We take a closer look at our opposition for the upcoming Premier League season
Promoted alongside the Clarets last term, Luton were formed in April 1885, bringing together the best players from the various teams across the town.
Starting out at the Dallow Lane ground, the Hatters began making payments to players five years later and in 1891 became the first club in southern England to turn fully professional.
A founder member of the Southern Football League, Town then left to help form the United League before eventually joining the Football League for the 1897/98 campaign and moving to a new ground at Dunstable Road in the process.
Due to the northern nature of the Football League though, it became financially unviable for Luton to compete in it so they returned to the Southern League in 1900.
Settling at Kenilworth Road in 1905, the club re-joined the Football League for the 1920/21 season, reaching the Second Division in 1937 and going on to get to the top flight for the first time in 1955.
Appearing in the 1959 FA Cup final against Nottingham Forest, Luton were relegated the following season and by 1965 the Hatters were competing back in the fourth tier of English football.
In typical Luton fashion, a revival and three promotions in seven years followed and in 1974 a runners-up spot in the Second Division propelled the Hatters back to the top flight, where they would be relegated by just one point.
It would then take until 1982 to get back there for Luton, who went on to escape relegation on the final day of the 1982/83 campaign and remain in the First Division until 1992.
Also winning the League Cup along the way, the Hatters dropped out of the top flight just before the Premier League began and then suffered four relegations in nine seasons between 2001 – 2009.
A record 30-point deduction due to financial issues then followed and the Hatters were relegated from League Two and out of the Football League in 2008/09, though that same season won the Football League Trophy with a victory over Scunthorpe United.
The Conference Premier proved difficult to get out of for Luton and it took five seasons before promotion back to League Two was achieved in 2014. A further four campaigns passed before League One came, but under Nathan Jones the Hatters made it back-to-back promotions to break into the Championship for the 2019/20 season.
Though there has been plenty of managerial changes along with play-off heartbreak, Luton got themselves back into the Premier League at Wembley in May, beating Coventry City on penalties. In turn, the Hatters ended a hiatus of over 30 years from the top flight.
Stadium: Kenilworth Road (10,356) – Maple Road East, Luton, LU4 8AW
Nickname(s): The Hatters, Town
Manager: Rob Edwards
2022/23 finishing position: 3rd in the Sky Bet Championship (Promoted via the play-offs)
2022/23 top scorer (all competitions): Carlton Morris (20)
Played for both:
Graham Alexander – A Club stalwart at every club he played for, the Scottish full-back signed for Luton in 1995 from Scunthorpe. Alexander played 183 games for the Hatters over four years scoring 17 goals before departing for Preston North End in 1999. 400 appearances later the defender joined the Clarets in 2007 and missed just three league matches in his first two seasons at Turf Moor. In Alexander’s second campaign the Clarets were promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs. At the Club until 2011, the Scot made 177 appearances before returning to Preston North End.
Josh McQuoid – The winger arrived at Turf Moor on loan from Millwall in January 2012 linking back up with his former AFC Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe. McQuoid made 17 appearances and scored twice in the second half of the Championship season before returning to his parent club in the summer. After returning to Bournemouth for three seasons, the Southampton-born midfielder then signed for Luton in 2015. McQuoid spent three years at Kenilworth Road featuring 45 times before departing for Weymouth in 2018.
Steve Davis – Davis joined the Clarets initially on loan from Southampton in 1989, before making it a permanent move in the summer of 1991. The centre-back spent four seasons at Turf Moor including two promotions helping the side return to the second division before leaving for Luton Town in 1995. After 28 goals in 174 matches at Kenilworth Road, Davis then returned to Burnley in 1998. Following five more seasons in East Lancashire, the defender stayed took his tally of Clarets appearances up to 385 in total across his three spells before joining Blackpool in 2003.
Full record against (competitive): P – 53, W – 24, D – 13, L – 16
Last time we met: 18.02.2023– Luton 0 -1 Burnley [Barnes, pen] (Championship)
Last win against: Above
2023/24 Fixtures: H – 13/01/2024 / A – 19/08/2023
