The New Year is upon us and the Town’s first match of it is a matter of hours away, but before I head off to Kenilworth Road for the first time in 2019, it feels only right to look back to what was a magical 2018.
Throughout the highs and lows of following Luton Town I’ve been fortunate to see a number of good years football wise, and 2018 was right up there as one of the very best, creating memories that will live with me for a very long time.
From the very first game, when we were forced to come from behind with 10 men against Lincoln to win 4-2, right the way through to the last match of 2018 when Kazenga LuaLua sent everyone wild with that late equaliser, it was a superb year of free-flowing, aesthetically pleasing, wonderful football.
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Three occasions stood out from the rest for me over the course of the 12 months. The first of them was when the Town took 7,500 fans to St James’ Park for our FA Cup third round tie, and while the match ended in defeat we gave a wonderful account of ourselves and the atmosphere and occasion was superb.
The second big memory was that wonderful day at Carlisle when we finally secured promotion to League One. Knowing that Exeter were only drawing elsewhere, Olly Lee’s goal was the one we needed to put ourselves on the edge of going up, and eventually the final whistle blew and our return to the third tier was confirmed with fantastic celebrations to ensue.
My favourite day of the year, and one of the best I’ve experienced as a Town fan, came at Meadow Lane on the final day of the season when 4,500 Luton fans went to Notts County and sung relentlessly for 90 minutes. The match might have been a 0-0 draw but that didn’t matter. It was a massive party, and after the game the 5-10 minutes when the players and coaches stood in a line listening to the singing was a surreal moment and one I’ll never forget.
It wasn’t just the first half of the year that was great. When you throw in England’s wonderful World Cup, and some of the football we have played in League One, not least that absolutely superb first half against Plymouth at Kenilworth Road in November, it is safe to say 2018 will be a year I’ll remember for quite some time.
And now we are into 2019, the year which is the biggest in our club’s fine history as we get the verdicts on the Newlands Park and Power Court planning applications throughout the course of January.
It is a busy month on the pitch with encounters with Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland to kick start the year, but that all becomes irrelevant in comparison to those two dates where all eyes will be on the council to see if they deliver the verdict we all desire. If we get the planning permission go ahead there will be no stopping the Football Club, and the town of Luton in the future.
2018 will never be forgotten as a Town fan, but 2019 has the potential to be very special indeed. I can’t wait to travel up and down the country to watch it all play out.
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