It's now just 32 days until the Hatters begin their Blue Square Premier adventure on Saturday 8th August so our man with the stats, Simon Pitts, takes a look at the number 32:
32 - The number of League victories over Watford. At home the Hatters have won 21, with 11 victories on the road. Luton have scored 73 goals in these fixtures and conceded just 23. Overall Luton have won 32 league matches against Watford, drawn 19 and lost 25. The Hatters have scored 105 goals and conceded 100. The first league victory over our rivals was 1-0 on 28th March 1921, and the biggest margin of victory was the 5-0 win on 23rd January 1926.
32 - Is the number of Luton appearances made by Michael Leary and Aaron Skelton. Both players came through the ranks at Luton, and Skelton made his debut on the opening day of the 1994/95 season, in a 1-1 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion. Skelton made just 13 appearances in three seasons, before moving to Colchester United. He returned in time for the start of the 2001/02 season and he made nine league appearances in the promotion campaign, scoring one goal, in a 1-1 draw at home to Lincoln. There was a solitary goal the following season, from eight appearances as he finished with career statistics of 25 league and 7 Cup appearances, with just two goals scored. Leary made his debut in the LDV Vans Trophy on 22nd October 2002, in the 2-0 win at Woking, he also made a substitute appearance in the next round win at Stevenage Borough. Leary made 20 appearances in all competitions the following season, scoring three goals. He made just nine appearances in 2004/05, and there was just a solitary League Cup appearance in the 3-1 win at Leyton Orient in 2005/06.
32 - Two players have scored exactly 32 goals in their post-war Luton careers. Alan Slough was an apprentice at Luton and made his debut in the 2-1 win against Newport County in September 1965. Slough scored his first goal on 24th September 1966, in a 4-0 home win against Aldershot, with a second following at home to Wrexham in February of the same season. As Luton won Division Four in 1967/68 Slough made 35 appearances, and netted six goals. Five League goals followed in 68/69, with a further four cup goals, two in each of the main competitions. The Hatters were promoted again in 69/70 and Slough scored four goals, having only missed the opening day game. He was an ever present in the next two seasons, netting five and three goals respectively. In his final season, 72/73, Slough made 26 league appearances and scored three goals, the last coming on the final day of the season as the Hatters lost 2-1 at Oxford.
32 - Is the longest consecutive run of away matches that Luton have failed to register a win. The Hatters beat Aston Villa 2-1 on 9th March 1991 courtesy of a Derek Mountfield own goal and a strike from Mark Pembridge, but it wasn't until 13th September 1992 that the registered a victory on their travels. The Hatters drew eight of these matches, and scored just 23 goals, whilst conceding 78. Of these matches 29 were in the League, whilst there was one match in each of the three of the cup competitions. Luton finally broke the run with a 2-1 victory at Brentford, with goals from Julian James and Phil Gray.
32 - Is the number of League games played against both Aston Villa and Port Vale. Luton's record against Villa is actually better than against Vale! The Hatters have won 17 matches against the Premier League side, but only 14 against Port Vale. The three game difference is reversed in the number of draws as it's four against Villa and seven versus Vale.
