Eleven days after the visit of Liverpool, West Ham United were the next visitors to Kenilworth Road.
If you haven’t read the first installment of my memories off a teenager celerating our rise to top-light status, please Click Here.
Between the first and second home games of the new season, the Hatters had played two First Division away games, losing 2-0 at Upton Park and drawing 1-1 at Ayresome Park, with Barry Butlin, once again, getting on the score sheet, remaining the only Hatter to have scored this season.
Three games into the season and Luton had only one point to their name, would the home fixture, against the Hammers, see Luton Town get that first win?
With the game being played in midweek, I was free off the shackles of having to leave early to complete my paper round, on this occassion it would be done before I set off for the game.
So, at approximately five o’clock, I dumped my paper bag in the garage and headed off towards Kenilworth Road.
This time, I took a different route, meandering through the field that ran behind the back of Watermead Road and across Icknield Way towards the Runfold Estate to meet up with my school pal. Soon we’d cut past the Old Moat House, up Nunnery lane and then into Bishopscote Road, walking past the Wheatsheaf.
Soon we were darting down a side street and on the Leagrave Road, getting a portion of sausage and chips from the usual chippy opposite SKF. Venturing under the railway bridge and passing the Conway Arms, Bury Park was soon in view.
Ahead of the game, we’d spoken about the West Ham support and their reputation, I thought of the words my mum had uttered as I left, something about taking care of myself. Walking along Dunstable Road, the people were a mix of those going home from work and those heading to the football. It was noticeable that there was a larger than normal police presence.
Catching glimpses of a few claret and blue scarves, we were soon heading up to Kenilworth Road, heading for the Maple Road entrance. Mulling around, there didn’t seem to be as many West Ham supporters around as I thought there would be, perhaps they were still making there way from Midland Road to Kenilworth Road, escorted by a column of police officers, some on horseback.
Inside the ground, stood at was to be our, for the season, regular viewing spot, adjacent to the home dug-out, small-chat was exchanged, mostly about the forthcoming game but also about the thoughts o the looming return to school that was only a week or so away.
With the kick-off fast approaching, there didn’t seem to be as many inside the ground as for the Liverpool game, then, with the sets of fans baiting each other, with song, a big roar went up as a group of Hammers fans revealed themselves in the Oak Road stand, a gap appeared on the terracing as both sides contemplated what to do next.
Punches were exchanges, the younger Luton fans were cowering down the front of the stand, some trying to escape the violence by climbing onto the pitch. Soon the polce were in the mix trying to restore order, a thin blue line down one side of the middle off the end, ushering the elated West Ham fans out onto the pitchside, before escorting them down to the huge open Kenilworth Road terrace where they were greeted as heroes.
By now the game had started, but what we had witnessed was our main point of conversation, at least up until half-time with the big question being whether there were any others still lurking in the home parts of the ground ready to cause chaos.
From what I can remember, the game was a flat affair, a West Ham side containing the likes of Billy Bonds and Frank Lampard didn’t trouble the Luton Town ranks too much and, indeed, it was a young Mervyn Day, in the West Ham goal, that prevented the Hatters securing that first win of the season, producing some fine saves.
Little did we know that some 19 years later that same Mervyn Day was to be on the books of Luton Town.
Despite having, attack-wise, the better of the game, Luton Town still needed the skills of Keith Barber, to hang onto a point, with the recalled keeper tipping a shot, from Kevin Lock, on to the bar.
Exiting the ground on a summers night, darkness had fallen, there was an eerie atmosphere with the shops all shut and just the illumination from the street lights, hundreds of people shuffling in different directions keen to get home or to the pub for a last orders drink.
The police were prominent, their presence designed to prevent any further outbreaks of trouble, soon we were turning into Bishopscote Road, familiar territory on our journey home. All the talk was of just when Luton Town get that crucial first win, four games played, two draws and two defeats, it looked like we were in for a tough season.
Would it come on Saturday when Queens Park Rangers were the visitors to Kenilworth Road?
28-August-1974 Luton Town 0 West Ham United 0
Team – Barber, Shanks, Thomson, Anderson, Faulkner, Ryan, Husband, Hindson, Butlin, West, Aston
Attendance – 16,931
Recollections so far:
