Luton Town

Luton Town FC — Origins, Identity, and Early Colours (1880–1900)

Association football in Luton developed rapidly in the early 1880s. In 1880 both Luton Wanderers and Luton Excelsior were formed, while a strong side representing St John’s College also emerged. These clubs quickly established themselves as the town’s leading teams, but heavy defeats against visiting sides from London and other centres exposed the limitations of a fragmented local scene. By the mid-1880s, voices increasingly called for a single club capable of representing Luton with greater authority.

On 13 January 1885, a general meeting of Luton Wanderers’ membership resolved unanimously to rename the club Luton Town Football Club. The club secretary, Herbert Spratley, later claimed that the meeting had been open to the public and that the renamed club therefore represented the town by right. Subsequent evidence exposed this assertion as untrue, and the matter soon came to a head.

A public meeting on 11 April 1885 was convened specifically to debate the formation of a single town club. Although Spratley attempted to block proceedings by arguing that a “Town Club” already existed, his amendment was overwhelmingly rejected. The original motion passed almost unanimously, formally establishing Luton Town as a genuinely representative club. At the same meeting it was resolved that the team would play in navy blue and pink shirts and caps—a striking and unusual combination. While no detailed contemporary description survives, a newspaper article from 1926 records that the shirts were halved.

By October 1886, the club minute book—later examined by historian Brian Webb—records the intention to obtain a navy blue guernsey, a heavy woollen garment with a simple crew neck, costing 6s 6d from Spratley’s. Although a single “jersey” was later purchased, there is no evidence that these garments were ever adopted as standard playing kit.

A decisive change came in August 1889, when the committee examined cloth samples described as “dark cardinal, self colour.” The following month, eighteen flannel shirts were delivered at a cost of £5 8s 0d. Local newspapers quickly dubbed the side “The Reds.” This period coincided with a landmark moment in southern football: Luton became the first southern club to turn professional, a step that crucially allowed the club to supply kit to its players—something forbidden to amateur clubs, whose players were required to provide their own equipment.

Despite this, kit clashes remained common. In December 1891 the purchase of white alternative shirts was considered but postponed. When Edmonton visited in March 1892, Luton players instead wore a white band for distinction. A similar problem arose three weeks later against Tottenham Hotspur, prompting a makeshift solution in which some players wore white shirts while others appeared in cardinal red. White change shirts were finally purchased in November 1892.

Further insight from the minute books reveals that in August 1892 the committee authorised payment of £3 to Bury Park FC for their caps, shirts, and even goalposts. The Luton News soon observed that “the shirts now used are more of a claret than a red,” while surviving photographs show that these tops were adorned with a distinctive eight-pointed star, one of the most intriguing early motifs in the club’s visual identity.

By 1896, Luton adopted an even more elaborate appearance. Shirts featuring white, black, and cardinal striping were introduced, many bearing a detailed crest with an ornate monogram. A photograph taken before the 1898–99 season shows the team wearing these striped tops. Contemporary press reports, however, caused confusion. The Bedford Advertiser suggested the new shirts resembled those of Notts County, but Webb’s research clarifies that the committee ordered black shirts with narrow white stripes, paired with white knickers. These were worn with a badge incorporating the letters “LTD,” marking the club’s transition into a limited company.

A further evolution followed swiftly. A team photograph taken prior to the 1899–1900 season shows the introduction of pin-striped shirts, but these were short-lived. By October, the first team had reverted to plain navy tops, with the pin-striped design retained only by the reserves.

Off the field, Luton’s ambitions had already carried them into national competition. In 1897, the club was elected to the Second Division of the Football League, replacing Burton Wanderers. Travel costs proved crippling for a southern club competing in a league dominated by northern and Midland sides. After three difficult seasons, finishing 17th in 1900, Luton resigned rather than seek re-election and returned to the Southern League. With this new chapter came a final change of colours, as the club adopted light blue and white, closing the formative and experimental era of Luton Town’s early identity.