Luton – The Legends Series – David Moss

For the latest in our ongoing series covering those who have achieved legendary status among the support, we feature another former player who became a fans favourite.

Following on from those already covered – John Moore, David Preece, Mal Donaghy, Brian Lewis, Bruce Rioch, Fred Jardine, Brian Horton, Kevin Nicholls, Tony Read and Steve Foster, Mike Keen, Ian Buxton and Lars Elstrup, Peter Anderson and Graham French and Alan West

The latest Hatter to be featured is David Moss, as suggested by Tony Byfield.

David Moss, in my opinion, would be in contention for a place in a best ever Luton Town XI, he was a unique player, a winger who was also a goal scorer. He never had devastating pace but a deft drop of the shoulders, a quick shuffle of the feet and he was able to generate enough space to deliver a pin-point cross that many a Luton striker was able to benefit from.

Moss made his reputation at Swindon Town for whom he made over 200 league appearances hitting the net on 60 occasions.

Clearly, David Pleat saw Moss as someone who could add more attacking threat to a Luton side that were set to go places and on 27-May-1978, Pleat convinced David that his future lay with Luton and a deal was subsequently done that saw David become a Luton player with a fee of £110,000 being received by Swindon Town.

For a player of David’s abilities Luton got a bargain with the player remaining at until 1985 making 221 league appearances and scoring 88 goals, a ratio of better than 1 goal every 3 games.

While at Luton, he helped the club win promotion to the top-flight of English football with the Hatters being recognised as one of the best attacking sides in English football.

Moss was also an expert penalty taker, a case of if Luton Town got a penalty then it usually resulted in a goal.

Sadly, after Luton achieved promotion to the top-flight, in 1982, David’s future at Luton started to wane, in the first season back he was a regular but then his appearances started to drop and in 1985 he returned to Swindon Town.

Another point of interest, relating to Moss, is that he, after the English season had finished, journeyed across the Atlantic to play for Tampa Bay Rowdies, in 1981, it meant he missed the start of the new English season. But can you imagine some of todays prima-donnas playing all year round, talk of burn-out would surface.

David’s career came to an end due to an injury and he dropped into non-league football with Trowbridge Town before a spell, as the manager of Macclesfield Town was his only dalliance with managership.

For those that are interested, David is active on Facebook and his posts often make me laugh as he exchanges banter with Mike Saxby, another ex-Hatter.

Mossy will always be one of my favourite Hatters, a unique player and one that certainly proved to be good value when it came to his transfer fee.

Please feel free to browse the montage of pictures, in the link below, kindly placed in the public domain by LUTON VIDS

David Moss – Mini Fact File

Name – David John Moss

Date of Birth – 18-March-1952

Place of Birth – Witney, England

Position – Winger

Youth Career – Witney Town

Career – Swindon Town, Luton Town, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Swindon Town, Trowbridge Town

Managerial Career – Macclesfield Town

If you feel able to share any of your thoughts or memories on the Hatters career of David Moss, please feel free to do so in the comment facility beneath this article.

If you can think of anyone who deserves nominating for coverage in this ongoing series, please drop their name into the comment facility beneath this article.

My thanks go to those who have already nominated faces from the past, they will all be covered, in time.

Next up in the series will be – Terry Branston suggested by Philip Carter

COYH’s

Previous article by Mad Hatter

Luton – The Legends Series – Alan West