Luton Town F.C.–Watford F.C. rivalry



South-eastern English football clubs Luton Town and Watford have been rivals since their respective formations in the late 19th century. The clubs are respectively from Luton, Bedfordshire, and Watford, Hertfordshire, and for this reason a match between the two teams is sometimes called a " Derby". Another name occasionally used in the press is "M1 Derby", which comes from the M1 motorway, which passes both towns. The clubs, which were both founded during the 1880s, met competitively for the first time in the 1898–99 FA Cup. Following this they played each other regularly in the Southern League and The Football League until 1936–37, when Luton's promotion separated them in league competition until 1963–64. The animosity intensified during the late 1960s and the 1970s, and reached a peak during the 1980s, when both teams played in the top-flight First Division. Watford were relegated at the end of the 1987–88 season, while Luton followed four years later.
The clubs regularly played against each other in the league for six seasons during the 1990s, in the second and third tiers of English football. Since then, however, the teams have not met regularly, as Watford have played in higher divisions than Luton for 18 of the last 19 seasons, including when Luton was relegated to non-league football. Since the 1997–98 season, at the end of which Watford won promotion, there have been only two league meetings between the two teams, played during the 2005–06 season, when both teams were in the Football League Championship, English football's second level. The most recent winners in a head-to-head match were Watford, who beat Luton 2–1 at Kenilworth Road on 2 January 2006. The most recent match, played at Watford's Vicarage Road ground on 9 April 2006, ended in a 1–1 draw. During the forthcoming 2019–20 season, Watford will be competing one division above their rivals in the top tier of English football, the Premier League; Luton are participating in the EFL Championship having won the 2018–19 EFL League One title to achieve their second consecutive promotion. Watford and Luton Town will both play in the EFL Championship for the 2020/21 season.
Since 1898, there have been 118 competitive Beds–Herts Derbies. Luton hold the superior record in these matches, with 53 victories to Watford's 36; there have been 29 draws. The most decisive result in a Luton–Watford game is Luton's 5–0 victory at Kenilworth Road, their home ground, in January 1926. There have been two incidences of 4–0, both of which were won by the away side; in September 1929, Luton beat Watford 4–0 at Vicarage Road, and in October 1997, Watford beat Luton 4–0 at Kenilworth Road.

History

Origins

The first match between the two clubs can be dated as 5 December 1885, as Watford Rovers hosted Luton Town in a friendly. Watford beat Luton 1–0 at Vicarage Meadow in the inaugural match. The first match at Luton's Dallow Lane came on 20 March 1886 – Watford won 3–0. Luton's first success in the fixture came at Vicarage Meadow on 16 October of the same year, where they emerged as 4–1 winners. Two friendlies between Luton Town and West Herts, as Watford Rovers were now more commonly known, took place during the 1891–92 season; West Herts won 4–3 at Luton and the match at West Herts was a draw. Five more friendly matches were played over the next three seasons, all Luton victories.

The Southern League

Luton Town did not join a league until 1894–95, when they joined the Southern League. West Herts also joined the Southern League two years later. However, as Luton Town had left the league the same year, a league meeting did not occur. The first competitive meeting of the two clubs came on 29 October 1898, as Luton drew Watford in the 1898–99 FA Cup third qualifying round. The second meeting came soon after, as the 2–2 draw at Luton meant that a replay was needed – Luton ran out 1–0 victors at Watford. The next season saw Luton drawn against Watford again, and this time Luton needed only one attempt to beat Watford 3–2.
Luton rejoined the Southern League in 1900, and the fixture then became a regular one in the Southern League calendar. Save for the 1903–04, 1912–13 and 1913–14 seasons that the clubs spent in different divisions, two matches were played each year. Luton's was the superior record, as they won 13 Southern League meetings to Watford's eight. 1920–21 saw both clubs made members of the Football League when the Southern League First Division was incorporated as the Football League Third Division.

The Football League

Matches occurred regularly in this division until 1937, when Luton were promoted. A Southern Professional Floodlit Cup meeting in 1956–57 was won 4–3 by Luton at Kenilworth Road, and was the only meeting until Luton dropped back to the Third Division for 1963–64. Luton were nearly relegated again, but in the last home game of the season, against Watford, Luton won 2–1 to both ensure survival and deny Watford promotion. Luton were relegated to the Fourth Division a year later, with Watford winning both matches held over a two-day period at Christmas. The game at Kenilworth Road finished 4–2 to Watford, and two days later Watford won 2–0 at Vicarage Road. Luton were not promoted again until 1967–68, so there were no matches until then.

Growth in prominence

The 1968–69 season saw Watford promoted as champions of the Third Division, having led the division for almost the entire season. This led to the crowd violence associated with the fixture growing in prominence, and Watford won the first league clash with Luton that season 1–0 at Vicarage Road. The return match at Kenilworth Road was originally intended to take place on Boxing Day, but was abandoned due to fog with the game tied at 1–1. The game was eventually played after several postponements on 30 April 1969, by which time Watford had already been promoted as champions. The match was a bloodbath, and three players were sent off – two from Luton, one from Watford – as Luton won 2–1. After the game came incidents between the fans in St Albans, a town between Luton and Watford home to fans of both sides. Luton were promoted to the Second Division a year later to keep the fixture going. However, Watford's relegation in 1971–72 ended it once more.
|alt=Two stands of a modest, old-fashioned British-style association football stadium, with a match in progress
The sides didn't meet again until 1979–80, when Watford were promoted back to the second tier. In 1981–82 Luton won the Second Division, with Watford coming second – both teams were promoted to the top flight. In their first season in Division One Watford fared significantly better than Luton, and finished Runners-Up to Champions Liverpool, beating Luton 5–2 at Vicarage Road along the way. Luton, on the other hand, only avoided relegation in the last minute of the last match of the season. The match at Kenilworth Road on 28 April 1984 intensified the rivalry even further, as despite Watford's 2–1 victory, captain Wilf Rostron was sent off after a series of goading tackles from Luton players; meaning that he would miss the 1984 FA Cup Final. Despite being favourites on the day, Watford lost 2–0 to Everton, and even to this day most Watford supporters blame their loss on the absence of Rostron, and therefore on Luton.
The fixture continued until 1987–88, when Watford were relegated. Luton were relegated to the second tier in 1991–92, and the fixture continued – the two teams were even relegated together in 1995–96. In 1997–98, Watford finished as Champions of the third-tier Second Division and won 4–0 at Kenilworth Road along the way – all four goals came within the first 32 minutes. The match was marred by yet more crowd trouble as Luton fans tried to prevent Watford fans leaving the ground and small pockets of running battles occurred towards the railway station. As a result, the police took no chances for the return fixture at Vicarage Road: a large police presence ensured no return of the October violence. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. With Watford's promotion at the end of that season, the fixture was over once more.

The 21st century

A League Cup meeting at Vicarage Road on 10 September 2002 was marred by hooliganism, with fighting in Watford town centre, railway station and approaches to the football ground before the match. Once in the ground but before the game, Luton fans invaded the pitch several times and this led to the kick-off being delayed by a quarter of an hour. A minute's silence, intended to mark the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks, was also abandoned. When the match finally got under way, Luton went on to win 2–1. After the game prosecutions were brought against 29 supporters; 25 from Luton – some of whom were banned from all football grounds for life – and four from Watford.
The two clubs were briefly back in the same division when Luton won League One and promotion into the Championship for a renewal of the rivalry during the 2005–06 season. This time the Police in Luton and in Watford took no chances of a repeat of the 2002 trouble. Watford won 2–1 at Kenilworth Road on 2 January 2006, and the return fixture was a 1–1 draw at Vicarage Road on 9 April. Watford ended the season with promotion to the Premier League, while Luton finished 10th. Although Watford were relegated back to the second-tier Football League Championship at the end of the 2006–07 season, Luton were concurrently relegated straight back to the third tier. A Further relegation followed for Luton in the 2007–08 season to the fourth tier; and yet another relegation in 2008–09 season to the Conference Premier. This was largely due to docked points and financial mismanagement.
Following Watford's promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2014–15 season, and their subsequent ability to stay there, the two clubs financial differences could not be more starkly demonstrated. At the end of the 2019–20 season Watford's turnover was in the region of £260m, with the club ranked the 28th richest football club in the world. Luton, by comparison have a tiny turnover which means that any future upward momentum will be severely restricted. The contrast can also be seen in the two club's respective stadia: Vicararge Road, Watford has had massive infrastructure spending put into it in the last ten years, resulting in a current capacity of 23,700, or a competitive match of any kind against Watford for more than 18 years. Watford have been the higher ranked team at the end of every season since 1997. However, Luton Town currently have more wins with 53 over Watford's 36.
The league rivalry between the two clubs is set to restart in the 2020–21 season for the first time in 16 seasons after Luton battled to remain in the Championship, and Watford were relegated from the Premier League, both on the last days of their respective seasons.

Statistics

Up to and including 9 April 2006, there have been 118 competitive first–class meetings between the two teams since the first meeting in 1898.

Head-to-head record by competition

Match resultFootball LeagueSouthern LeagueFA CupLeague CupOthersTotal
321352153
19540129
25820136

Honours and achievements compared

TeamNumber of top-flight seasonsBest top-flight finishFA CupFootball League CupUEFA Cup
Luton Town16
7th
Finalists
Semi-finalists
Winners
Finalists
Watford13
2nd
Finalists
Semi-finalists
Semi-finalists
3rd Round

All-time results

Luton Town at home

DateVenueScoreCompetition
29 October 1898Dunstable Road2–2FA Cup
18 November 1899Dunstable Road3–2FA Cup
29 September 1900Dunstable Road2–0Southern League Div. 1
7 December 1901Dunstable Road1–0Southern League Div. 1
7 March 1903Dunstable Road4–1Southern League Div. 1
14 November 1903Dunstable Road4–1FA Cup
14 September 1904Dunstable Road2–1Southern League Div. 1
26 December 1905Kenilworth Road2–0Southern League Div. 1
25 December 1906Kenilworth Road2–0Southern League Div. 1
25 December 1907Kenilworth Road1–1Southern League Div. 1
26 December 1908Kenilworth Road1–0Southern League Div. 1
15 September 1909Kenilworth Road4–2Southern League Div. 1
27 December 1910Kenilworth Road3–1Southern League Div. 1
25 December 1911Kenilworth Road1–1Southern League Div. 1
5 April 1915Kenilworth Road0–2Southern League Div. 1
5 April 1920Kenilworth Road1–2Southern League Div. 1
28 March 1921Kenilworth Road1–0Third Division South
1 April 1922Kenilworth Road1–1Third Division South
25 November 1922Kenilworth Road0–1Third Division South
3 November 1923Kenilworth Road0–0Third Division South
26 December 1924Kenilworth Road0–3Third Division South
23 January 1926Kenilworth Road5–0Third Division South
19 March 1927Kenilworth Road2–2Third Division South
4 February 1928Kenilworth Road3–2Third Division South
2 March 1929Kenilworth Road2–2Third Division South
18 January 1930Kenilworth Road2–0Third Division South
28 January 1931Kenilworth Road4–1Third Division South
17 October 1931Kenilworth Road0–1Third Division South
26 April 1933Kenilworth Road3–2Third Division South
21 October 1933Kenilworth Road2–1Third Division South
10 November 1934Kenilworth Road2–2Third Division South
29 February 1936Kenilworth Road2–1Third Division South
17 October 1936Kenilworth Road4–1Third Division South
7 November 1956Kenilworth Road4–3SPF Cup
25 April 1964Kenilworth Road2–1Third Division
26 December 1964Kenilworth Road2–4Third Division
14 August 1968Kenilworth Road3–0League Cup
30 April 1969Kenilworth Road2–1Third Division
13 February 1971Kenilworth Road1–0Second Division
4 March 1972Kenilworth Road0–0Second Division
5 April 1980Kenilworth Road1–0Second Division
19 August 1980Kenilworth Road1–0Second Division
26 September 1981Kenilworth Road4–1Second Division
27 December 1982Kenilworth Road1–0First Division
7 January 1984Kenilworth Road2–2FA Cup
28 April 1984Kenilworth Road1–2First Division
20 October 1984Kenilworth Road3–2First Division
4 March 1985Kenilworth Road0–0FA Cup
9 March 1985Kenilworth Road1–0FA Cup
26 April 1986Kenilworth Road3–2First Division
26 December 1986Kenilworth Road0–2First Division
2 May 1988Kenilworth Road2–1First Division
29 November 1992Kenilworth Road2–0First Division
14 August 1993Kenilworth Road2–1First Division
26 March 1995Kenilworth Road1–1First Division
20 April 1996Kenilworth Road0–0First Division
27 January 1997Kenilworth Road0–0Second Division
4 October 1997Kenilworth Road0–4Second Division
2 January 2006Kenilworth Road1–2Championship

Luton Town winsDrawsWatford wins
351410

Watford at home

DateVenueScoreCompetition
2 November 1898Market Street0–1FA Cup
12 January 1901Cassio Road2–0Southern League Div. 1
16 November 1901Cassio Road1–2FA Cup
22 February 1902Cassio Road2–0Southern League Div. 1
22 November 1902Cassio Road0–1Southern League Div. 1
21 April 1905Cassio Road3–0Southern League Div. 1
13 April 1906Cassio Road1–1Southern League Div. 1
29 March 1907Cassio Road2–2Southern League Div. 1
17 April 1908Cassio Road2–1Southern League Div. 1
9 April 1909Cassio Road0–3Southern League Div. 1
22 September 1909Cassio Road1–1Southern League Div. 1
26 December 1910Cassio Road1–0Southern League Div. 1
26 December 1911Cassio Road0–1Southern League Div. 1
2 April 1915Cassio Road2–4Southern League Div. 1
2 April 1920Cassio Road4–2Southern League Div. 1
25 March 1921Cassio Road1–0Third Division South
8 April 1922Cassio Road4–1Third Division South
18 November 1922Vicarage Road2–1Third Division South
10 November 1923Vicarage Road0–0Third Division South
25 December 1924Vicarage Road1–1Third Division South
12 September 1925Vicarage Road2–0Third Division South
30 October 1926Vicarage Road2–1Third Division South
24 September 1927Vicarage Road1–0Third Division South
20 October 1928Vicarage Road3–2Third Division South
14 September 1929Vicarage Road0–4Third Division South
20 September 1930Vicarage Road1–0Third Division South
13 December 1930Vicarage Road3–1FA Cup
13 April 1932Vicarage Road3–1Third Division South
22 October 1932Vicarage Road4–1Third Division South
3 March 1934Vicarage Road0–1Third Division South
23 March 1935Vicarage Road2–2Third Division South
9 November 1935Vicarage Road1–3Third Division South
20 February 1937Vicarage Road1–3Third Division South
19 October 1963Vicarage Road2–0Third Division
28 December 1964Vicarage Road2–0Third Division
5 October 1968Vicarage Road1–0Third Division
12 December 1970Vicarage Road0–1Second Division
13 November 1971Vicarage Road2–1Second Division
26 December 1979Vicarage Road0–1Second Division
11 November 1980Vicarage Road0–1Second Division
20 February 1982Vicarage Road1–1Second Division
4 April 1983Vicarage Road5–2First Division
26 November 1983Vicarage Road1–2First Division
10 January 1984Vicarage Road4–3FA Cup
6 March 1985Vicarage Road2–2FA Cup
19 March 1985Vicarage Road3–0First Division
23 November 1985Vicarage Road1–2First Division
21 April 1987Vicarage Road2–0First Division
12 December 1987Vicarage Road0–1First Division
15 September 1992Vicarage Road0–0Anglo-Italian Cup
3 April 1993Vicarage Road0–0First Division
31 August 1993Vicarage Road2–1Anglo-Italian Cup
19 December 1993Vicarage Road2–2First Division
17 September 1994Vicarage Road2–4First Division
21 November 1995Vicarage Road1–1First Division
29 October 1996Vicarage Road1–1Second Division
14 February 1998Vicarage Road1–1Second Division
10 September 2002Vicarage Road1–2League Cup
9 April 2006Vicarage Road1–1Championship

Luton Town winsDrawsWatford wins
181526

The Rigby-Taylor Cup

The Rigby-Taylor Cup was a competition played between 1953 and 1962 in order to give "the friendly rivalry between Luton Town and Watford an organised and competitive basis". The annual contest came about when floodlights were installed at Watford's Vicarage Road ground in 1953; to mark the occasion, the decision was made to play a match under the new lights against Luton Town, against whom the club had not contested a competitive match since 1937. A home-and-away system was agreed upon, and the first match, billed as the first leg of the "Watford F.C. Invitation Cup", took place on 13 October 1953: a 1–1 draw at Vicarage Road. The competition had been renamed "The Rigby-Taylor Cup" after Watford's chairman, T. Rigby-Taylor, by the time of the second leg on 24 March 1954, at Kenilworth Road; Luton beat Watford 4–1 to win 5–2 on aggregate and thus claim the inaugural title.
After the first season, the two-legged basis was abandoned in favour of a single match at Vicarage Road. The competition was then suspended from 1958 to 1961 due to FA Cup and League engagements. After returning for two seasons, the 1962–63 fixture was abandoned due to harsh weather – the annual match never returned.

Results

There were seven matches played over the course of six editions of the competition: the first was a two-legged competition, while the remaining five consisted of a single match. Of the seven matches, four were Luton victories, two were wins for Watford and one was a draw. Luton Town won the competition four times to Watford's two; the trophy, a silver, tall, two-handled cup, was last won by Watford, who have since retained it.

Goalscorers

The competition saw 23 goals scored, 14 for Luton and 9 for Watford; the individual player who scored the most goals was Luton Town's Gordon Turner, who appeared in all seven matches and scored five goals.

Luton Town

NameGoals
Gordon Turner5
John Groves2
George McLeod2
Bert Mitchell1
Jim Pemberton1
Jimmy Adam1
George Cummins1
own goal1
Total14

Watford

NameGoals
Tommy Brown1
Tommy Paterson1
Tommy Anderson1
George Catleugh1
Peter Walker1
John Meadows1
Cliff Holton1
Freddie Bunce1
Sammy Chung1
Total9

Footnotes