new man posed a greater threat and formed an immediate understanding with Kioso down the right flank.

Rodrigues fed Edwards and continued his run into the box. With the overlapping Kioso an option and probably a distraction too Edwards squared the ball and with a deft touch RR sent the ball into the net at pace.

We had penalty claims. The one on Goodrham could have been. Some refs would give it. Glad I wasn’t the one to have to make the call. I just don’t know.

Harris couldn’t quite nick the ball past Kaminski having burst into the box with the keeper then having to pull off a couple of good saves one preventing us taking the lead, the other when the ball was probably going wide.

It will be a night to forget for Liam Walsh. Sent off 36 seconds after coming on for a foul on Siriki Dembele who himself had only come on three minutes earlier. It was a reckless challenge and it made no sense to me to go in like that. From one angle it definitely looked like a red and a real danger to our man.

Strange thing is though Luton improved when they went down to 10 men. They began creating chances again. A fine save from Cumming going down low to keep out a header from a corner.

But if either team deserved all three points it was us. We had 19 shots with eight on target compared to Luton’s 12 and four and we had 60.2% possession which is proof we can get points with and without the majority of the ball.

Really pleased to get our first away point and with the way we played. If only we could cut out those errors that lead to goals when we’re on the road, it would likely have been all three.

Many Luton fans will no doubt think they were poor and should be beating the “likes” of us, you know a team having just come up whilst they were in the top division last season. Could be wrong but I don’t think many will have given us credit but I got these comments from a Luton season ticket holder who I’ve got to know through walking football. “You should have won but for our keeper and two goal line clearances. Our Premier League hangover continues, lacking confidence. Was impressed with Oxford, playing like we used to.”

By the time I get this FV published it will be less than 24 hours to kick off at Fratton Park with that 12:30 start.

There are now four teams with shorter odds for relegation at the bookmakers than ours. Pompey 11/10. Argyle 11/8. Cardiff 7/5. Preston 10/3. We’re 7/2 as are Derby. Next shortest are QPR at 7/1. Luton are 25/1.   

Pompey have not won a game this season. They’ve drawn at Leeds and Middlesbrough (great away points) and at home to Luton and Sheffield United, who are unbeaten and would be second if it wasn’t for their 3 point deduction. The teams that have beaten them are Sunderland (top), West Brom (4^th) and Burnley (2^nd). Oh, and Stoke on Wednesday night. They dished out a 6-1 hammering.

I don’t think that will be much use to us. Chances of a massive reaction? Hope not. We shall see. This is a tight, unpredictable and interesting division.  We’re four points off both relegation and play-off spots with 17% of the season already gone.  

Wise words in the pub