The 2010–11 season was the 125th season in the history of Luton Town Football Club.
The club finished the season in third place, 21 points behind runaway league winners Crawley Town and 6 points behind second placed AFC Wimbledon. This meant Luton would contest promotion to The Football League through the play-offs for the second consecutive year. A 5–1 aggregate win over Wrexham in the play-off semi-final set up a final at the City of Manchester Stadium against AFC Wimbledon. The two clubs drew 0–0 after extra time to force a penalty shootout, which Luton lost 4–3.
Luton also missed out on the chance of a Wembley final and potential silverware, losing to Mansfield Town in the FA Trophy semi-finals.
Manager Richard Money, who had experienced a tempestuous relationship with Luton fans, left the club by mutual consent on 28 March 2011 following a 2–1 loss to relegation-threatened Southport. He was replaced by assistant manager Gary Brabin.
This article covers the period from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011.
Background
A 30-point deduction imposed upon Luton Town for financial irregularities effectively crippled their chances of escaping relegation from The Football League in the 2008–09 season. As a result, the club played the next season in a division outside The Football League for the first time in 89 years. Their campaign in the Conference Premier ended in dashed hopes – Luton were favourites for promotion at the start of the year and, although the club rarely ventured any lower than the play-off positions for the entire duration of the season, it required a change in management for the club to begin actively challenging for the title. Richard Money replaced Mick Harford in October 2009, eventually leading the club on a winning run of games throughout the final third of the season that almost saw them topple ultimate victors Stevenage. In the end, the club had to settle for second place in the league, and faced fifth-placed side York City in the play-off semi-final. Luton lost both legs of the semi-final 1–0, consigning them to another year in non-League football.
The end of the previous season had seen Luton sign three players on free transfers; Cambridge United top scorer Danny Crow and teammate Dan Gleeson joined, as well as Notts County goalkeeper and former Luton loanee Kevin Pilkington.
Review
July Stevenage winger Andy Drury joined the club on 1 July on a free transfer, after an agreement to sign the player was reached towards the end of May.
Assistant manager Gary Brabin confirmed on 2 July that Kenyan striker Taiwo Atieno had not been retained by the club.
On 6 July, former Oxford United captain Adam Murray joined Luton on a two-year contract after his release.
Home friendlies were arranged against Premier League teams Liverpool and Newcastle United, while Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock were also scheduled to visit Kenilworth Road. A friendly game against Marlow was arranged to mark the 125th anniversary of Luton Town; Marlow being Luton's first ever opponents in the year of the club's formation in 1885. Luton won the game 3–1, and commemorated the occasion by wearing the blue and pink club colours used in 1885.
Three trialists, midfielders Stefan Bailey and Ciarán Toner, and Hungarian goalkeeper Matyas Estherhazy, joined Luton for pre-season training. All played in a 5–1 victory over near-neighbours Hitchin Town on 15 July.
On 16 July, it was announced that defender Lewis Emanuel had not joined the club for pre-season training and had subsequently been released after four seasons as a Luton player.
Dan Walker and Zdeněk Kroča, two further trialists, joined Luton for the latter stages of pre-season. Kroča scored the winning goal in a 1–0 friendly victory over Kilmarnock, while Walker, who had previously been playing for Bedford Town, impressed enough to be offered a one-year contract. He signed for the club on 31 July.
August Following a second impressive appearance in a 4–1 victory over a Newcastle United XI, Czech defender Kroča signed a one-year contract. His fellow countryman, defensive midfielder Pavel Besta, also played in the game. Manager Richard Money confirmed that he was finalising a deal to sign Besta and, on 6 August, he too signed a one-year contract.
Luton began the season on 14 August with a 2–1 win against Altrincham. Kroča scored on his competitive debut to give Luton the lead, and Matthew Barnes-Homer grabbed the winner in the 88th minute after Altrincham pulled a goal back midway through the second half.
Barnes-Homer scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 away victory over Kettering Town on 17 August. He scored two penalties as Kettering finished the match with nine men. Four days later Luton secured a third consecutive victory over Fleetwood Town.
The club's 100% record was ended with a 1–1 home draw against newly promoted Newport County on 24 August in a game that saw Keith Keane sent off late on. However, results elsewhere meant Luton remained top of the table with 10 points from their opening four matches.
On 27 August, it was confirmed that midfielder Kevin Nicholls had left the club by "respectful, mutual consent", after volunteering to be released from his contract. He had been recovering from knee surgery, and stated that he did not want to drain the club's resources while not contributing on the pitch. The same day, veteran defender Alan White left the club by mutual consent. White had not played a game for Luton since December 2009.
Tamworth inflicted Luton's first defeat of the season on 28 August with a 3–1 victory at The Lamb Ground, and two days later Luton drew 1–1 at home with Hayes & Yeading United. This result left the club in fourth place in the table at the end of the month, two points behind leaders Mansfield Town.
On 31 August Tom Craddock, Luton's top scorer the previous season, signed for League Two side Oxford United for an undisclosed fee.
September On 2 September, striker Taiwo Atieno, who had been released from Luton in July and had subsequently been training with South African champions Supersport United, re-signed for the club on a contract until January 2011.
Grimsby Town inflicted Luton's second defeat of the season on 4 September, leaving the club searching for their first win in four games. This was soon achieved in the next game, with a 2–0 home victory against Cambridge United.
On 15 September, youth team midfielders Taylor Nathaniel and Adam Watkins, who had made their debuts for Luton the previous season, were sent on loan to Southern Football League Division One Central sides Barton Rovers and Arlesey Town, respectively.
On 17 September, Luton beat league leaders AFC Wimbledon 3–0 with goals from George Pilkington, Zdeněk Kroča and Matthew Barnes-Homer. Young striker Dan Walker also made his debut for the club. Four days later, Luton came from behind to secure a 2–2 draw with recently relegated Darlington; Claude Gnakpa and Jake Howells scoring the Hatters' goals. Luton faced another trip to North East England four days later to face Gateshead, in a game they lost 1–0 and had striker Taiwo Atieno sent off in the first half. Atieno's red card was later rescinded by the Football Association.
The club signed 21-year-old striker Amari Morgan-Smith on a free transfer on 28 September. Morgan-Smith was out of contract having previously been released from Ilkeston Town when the club went out of business earlier in September. He scored on his Luton debut the same day as they won 2–0 against Mansfield Town. Danny Crow also scored his first goal for the club in a game that saw Luton miss three penalties.
October Summer signing Adam Murray signed for Mansfield Town on a three-month loan on 1 October, with a view to a permanent transfer on 1 January 2011.
Luton won their first away game since mid-August a day later with a 1–0 victory over Barrow. A 2–1 home loss to league leaders Crawley Town on 5 October left Luton eight points behind them. An Andy Drury penalty had given Luton the lead midway through the second half, though Crawley hit back in the closing stages to snatch a win, with Craig McAllister eventually scoring the winner two minutes into added time.
An 11-day break without a game ended on 16 October with a 4–2 victory at Eastbourne Borough, Danny Crow scoring two goals. Three days later, Luton recorded their biggest win of the season so far with a 6–1 home victory over Forest Green Rovers. Crow continued his recent scoring run with two further goals, while Barnes-Homer netted his ninth of the season. The game also saw young striker Dan Walker score his first goal for the club with a 25-yard strike.
On 22 October, striker Kevin Gallen, who had not played for Luton since the beginning of September, signed for League Two club Barnet on loan until 8 January 2011.
Luton's goalscoring continued on 23 October with a 4–0 victory in the FA Cup 4th qualifying round against Conference South side St Albans City. Amari Morgan-Smith scored a hat-trick, with Danny Crow scoring once again.
Goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington joined his former club Mansfield Town on loan for three months on 28 October.
Luton celebrated their 125th anniversary on 30 October with a 3–1 victory over struggling Bath City. Goals from Danny Crow, George Pilkington and a first Luton goal from Taiwo Atieno lifted Luton to third in the table, three points behind Crawley Town.
November On 5 November, young duo Dan Walker and Godfrey Poku signed contract extensions until June 2012. Youth team defender Alex Lacey also signed his first professional contract with the club the same day.
Luton drew 1–1 with Conference North side Corby Town in the FA Cup first round on 6 November. The result meant the two teams would play a replay at Kenilworth Road on 17 November.
York City and former Wales under-21 international midfielder Alex Lawless joined Luton on 8 November. Lawless initially joined on loan, with a permanent transfer taking place in January 2011.
A 1–0 loss to Wrexham on 11 November was swiftly followed up two days later with a 1–0 win over Altrincham. This game saw Lawless score his first goal for the club.
Barrow striker Jason Walker signed for Luton on 17 November on a similar deal to Alex Lawless – a loan deal until January 2011, in which the transfer would then become permanent. Walker had scored 45 league goals for Barrow over the course of four seasons, including the winning goal in the club's FA Trophy victory the previous season.
17 November also saw Luton play their FA Cup replay against Corby Town – the game ended in a 4–2 victory to the Hatters, with Matthew Barnes-Homer, Taiwo Atieno and Claude Gnakpa scoring the goals. This win set up a Second Round tie away to League One side Charlton Athletic.
Luton's run of four games in ten days ended in a 5–1 win at home to struggling Histon on 20 November. Jason Walker scored a debut goal as the club moved to one point behind league leaders Crawley Town in the table.
On 25 November 19-year-old midfielder Jake Howells signed a new two-year contract with the club.
The day of the loan transfer deadline, 26 November, saw Luton make two further signings to bolster their squad. Northampton Town defender Craig Hinton was drafted in on loan until 4 January 2011 as cover for the injured Shane Blackett, while 24-year-old Newport County winger Charlie Henry was signed on an initial loan with a permanent transfer arranged for January 2011. Henry had previously been part of the Luton youth set-up as a 15-year-old.
A day later, Luton drew 2–2 with Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup; a team 49 places above them in the league hierarchy. Two goals from midfielder Andy Drury ensured a replay at Kenilworth Road on 9 December.
A top-of-the-table clash against AFC Wimbledon had to be postponed on 30 November due to a frozen pitch at Kingsmeadow.
December