Luton after 31 whole years, back in the Premier League

Manos Staramopoulos • 28 de mayo de 2023

Luton secured promotion after a match that strongly resembled 'Russian Roulette' beat Coventry 6-5 in the penalty shoot-out

Luton Town winner of The Championship and new tenant of Premier League

Life goes in circles. And not particularly strong from a financial point of view, Luton Town returned to the Premier League for the first time in 31 years. In a thrilling final played at the imposing Wembley Stadium, they secured promotion after a match that strongly resembled 'Russian Roulette'. Luton beat Coventry 6-5 in the penalty shoot-out (1-1 regular time and overtime) in the promotion play-off and got the "golden" ticket to the "big salons" of English football. It is worth noting that Luton was promoted to the Premier League by finishing in 3rd place in the Championship. But they emerged victorious in the play-offs held at Wembley.


In the most "expensive" game on the planet, worth 195 million euros (that's how much the winner receives over the next three years from television rights and sponsorships), Luton was much more effective as 6 players scored from the penalty spot, while Coventry's Dubbo proved fatal, firing over the posts in the Blues' 6th penalty.


Luton "lost" their captain Tom Lockyer in the 8th minute, who "collapsed" on the field and left the field on a stretcher, but conscious. Burke took his place. Nevertheless, she was better in the half and opened the scoring with Clark's "lightning" in the 23rd minute.


In the second half, Coventry took the initiative and equalized in the 66th minute with Hammer. But she could not turn her superiority into a second goal. The game went into extra time, with both teams looking tired and resigned to the idea of a penalty shootout. There, where Luton did the ultimate and made their way back to the Premier League, sending their fans who flooded half of "Wembley" to heaven.




195 million euros


A qualification that, in addition to the historic success, makes the people of the club smile for one more reason. And this one is financial, as Luton with their promotion will put in their coffers the amount of 195 million euros, possibly changing the status of the team once and for all!


The last time the "hatters" (- a nickname they got because of the flourishing of this particular profession in the area) competed in the first division of the Island, was... the distant 1991/92. When on 2 May they were beaten 2-1 at home by already relegated Notts County in the last matchday. And from there begins her decline, which brought her to the lowest categories of the country...


Luton got to play as far as the National League (5th division), where they played for 5 years (2009-2014), before Andre Gray (center forward of Aris Thessaloniki now), with an amazing season (30 goals), led the club in promotion and League 2.


In the 4th division it remained for the next three seasons, securing promotion to League 1 in the summer of 2018. The hatters' run in the 3rd division lasted just one year, as they won the league and found themselves in the Championship!


With hard work and method, Luton waited patiently for their chance! Last year, he came within a breath of promotion to the Premier League. But her path was blocked by Huddersfield in the playoffs. A year later however, this historic club founded on the banks of the River Lea in April 1885 won its long-awaited return to the great drawing rooms of the United Kingdom!

 

The penalty series

 

Morris 1-0      Godden 1-1

 

Taylor 2-1         Gyokers 2-2

 

Nakamba 3-2      Scheaff 3-3

 

Clark 4-3        Eccles 4-4

 

Berry 5-4       Kelly 5-5

 

Potts 6-5       Dabo out

 

Luton's XI basically consists of (3-5-2):

34-  Ethan Horvath- 32. Gabriel Osho,  4 Tom Lockyer, 29. Amari Bell-  2. Cody Drameh, 18.Jordan Clark, 13. Marvelus Nakamba 17. Ruddock Pelly, 45 Alfie Dough- 9. Carlton Morris, 11. Elijah Adebayo . Trainer: Rob Edwards



Manos Staramopoulos- Discoveryfootball.om

Manos Staramopoulos

Journalist and Analyst of International Football and Affairs

Chief Editor English Zone of Discoveryfootball.com

Athens (Greece)

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