The Town aim to bounce back from Saturday’s horror show at Oakwell with a big game under the lights at Kenilworth Road against promotion-chasing Huddersfield.
Can Jack Wilshere’s side rediscover their scoring touch against the Terriers? There’s only one way to find out.
The curious case of Huddersfield Town
At the start of the season, you couldn’t move for a pundit, bookie, ex-player or content creator bigging up the chances of Huddersfield for promotion to the Championship. And there was good reason. A new manager, a series of high-profile signings – not to mention the fact they are Huddersfield Town – with a grand history, architectural wonderful and recent decent success – gave all those of a blue-and-white persuasion hope of a successful season.
So far it has not quite worked out that way, but hey, this is League One, remember. The Terriers got off a flyer, winning four of their first five games but what followed didn’t quite match that. Five defeats in the next nine saw them plummet down the third tier table with three defeats in a row – at home to Stockport and Bolton and at Wycombe – stalling that sunny early-season optimism.
But, as we say, THIS IS LEAGUE ONE. Two wins in a row, over Plymouth and, on Saturday, at Mansfield, have all of a sudden restored confidence and the Terriers will arrive at Kenilworth Road aiming for three wins in a row and within striking distance off the top of the table.
Lee Grant’s side are just two points and five places above the Hatters in the table – and we’re only six points off the top sitting in 12th place. League One, eh?
The main man
No club have used more players in League One this season that the Hatters (30) and just behind us in the number are Huddersfield on 28. Any standouts are hard to put a finger on without diving head-first into the Terriers' season – and we don’t have that much time. However, there is a man bang in form, and that man is Bojan Radulović. The 6ft 3in striker has scored in each of his last four appearances, and laid on another two in Saturday’s win at Mansfield. We’ve been warned.
Haven’t we met before?
Yes, plenty of times. Our relationship dates back to 1952 with the Town just holding sway in the overall head-to-head record ever since.
Huddersfield have the upper hand in recent history – in fact the Terriers have just lost twice in the eight games against us including two Championship play-off semi-finals – although we came out on top in the last fixture – a 2-1 win in Yorkshire thanks to goals from Amari’i Bell and Reece Burke on New Year's Day 2023. Our last meeting on Bedfordshire soil saw the teams share six goals in a ding-dong 3-3 draw in October 2022.
The man in the middle
Andrew Humphries takes control of this one. It’ll be the whistler’s 17th game of the season and his first ever officiating the Town in his PGMOL burgeoning career. So far this term Mr Humphries has dished out 50 yellow cards and three reds across games in League One, League Two and National League.
Get with the programme
Four quid. 68 pages. Boardroom. Manager. Captain. Quotes. Photos. Quiz. And a cover that is getting plenty of love this season. And with good reason.
Town team news
Nahki Wells limped off during the first half of Saturday’s game at Barnsley and is a doubt to take on one of his former sides on Tuesday night.
Manager Jack Wilshere said at his press conference last week that the weekend fixture was too soon for Reuell Walters and Shayden Morris and this may be once again the case against the Terriers.
Izzy Jones was also withdrawn at Oakwell on Saturday and the Hatters will wait to see if the winger is fit to feature.
Stat’s the way we like it
Our last four meetings at Kenilworth Road have all ended in draws. The Hatters are five unbeaten against the Terriers here, with our visitors last successful in these parts at the tail end of the 2007/08 season.
Tickets please!
A night under the lights at Kenilworth Road. Cliché alert! Listen, it doesn’t matter who the game is against and what time of year it is, it’s a fact that you won’t have many more opportunities to experience the truly unique atmosphere that a night at Kenilworth Road brings. We don’t mean to sound too OTT or drown you in marketing-speak, but you all know it’s true. Granted, the weather forecast might tempt you to stay in the warmth at home, but with a point to prove after Saturday’s disappointment, it could prove to be a vital evening – and we want you there to see it.
Limited tickets are on sale – just click here to buy them.
Tune in, turn on.
If you're abroad, why not watch the game live on LTFC+ with audio commentary coming from the delicious lips of Simon Pitts? Passes for the remainder of the season will save you money in the long run – but a matchday passes are also available if it’s a one-off and you’re away sunning yourself while we’re enjoying the freezing evening darkness of Bedfordshire,
Also follow our social media channels for live, pitchside updates as they happen plus photos and behind-the-scenes content. Stay on lutontown.co.uk post-match for a full report, post-match reaction and the all-important highlights, which fingers crossed, are better than Saturday’s.
Orange Friday week!
Don't forget to check out our daily offers this week with massive discounts on certain lines in the club shop as we approach what is now, and probably forever, known as Black Friday.
And finally...don’t be THAT fan.
A reminder to all supporters, no matter who you are, how old or who you’re supporting on the day, to go about your day with respect. We continue to support the Love Football, Protect the Game campaign.
Luton Town Football Club has committed in its customer charter to providing safe match-day experiences for all supporters regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation, and this applies equally to home and away fixtures.
In the event that any Luton supporters do make discriminatory chants, the club will work with the police and football authorities to help identify such individuals. Any such fans would then face the strictest club sanctions, including football banning orders that would prevent them attending any matches, in addition to any criminal charges.
Furthermore, we would like to warn against pitch incursions and the use of pyrotechnics or missiles – which could lead to potential prosecution.
The club can also be held responsible for the behaviour of its supporters, which could lead to substantial fines being imposed.
As a diverse and inclusive football club, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow EFL clubs in supporting the FA’s ‘Love Football. Protect the Game’ campaign and call on all fans to enjoy the game in a positive spirit.
If you are offended by any discriminatory abuse of any kind at any of our games, you can report it by clicking HERE, or by contacting your nearest steward immediately.
Alternatively, email [email protected] or report the incident via Kick it Out's free, confidential reporting app on the App Store and Google Play.
We're all Luton. UTT.
