Everyone at Kenilworth Road is saddened to learn of the passing of Fred Jardine at Luton and Dunstable hospital following a long illness.
Fred made 243 appearances for the Hatters over a ten year spell at Kenilworth Road and was a member of the famous team that won the championship of Division Four in 1967/68 – a team that still trips off the tongue of Luton supporters of a certain age.
Edinburgh-born Fred joined Dundee as a teenager but the sheer number of players at Dens Park at the time meant that first team appearances were rare. Putting the feelers out, Fred had trials at Leeds and Wolves and it was a surprise in footballing circles when Luton manager Sam Bartram stepped in to sign the speedy left winger.
Fred initially struggled to hold on to a steady run of games in a struggling side that was drifting down the divisions but following a conversion to full-back by Bartram’s successor Bill Harvey in 1964 he made the number three position his own.
In this new berth he quickly became a crowd favourite and his surging runs on the overlap and his speciality, the perfectly timed sliding tackle, endeared him to the Luton crowd as the Hatters started the slow climb back to the top.
After winning a Division Four championship medal in 1968 his appearances gradually dwindled and he eventually enjoyed a brief spell at Torquay under his former Luton manager, Allan Brown, before retiring.
Fred worked in John Pope’s gents outfitters in Dunstable Road for many years, and following this, his many jobs included a spell manning the gates at Kenilworth Road.
Our condolences go out to his family and friends.