‘Play the Luton Way’: How John Still Inspired Luton Town’s Resurgence
“This is a Premier League football club that happens to find itself in the Conference,” John Still said, straight faced, in the reception of the Chiltern Hotel in Luton.
It was November 2013 and I had just signed a one-month loan deal with Luton Town, who at the time were vying to escape the fifth tier and return to the English Football League after an agonising five-year exile.
“Go home, get your things and drive down this afternoon. Good luck son,” Port Vale manager Micky Adams said, just a few hours prior.
Still and his assistant Terry Harris were there to greet me on arrival, partly to introduce themselves, but more so to voice their ambitions for the second half of the season.
Defenders Alex Lacey and Anthony Charles were sidelined, giving myself, Alfie Mawson and Pelly Ruddock the chance to come in and fight for a shirt.
“We’ve got a top squad, we just need some help getting over the line,” Harris added. The more they spoke, the clearer it became that there was no ceiling to what they hoped to achieve and the gaffer’s ‘Premier League’ comment was his way of illustrating the sheer size of the football club.
Today, the club stands on the precipice of the Premier League, having beaten Sunderland 2–0 (3–2 on aggregate) in a pulsating Championship playoff semi-final clash at Kenilworth Road.
While you would be right to applaud the remarkable work of current boss Rob Edwards and his talented squad, it is the winning culture that Still ingrained into the club’s DNA a decade ago that remains an indelible part of Luton Town’s identity.
For you to truly appreciate the impact he had, and still has, on the football club, you have to understand the slippery slope that The Hatters were on at the time of his arrival in 2013.
Financial difficulties between 2007 and 2009 were ultimately what led to the club falling from the second tier of English football to the fifth in consecutive seasons. But deeper than that, a prolonged acceptance for failure had developed and a toxicity had seeped into the cracks once they had become lodged beneath the EFL.
That night I met John and Terry at the hotel, the club were into their fifth season in non-league and had gone through eight managers during that time, all of whom were unable to find a winning formula.
For every season that passed, even the most loyal Hatters were becoming disgruntled and Still, who had held the managerial reigns for nine months, was under pressure to deliver.
Meeting the players for the first time the following morning was my first real insight into what a special, tight-knit group we had. And one filled with talent.
Although it was Andre Gray and Paul Benson who would pull us out of trouble with their goals, it was the steel of Jonathan Smith and the wizardry of Luke Guttridge in midfield that kept the wheels turning. Steve McNulty and Ronnie Henry were masters in organisation at the back, so too was the reliable Mark Tyler between the sticks and Jake Howells on the left. Fellow loanee Ruddock added some raw power to the engine room, while Alex Lawless’ jinking runs and pinpoint deliveries caused havoc on the wings. As a unit, all of those unique qualities slotted together seamlessly — probably better than Still had ever envisioned.
What seperated Still from any other manager though, was his ability to remove grey areas from the game. Everything was black and white. ‘This is what we do and this is how I want you to do it — if you can’t do it, I’ll find someone else that can.’ Never have I ever had such clarity stepping onto a football pitch. His simplicity remains a refreshing contrast to the stat-driven Head Coach epoch that we find ourselves in — but maybe that’s the traditionalist in me talking.
“Whatever we do, we play the Luton way,” was another line that the gaffer left us with before every match — a reminder to stick to the values that he wanted to see. Bravery; patience; heart.
Bravery, in his eyes, was getting on the ball in tight areas and not being afraid to make mistakes — even if the fans are on your back. He wanted us to be aggressive but patient. Teams would often come and put 10 men behind the ball, so sticking to our principles was crucial if we were to eventually wear them down. And he wanted individuals who would roll their sleeves up and puff their chests out when under the cosh — something the fans also craved after some woeful years.
In the cold wintry months that followed, I played nine games, picking up seven wins and two draws — my last game being the 0–0 draw at Lincoln City which matched the club’s long-standing record of 19 games unbeaten.
A 6–0 home win against Kidderminster Harriers was a particular highlight, followed by a hard-fought 2–1 victory against Barnet on the wettest, boggiest pitch I had ever seen. I still don’t understand how that match was finished!
The cohesion that was forming on the field was infectiously making its way onto the terraces. Finally, fans could dream again; and more importantly, they could resonate with the hardworking team that Still had carefully assembled.
Every time we walked out of the tunnel and onto the pitch we were met with a roar of excitement. And away from the grass, I always felt there was something magical about the community that surrounded Kenilworth Road.
I will never forget my first time trying to find the player’s entrance — driving down narrow side streets, into dead ends and the wrong way through one-way systems. But when you do find it nestled cosily amidst a tapestry of terraced houses, ‘Kenny Road’ unveils a unique blend of rustic charm and timeless allure.
The echoes of cheers, boos and ‘go-ons’ filter onto the pavements and are just as much a part of the community as the shops and restaurants nearby. For those with an appreciation for the old school elements of the match day experience, Kenilworth Road is a special place and one that should be protected from the Premier League’s stadium upgrade regulations that strangle every last drop of nostalgia out of history-filled stadia.
Due to an injury crisis at my parent club, I was recalled in January, despite agreeing to extend my loan spell, and would go on to watch the team romp to the Conference title from afar. Finishing on 101 points — 19 ahead of closest rivals Cambridge United — the 2013/14 triumph kickstarted a gradual climb up the leagues, reviving the atmosphere inside the 118-year-old Kenilworth Road along the way.
If The Hatters get the job done at Wembley on 29th May, an extensive £10 million refurbishment of the ground will be required, despite work on a brand-new state-of-the-art stadium commencing.
More incredibly, though, victory would complete the ascent from the Blue Square Conference potting shed to the Premier League penthouse in less than a decade.
Irrelevant of whether that fairy tale ending happens, the aptly named Still should always be remembered as the man who turned the tide and laid the foundations for Edwards’ men to defy the odds one last time.
