2001–02 Luton Town F.C. season

The 2001–02 season was the 116th season in the history of Luton Town Football Club. The club's 22nd-place finish in Division Two in 2000–01 meant they competed in Division Three for the first time in 33 years. After a summer of upheaval from manager Joe Kinnear, the club comfortably secured automatic promotion by finishing in second place in the league, 18 points ahead of their nearest rivals. Cup competitions proved to be far less of a success, with Luton exiting the FA Cup, League Cup, and Football League Trophy at the first hurdle.

Luton Town
2001–02 season
ChairmanMike Watson-Challis
ManagerJoe Kinnear
Football League Third DivisionSecond (promoted as runners-up)
FA CupFirst round
Football League CupFirst round
Football League TrophySecond round
Top goalscorerLeague: Steve Howard (24)
All: Steve Howard (24)
Highest home attendance9,585 vs Plymouth Argyle (Football League Third Division, 2 February 2002)
Lowest home attendance5,066 vs Lincoln City (Football League Third Division, 18 September 2001)
Average home league attendance6,853

The 2001–02 season is also notable for Kinnear creating the nucleus of the successful Luton team of future years: centre-back Chris Coyne, midfielders Kevin Nicholls and Ahmet Brković, and striker Steve Howard would all go on to prove themselves as fully adept at playing at a higher level for the club.

This article covers the period from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002.

Background

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Instability and inexperience had proved to be Luton's downfall in the previous season with two former players, Ricky Hill and Lil Fuccillo, winning just four out of 26 games as managers and ultimately contributing to the club's relegation from Division Two.[1][2] An under-performing squad, expensive yet underwhelming signings and poor quality, untested players from abroad left the club languishing deep in the relegation zone. Ex-Wimbledon boss Joe Kinnear was appointed, initially, as director of football on 8 February 2001, but his first act in the job was to immediately demote Fuccillo to an assistant role and install himself as manager.[3] Kinnear's arrival saw Luton win five of their next seven games, raising hopes of avoiding relegation. However, the team's good form soon collapsed as they failed to win again that season. The damage had been done long before Kinnear's appointment as Luton fell into the bottom tier of league football for the first time since 1968.

Kinnear began building his own squad over a month before the 2000–01 season had even finished, releasing players he deemed as surplus to requirements and notably signing striker Steve Howard for £50,000 from Northampton Town in March.[4][5]

Review

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Pre-season

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Former Luton Town striker and fan-favourite Mick Harford was installed as first-team coach in early July, as Kinnear began to overhaul his backroom staff as well as playing squad.[6] Former Luton youth player Aaron Skelton arrived from Colchester United on a free transfer to boost the defence, goalkeeper Carl Emberson was drafted in from Walsall, and prolific lower-league striker Carl Griffiths was signed from Leyton Orient for £65,000. Winger Adrian Forbes and midfielder Paul Hughes were signed from Norwich City and Southampton respectively, whilst the only player to leave was Finnish defender Petri Helin. What would prove later to be a shrewd signing was the capture of influential midfielder Kevin Nicholls for £25,000 from Wigan Athletic.[5]

August and September

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Luton began the season with several injuries to key players, including Matthew Spring, Aaron Skelton and Adrian Forbes. The team managed to secure a series of good results despite an ever-changing squad, with just one loss in their first six league games. New signing Carl Griffiths lived up to his goalscoring reputation, hitting the net three times as Luton hovered near the top of the table. Reading knocked Luton out of the League Cup with a 4–0 hammering at the Madejski Stadium.

Meanwhile, members of the playing staff continued to change – right-back Ian Hillier was signed on a three-month loan from Tottenham Hotspur in mid-August and centre-back Russell Perrett was drafted in on a free transfer from Cardiff City. Players from the previous regime, such as Norwegian Kent Karlsen, were released from their contracts as Kinnear looked to trim the squad.[7][8]

A 2–1 victory over York City on 15 September was marred by an incident involving Steve Howard. With Luton awarded a penalty, the striker took it, but it was promptly saved. However, the referee had seen an infringement and Luton were ordered to re-take the penalty. Despite his team-mates protests, Howard grabbed the ball from captain and designated penalty-taker Skelton and placed it on the spot. Once again, he saw it saved. A seething Howard was immediately substituted for eventual match-winner Ian Hillier. Manager Joe Kinnear later branded Howard a "disgrace", and even considered placing him on the transfer list.[9][10]

Australian centre-back Chris Coyne signed from Dundee for £50,000 on 17 September on a three-year contract and was immediately placed into the team that drew 1–1 with Lincoln City a day later – a team minus Steve Howard, whom Kinnear had dropped. French winger Jean-Louis Valois was signed on a one-year contract from Lille on 21 September and put in a stunning performance in a 5–1 demolition of Torquay United the next day, setting up two goals and scoring from 40 yards in a game that saw Griffiths score a hat-trick.[11]

Striker Dean Crowe signed on a one-month loan on 28 September from Stoke City after news that leading scorer Carl Griffiths was ruled out through injury; later revealed to be a fractured leg that would keep him out for the rest of the season.

After a 2–1 loss away to Plymouth Argyle ended Luton's seven game unbeaten run, the team found themselves in third place in the table at the end of September.

October and November

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Injuries persisted at Kenilworth Road: Paul Hughes was ruled out for three months; captain Aaron Skelton had suffered a broken foot; striker Andrew Fotiadis was still recovering from an ankle injury, and veteran defender Marvin Johnson required specialist treatment.[12] Ahmet Brković, a Croatian midfielder who had most recently played for Leyton Orient, signed on a free transfer on 4 October.

By the end of October, Luton found themselves topping the table, despite suffering their first home defeat of the season to Rochdale. The Football League Trophy saw an inexperienced Luton side knocked out by non-League Dagenham & Redbridge in the second round.

Players continued to move in and out of the club, with forwards Stuart Douglas and Peter Thomson loaned to Oxford United and Rushden & Diamonds respectively, and both Ian Hillier and Dean Crowe making their own loan moves at Luton permanent; Hillier for £30,000, and Crowe for free. With the loan places in the squad now freed up, Kinnear moved to sign Crewe Alexandra midfielder Kevin Street on a one-month loan.

November saw the team grind to a halt – one win in four games led the club to fall to fifth in the league. Two heavy defeats to Mansfield Town and Macclesfield Town, and a home loss to Hull City, meant the Hatters needed a good spell of form over the winter to maintain their promotion ambitions. Southend United knocked Luton out of the FA Cup at the First Round on 17 November.

December and January

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An outbreak of flu led to the cancellation of Luton's game at Kidderminster Harriers, which, combined with injuries, left Kinnear with fewer than eleven players to choose from.[13]

Defender David Bayliss was signed from Rochdale on 7 December as Luton looked to patch up their injury-hit squad. Bayliss started in the game at Hartlepool United, where Luton returned to winning ways with a 2–1 victory. A swift return to their early season form left Luton safely in the automatic promotion places by mid-January, thanks to an eight-game unbeaten streak and a strong scoring run from Dean Crowe.

Striker Liam George and midfielder Dean Brennan were released from their contracts on 23 December.[14] In addition, Stuart Douglas was sent on a two-month loan to Rushden & Diamonds after his spell at Oxford came to an end. Peter Thomson, after an unsuccessful loan at Rushden, was released by Luton on 31 January.

February, March and April

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Further changes were afoot, with Kinnear signing defender Alan Neilson from Fulham. To balance this, Jude Stirling was sent on loan to neighbouring team Stevenage Borough, which was later converted into a permanent deal. Strikers Gary McSwegan and Steve Kabba were signed on one-month loans from Hearts and Crystal Palace respectively, to provide competition for places up front. Long-term injury victim Stuart Fraser was released on 21 March, bringing an end to a five-year spell at Luton.

Another stutter in the promotion bid came when Luton picked up just five points from a possible eighteen through late-January to mid-February. A 2–0 victory, the only win in this period, over leaders Plymouth Argyle saw the highest attendance at Kenilworth Road in over seven years, when Luton were in Division One, as 9,585 fans packed in.[15] Fellow promotion hopefuls Rochdale ground out a 1–0 victory to close the gap between the clubs, and Scunthorpe United scored a last-minute winner at Kenilworth Road – this saw Luton balanced precariously between the automatic promotion places and the playoffs with around a quarter of the season left to play.

However, a run of twelve consecutive victories, with a 3–1 win away to Swansea City on 30 March clinching the club's first promotion in twenty years, ensured Luton went back to the Second Division with four games left to play, breaking several long-standing club records in the process.[16][17] Steve Howard scored thirteen goals in those twelve games to finish the season as top scorer of the Third Division with twenty-four goals.[18]

Luton finished a comfortable eighteen points ahead of third-placed Mansfield Town and just five points behind leaders Plymouth Argyle. The club claimed the highest goal difference and goals scored in the league, averaging just over two goals every game. Matthew Taylor, naturally a left-back, but pushed forward by Kinnear often, won the PFA Third Division player of the year award, scoring eleven goals in total.[19] Taylor was also included in the PFA Division Three Team of the Season, the only Luton player to do so.[20]

May and June

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Joe Kinnear immediately set about keeping his squad for the next season, securing contract extensions for Kevin Nicholls, David Bayliss, Alan Neilson, Ahmet Brković and Paul Hughes. Highly rated midfielder Matthew Spring, who had progressed through the youth team and was coming close to the end of his contract, signed a new two-year deal.[21] His fellow academy graduate Matthew Taylor refused a new contract and, as he was under 24 years old, Luton were entitled to a fee from any club that bought his services. That club proved to be Division One side Portsmouth, who offered £150,000. Kinnear reacted furiously, calling the offer "an insult" and exclaiming that "at least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask."[22] The two clubs eventually reached a deal for an initial £400,000, rising to £750,000 based on appearances.[23]

Striker Tony Thorpe returned to the club on 12 June after a four-year absence, signing a two-year contract. Preston North End midfielder and Northern Irish international Steve Robinson joined Luton for a fee of £50,000 two weeks later.

Match results

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Luton Town results given first.

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Friendlies

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Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers Notes
22 July 2001 Boreham Wood Away 3–1 N/A Howard, Griffiths, Mansell [24]
23 July 2001 Dundee Away 2–3 0 Griffiths, own goal [25][A]
31 July 2001 Queens Park Rangers Home 1–0 3,049 Griffiths [26]
4 August 2001 Norwich City Home 1–3 3,294 Fotiadis [27]
7 August 2001 Tottenham Hotspur Home 1–1 9,175 Skelton [28]

Football League Third Division

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All results, goals, attendances etc. taken from Soccerbase[29] and verified with official Luton Town match reports.[30]
Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers Notes
11 August 2001 Carlisle United Away 2–0 4,432 Hughes, Griffiths
18 August 2001 Cheltenham Town Home 2–1 6,177 Hughes, Griffiths
25 August 2001 Bristol Rovers Away 2–3 9,057 Taylor, Mansell
27 August 2001 Southend United Home 2–0 6,496 Griffiths, Fotiadis
1 September 2001 Exeter City Away 2–2 3,088 Taylor (2)
8 September 2001 Oxford United Home 1–1 6,736 Nicholls
15 September 2001 York City Away 2–1 3,247 Griffiths, Hillier
18 September 2001 Lincoln City Home 1–1 5,066 Skelton
22 September 2001 Torquay United Home 5–1 6,392 Howard, Griffiths (3), Valois [11]
25 September 2001 Leyton Orient Away 3–1 6,540 Taylor, Valois, Howard
29 September 2001 Plymouth Argyle Away 1–2 5,782 Crowe
5 October 2001 Darlington Home 5–2 7,219 Spring, Howard, Crowe, Nicholls (pen), Valois
13 October 2001 Scunthorpe United Away 2–0 3,959 Forbes, Perrett
20 October 2001 Rochdale Home 0–1 7,696
23 October 2001 Halifax Town Away 4–2 2,140 Crowe (2), Nicholls, Forbes
27 October 2001 Swansea City Home 3–0 6,705 Crowe, Perrett, Forbes
3 November 2001 Mansfield Town Away 1–4 5,973 Crowe
9 November 2001 Shrewsbury Town Home 1–0 6,809 Spring
20 November 2001 Hull City Home 0–1 7,214
24 November 2001 Macclesfield Town Away 1–4 2,250 Howard
8 December 2001 Hartlepool United Away 2–1 3,585 Crowe, Taylor
15 December 2001 Rushden & Diamonds Home 1–0 7,495 Crowe
22 December 2001 Hartlepool United Home 2–2 6,739 Howard, Johnson
26 December 2001 Oxford United Away 2–1 11,121 Crowe, Spring
29 December 2001 Southend United Away 2–1 5,973 Crowe, Taylor
8 January 2002 Kidderminster Harriers Away 4–1 4,147 Taylor, Spring (2), Howard
12 January 2002 Cheltenham Town Away 1–1 5,026 Howard
19 January 2002 Carlisle United Home 1–1 6,647 Perrett
26 January 2002 Darlington Away 2–3 3,560 Howard, Valois
2 February 2002 Plymouth Argyle Home 2–0 9,585 Nicholls (pen), Howard
9 February 2002 Rochdale Away 0–1 4,306
16 February 2002 Scunthorpe United Home 2–3 6,371 Howard, Taylor
19 February 2002 Bristol Rovers Home 3–0 5,651 Howard, Coyne, Nicholls (pen)
23 February 2002 York City Home 2–1 6,188 Howard (2)
26 February 2002 Lincoln City Away 1–0 2,921 Taylor
2 March 2002 Torquay United Away 1–0 3,280 Brković
5 March 2002 Leyton Orient Home 3–0 6,683 Coyne, Crowe, Forbes
9 March 2002 Rushden & Diamonds Away 2–1 5,876 Crowe, Howard
12 March 2002 Exeter City Home 3–0 6,327 Howard (2), Taylor
16 March 2002 Kidderminster Harriers Home 1–0 6,488 Hughes
23 March 2002 Halifax Town Home 5–0 6,830 Spring, Coyne, Howard, Crowe, Valois
30 March 2002 Swansea City Away 3–1 5,436 Taylor, Holmes, Howard
1 April 2002 Mansfield Town Home 5–3 8,231 Valois, Crowe, Nicholls (pen), Howard (2)
6 April 2002 Hull City Away 4–0 9,379 Howard (3), Crowe
13 April 2002 Macclesfield Town Home 0–0 7,873
20 April 2002 Shrewsbury Town Away 2–0 7,858 own goal, Howard

FA Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers Notes
First round 17 November 2001 Southend United Away 2–3 (aet) 6,526 Forbes, Brković

Football League Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers Notes
First round 21 August 2001 Reading Away 0–4 5,115

Football League Trophy

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers Notes
Second round 30 October 2001 Dagenham & Redbridge Away 2–3 (aet) 2,433 Brennan, Thomson [B]

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Plymouth Argyle (C, P) 46 31 9 6 71 28 +43 102 Promotion to Football League Second Division
2 Luton Town (P) 46 30 7 9 96 48 +48 97
3 Mansfield Town (P) 46 24 7 15 72 60 +12 79
4 Cheltenham Town (O, P) 46 21 15 10 66 49 +17 78 Qualification for the Third Division play-offs
5 Rochdale 46 21 15 10 65 52 +13 78
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted

Player statistics

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Last match played on 20 April 2002. Players with a zero in every column only appeared as unused substitutes.[31]
No. Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup FL Trophy Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals    
1 GK   Mark Ovendale 13 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 14 0 1 0
2 DF   Aaron Skelton 9 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 1 0 0
4 MF   Matthew Spring 40 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 41 6 4 0
5 DF   Russell Perrett 40 (1) 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 41 (1) 3 6 0
6 DF   Marvin Johnson 11 (7) 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 12 (7) 1 2 0
7 MF   Adrian Forbes 15 (25) 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 17 (25) 5 6 0
8 MF   Kevin Nicholls 41 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 42 5 14 1
9 FW   Stuart Douglas 2 (7) 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 2 (8) 0 2 0
10 FW   Carl Griffiths 10 7 0 0 1 0 0 0 11 7 2 0
11 FW   Liam George 2 (2) 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 1 0 3 (3) 0 1 0
12 DF   Chris Coyne 29 (2) 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 (2) 3 4 1
13 DF   Stuart Fraser 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
14 FW   Andrew Fotiadis 0 (8) 1 0 (1) 0 0 0 1 0 2 (9) 1 0 0
15 DF   Matthew Taylor 43 11 1 0 1 0 0 0 45 11 7 0
16 GK   Carl Emberson 33 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 35 0 2 0
17 DF   Emmerson Boyce 30 (7) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 31 (7) 0 5 0
18 DF   Adam Locke 1 (2) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 (2) 0 0 0
19 FW   Steve Howard 42 24 0 0 1 0 0 0 43 24 11 0
20 MF   Peter Holmes 4 (3) 1 1 0 0 (1) 0 1 0 6 (4) 1 1 0
21 DF   Richard Dryden 2 (1) 0 1 0 0 (1) 0 1 0 4 (1) 0 1 0
22 MF   Dean Brennan 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 0
23 DF   Jude Stirling 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 1 (1) 0 0 0
24 GK   Scott Ward 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 MF   Brendan Mcnamara 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
26 FW   Peter Thomson 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
27 MF   Paul Hughes 12 (10) 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 13 (10) 3 5 2
28 MF   Jean-Louis Valois 32 (2) 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 32 (2) 6 5 0
30 DF   David Bayliss 15 (3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 (3) 0 4 1
31 MF   Kevin Street 1 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 (1) 0 0 0
32 MF   Lee Mansell 6 (5) 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 8 (5) 1 0 0
33 DF   Ian Hillier 11 (12) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 12 (12) 1 5 1
34 FW   Dean Crowe 33 (2) 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 34 (2) 15 3 0
35 MF   Ahmet Brković 17 (4) 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 18 (4) 2 5 0
38 DF   Rob Gillman 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
39 FW   Daryl Murphy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
40 MF   Stephen O'Leary 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
41 FW   James Osborn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
42 FW   Gary McSwegan 2 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 (1) 0 0 0
43 DF   Alan Neilson 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 2 0
44 FW   Steve Kabba 0 (3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (3) 0 0 0

Managerial statistics

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Only competitive games from the 2001–02 season are included.
Name Nat. From To Record Honours
PLD W D L GF GA W%
Joe Kinnear   8 February 2001 23 May 2003 49 30 7 12 100 58 61.2 Promoted to Second Division as runners-up

Awards

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Awarded on 21 April 2002.
Award Name No. Pos. Notes
Player of the Season   Steve Howard 19 FW [32]
Players' Player of the Season   Steve Howard/  Matthew Taylor 19/15 FW/DF [32] [C]
Young Player of the Season   Kevin Foley DF [32]
Young Members' Player of the Season   Kevin Nicholls 8 DF [32]
Goal of the Season   Jean-Louis Valois 28 MF [32] [D]

Transfers

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Date Player From Fee Notes
4 July 2001   Aaron Skelton Colchester United Free [5]
10 July 2001   Carl Griffiths Leyton Orient £65,000 [5]
14 July 2001   Carl Emberson Walsall Free [5]
16 July 2001   Adrian Forbes Norwich City £60,000 [5]
9 August 2001   Kevin Nicholls Wigan Athletic £25,000 [5]
10 August 2001   Russell Perrett Cardiff City Free [5]
10 August 2001   Paul Hughes Southampton Free [5]
17 September 2001   Chris Coyne Dundee £50,000 [5]
21 September 2001   Jean-Louis Valois Lille Free [5]
4 October 2001   Ahmet Brković Leyton Orient Free [5]
30 October 2001   Dean Crowe Stoke City Free [5]
8 November 2001   Ian Hillier Tottenham Hotspur £30,000 [5]
7 December 2001   David Bayliss Rochdale Free [5]
22 February 2002   Alan Neilson Fulham Free [5]
12 June 2002   Tony Thorpe Bristol City Free [5]
24 June 2002   Steve Robinson Preston North End £50,000 [5]
Date Player To Fee Notes
18 July 2001   Petri Helin Stockport County Free [5]
21 August 2001   Dean Standen Released [7]
14 September 2001   Kent Karlsen Released [8]
23 December 2001   Dean Brennan Released [14]
23 December 2001   Liam George Released [14]
31 January 2002   Peter Thomson Released [5]
20 March 2002   Jude Stirling Stevenage Borough Free [5]
21 March 2002   Stuart Fraser Released [5]
6 June 2002   Matthew Taylor Portsmouth £400,000 [5]

Loans in

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Date Player From End date Notes
18 August 2001   Ian Hillier Tottenham Hotspur 8 November 2001 [5]
28 September 2001   Dean Crowe Stoke City 28 October 2001 [5]
19 November 2001   Kevin Street Crewe Alexandra 19 December 2001 [5]
15 February 2002   Gary McSwegan Hearts 15 March 2002 [5]
28 March 2002   Steve Kabba Crystal Palace 21 April 2002 [5]

Loans out

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Date Player To End date Notes
23 October 2001   Stuart Douglas Oxford United 23 November 2001 [5]
6 November 2001   Peter Thomson Rushden & Diamonds 6 January 2002 [5]
28 November 2001   Scott Ward Boreham Wood 28 February 2002 [33]
26 November 2001   Richard Dryden Scarborough 29 December 2001 [34]
19 January 2002   Stuart Douglas Rushden & Diamonds 19 March 2002 [5]
14 February 2002   Jude Stirling Stevenage Borough 19 March 2002 [5]
13 March 2002   Daryl Murphy Harrow Borough 21 April 2002 [5]

See also

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Footnotes

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A. ^ Behind closed-doors friendly.
B. ^ Luton received a bye into the Southern Section Second Round.
C. ^ Howard and Taylor shared the Players' Player of the Season award.
D. ^ The goal of the season was chosen as Jean-Louis Valois' strike against Torquay United on 22 September 2001.

References

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  1. ^ "Ricky Hill's managerial career". Soccerbase. (Centurycomm). Archived from the original on 14 November 2004. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  2. ^ "Lil Fuccilo's managerial career". Soccerbase. (Centurycomm). Archived from the original on 14 November 2004. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  3. ^ "Kinnear confirmed as Luton manager". RTÉ Sport. 8 February 2001. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  4. ^ "Clear-out begins at Luton". BBC Sport. 20 April 2001. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "Kinnear's transfers". Lutonfc.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2003. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Mick Harford signs for Luton". Luton Town F.C. 9 July 2001. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  7. ^ a b "Team news". Luton Town F.C. 21 August 2001. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  8. ^ a b "Joe makes changes in search of goals". Luton Town F.C. 14 September 2001. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  9. ^ "York 1–2 Luton". Luton Town F.C. 15 September 2001. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  10. ^ "Lincoln City team news". Luton Town F.C. 17 September 2001. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  11. ^ a b "Luton 5–1 Torquay". BBC Sport. 22 September 2001. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  12. ^ "Luton Town Physio Report". Luton Town F.C. 3 October 2001. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  13. ^ "Kidderminster game off". Luton Town F.C. 30 November 2001. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  14. ^ a b c "Brennan and George released". Luton Town F.C. 24 November 2001. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  15. ^ "So when DID Luton last have a gate bigger than 9,585?". Luton Town F.C. 5 February 2002. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  16. ^ "Joe's Hatters beat away goals record". Luton Town F.C. 11 February 2002. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  17. ^ "Luton Promoted". Luton Town F.C. 30 March 2002. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  18. ^ "Steve Howard 2001/02 statistics". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  19. ^ "Matthew Taylor is PFA Player of the Year". Luton Town F.C. 16 April 2002. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  20. ^ "PFA Division Three Team of the Season". BBC Sport. 15 April 2002. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  21. ^ "Matthew Spring signs two-year contract". Luton Town F.C. 21 June 2002. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  22. ^ "Pompey offer for Taylor 'an insult', says Joe". Luton Town F.C. 6 June 2002. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  23. ^ "Pompey seal Taylor switch". BBC Sport. 3 July 2002. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  24. ^ "Boreham Wood 1–3 Luton Town". Luton Town F.C. 22 July 2001. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  25. ^ "Griffiths makes it two in two games". Luton Town F.C. 23 July 2001. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  26. ^ "Luton 1–0 QPR". Luton Town F.C. 31 July 2001. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  27. ^ "Luton 1–3 Norwich". Luton Town F.C. 4 August 2001. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  28. ^ "Luton 1–1 Spurs". Luton Town F.C. 7 August 2001. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  29. ^ "Luton 2001/2002 results". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 14 April 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  30. ^ "Luton 2001/2002 fixtures and match reports". Luton Town F.C. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  31. ^ "Luton 2001/2002 player appearances". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  32. ^ a b c d e "LTFC 2001–02 Awards". Luton Town F.C. 21 April 2002. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  33. ^ "Ward moves on loan". Luton Town F.C. 23 November 2001. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  34. ^ "Dryden goes to Scarborough on loan". Luton Town F.C. 26 November 2001. Retrieved 27 October 2009.