Luton Was The Biggest Mistake I Ever Made

Always keen to bring you something a little different, when it comes to articles, I stumbled upon something that shocked me the other day.

I was doing a little research relating to the 1974 / 1975 season, our first back in the top-flight of English football for an age, in the hope of producing a mini-series of articles.

That season will always be special to me as it was the first time, I had ever seen the Hatters compete with the best teams in the land.

As an impressionable young teenager, those who played for Luton were people I looked up to and, thinking back, I was keen to delve into the career of Adrian Alston.

Now, I was always under the impression that Alston was an Australian, but I was soon to discover that was not the case, although he represented Australia at international level, Alston was, in fact, born in Preston.

Alston started his career with Preston but was soon to move to Australia to play for Safeway United but was to make his name in the 1974 World Cup Finals, playing for Australia.

His performances generated interest from several clubs but it seemed odds on that Alston would join the German club, Hertha Berlin, after they offered him a $40,000 signing on fee.

However, aware he was available and remembering he had scored the winner, against Luton, when they played Australia the season before, the Hatters moved swiftly and persuaded Alston his future was with Luton.

Back in the UK, Alston, even though Luton were to last just the one season in the top-flight, was the joint top-scorer with Ron Futcher.

But behind-the-scenes, all was not well at Kenilworth Road with financial problems encompassing the club and Alston found himself without pay at times.

The situation was resolved when Cardiff City offered Luton £20,000 for the player and agreed to cover his unpaid wages.

Alston jumped at the move and left Luton.

However, recalling his time with the club and as recorded in Socceroos Greats, the Australian international had this to say:

“It was the biggest mistake I ever made.

“I had three firm offers from Hertha Berlin, Hamburg and Eintracht Frankfurt and I chose Hertha. I will never forget the contract: $40,000 signing-on fee and so much a week plus an apartment until I got myself organised.

“We had agreed terms and a transfer fee had to be arranged between Hertha and Safeway.

“By the time I got back to Australia Luton had expressed an interest because I had scored against them during the Socceroos’ world tour the year before and they remembered me.

“Of course, I was thinking my wife and I had family in England and there would be no language barrier. Luton also had just been promoted to the big league and I opted to join them.”

Surely things were not that bad at Kenilworth Road or, perhaps, as they say, there are two sides to every story.

But discovering the above has tainted my memories of Alston’s contribution to Luton’s history!

COYH’s