Luton Town has had a tumultuous history, but they have achieved the impossible and will play in the Premier League next season. The Hatters secured their promotion after defeating Coventry City 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Wembley, sparking wild celebrations. Luton produced six perfect penalties to secure their place in the top flight.
Rob Edwards, who was sacked by Watford in September 2022, has led Luton to their historic promotion. The club has been through many ups and downs over the past 30 years, but they have finally reached the promised land. This season will go down in the club’s history as a remarkable rise.
Since the Premier League’s inception in 1992, Luton has never been involved. They were relegated from the old First Division in the 1991/92 campaign, missing out on the inaugural season by a matter of months. Since then, they have never come close to playing in England’s top flight.
The Hatters were relegated to what is now League One in 1996, where they remained until 2001 before dropping into League Two. They made it back up to the Championship in 2005 and finished tenth in the 2005/06 campaign. However, that was as good as it got for Luton, and they suffered three straight relegations to end up in the National League in 2009.
Luton finally won the league in 2014, with a young Andre Gray leading the line. The first two seasons in League Two saw the Hatters finish in the top half before Nathan Jones arrived. The Welshman propelled Luton into League One before departing and returning once they were in the Championship, where they have been ever since.
It has been 31 years since Luton last played in the top flight of English football. They made the play-offs last season but missed out on a trip to Wembley by losing to Huddersfield. However, under Rob Edwards, things have been different, and they will play in the Premier League for the first time.
After the win over Coventry, Elijah Adebayo said, “This group is special. Commiserations to Coventry, it was a hell of a battle and they pushed us all the way. We’ve said it since the gaffer has come in, he said we were going to do it but we had to believe it. If you look at Luton, every year they seem to improve their position in the league. I just wanted to come here and do my best and aim for days like this. The fans who have been here since Luton were relegated to the conference, this is for them.”
Luton has had a tumultuous time since their last relegation from the top flight, but they are back and will bring Premier League football to Kenilworth Road for the first time.