đď¸ THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: The Ever-Changing world of Managers
In the second of his looks back at times of Luton past and present, Mike Simpson explores the ever-changing world of management and the differing experiences of supporters.
Itâs likely that the subject of who was the Townâs best manager is still discussed in pubs and social media platforms far and wide, and opinions vary greatly.
When I was first taken to a game at Kenilworth Road in October 1967, the man in charge was Allan Brown, who presumably did a decent job in leading the team to the Division Four title that season and, therefore, promotion to Division Three where momentum was largely maintained.
Unfortunately, a successive promotion proved just out of reach, and shortly afterwards Brown was sacked on the grounds of perceived disloyalty having applied for the job at Leicester City. After the tenure of Alec Stock, and the turgid style of football served up during that time, Harry Haslam was promoted from Entertainments Manager and introduced a colourful â literally â and refreshingly attractive brand of football.
The pleat years
Sadly, Harry chose to take the carrot dangled by Sheffield United, as did several of his coaching team, leaving the reserve teamâs young coach, David Pleat, to step up and attempt to stable the ship in what proved to be a serendipitous moment in the history of the club. Pleat, for many, is the man most worthy of the accolade of best manager, and he rebuilt the team to play the passing style of football he believed in, and his principles were rewarded with promotion to the first Division in 1981-82 season.
Perhaps indicative of his perfectionism and purist approach, he later said that the side he assembled a season or two earlier played better football than the promotion winning one. It was inevitable that a man of his calibre and tactical nous would be sought after by other clubs, and the extent of the vitriol shown towards him by many Luton fans when he joined Tottenham can easily be interpreted as a tacit appreciation of his work and what he achieved.
Pleatâs second spell as manager was largely a hopeless task, as I recall, due to the dire financial situation at the time. Records will show that John Moore and Ray Harford were at the helm when the club finished in its highest ever position and won its first major domestic trophy respectively, but the reality is that both were achieved with minor tweaks to a team assembled by David Pleat.
more recent reigns
Nathan Jones didnât even get a mention in one of the âBest Luton Town Managerâ polls I saw on a Facebook group, but to not acknowledge his contribution to the clubâs recent history is disingenuous. He may not have the charm (or looks) of Rob Edwards, and there are things he must still regret about his decision to leave for Stoke City, but not only did he create a team capable of going from League Two to the Championship, he also returned and oversaw the victories that kept the Hatters in that division. It should also be mentioned that some of the football played in League One was a delight to watch. Like Manchester City in orange, was my thought at the time.
John Still deserves a mention when discussing the best managers in the clubâs history, largely because he succeeded where four others failed in getting Luton out of the Conference. As became evident, the lower leagues were his area of expertise, and the club was right to move in a different direction once promotion was achieved.
John Still manages Luton against Cambridge United
Rob Edwards won our hearts (especially those of female supporters) in winning promotion to the Premier League via the playoff final in 2023, and that day will live forever in the memory of everyone associated with the club. Clearly he was disappointed with the way season 2023-24 played out, as were all of us, and I believe it is too early to put him on the same pedestal as the other three. Time will determine Robâs greatness â an immediate return to the Premier League might well seal the deal, but the longer Luton remain away from the top table the longer he will have to wait to be awarded âlegendâ status.
One thing that is not in dispute is his man-management, as shown by his handling of the Tom Lockyer episodes. He also exudes charm and charisma, which will not necessarily win football matches but must contribute to the tightness of the group and loyalty of his players, and also explains why the TV companies are keen to interview him.
Tough circumstances
Jimmy Ryan and Lennie Lawrence did admirable work with very few resources available to them, while Terry Westley was possibly in over his head, especially in view of the financial constraints which are a recurring theme. Joe Kinnear oversaw a renaissance as the club won promotion from the fourth tier of the EFL before being sacked by the nefarious and possibly mentally unstable John Gurney, after which Mike Newell enjoyed a good season in League One in 2004-05, winning the title in no little style followed by a decent first half of the season in the Championship.
Unfortunately, results and performances tailed off, and the next campaign resulted in the first of three successive relegations, due largely to points deductions. Newellâs cause was not helped by his association with Gurney and the ridiculous vote for a manager idea, and his implosion was completed with his ill-advised comments about female match officials.
former Players stepping up
No bad word can ever be written about Mick Harford in relation to his efforts in several roles at Luton, but it is likely he would admit that managing the team wasnât the job he enjoyed most, albeit that his reputation was restored when he took responsibility for first team matters when Nathan Jones left for Stoke city.
Ricky Hill and Lil Fuccillo were examples of great Luton players who failed to cut it as managers at the club, although both â again â were asked to do a job in almost impossible financial circumstances.
Less-memorable leaders
Those who will not feature in the annals of great managers include Kevin Blackwell, a one-season man who filled the team with his cronies and has-beens, Terry Mancini, whose solitary game in charge was an FA Cup stuffing at Brighton, Richard Money who to this day probably still claims credit for the Townâs rise from Conference to the Premier League, Gary Brabin, who oversaw the Conference Final playoff defeat against AFC Wimbledon at the Etihad Stadium, Paul Buckle, who did likewise the following year at Wembley in even more disappointing circumstances, and Graeme Jones, who proved heâs a better coach and assistant than manager.