I rolled out of my bed at the luxurious Dunston Hall Hotel in Norfolk, pulled open the perfectly curtailed curtains and looked out the window as the snow gently settled on the most beautifully historic grade II listed building. The 26th January 2013, today was FA Cup 4th Round day, we had drawn Premier League Norwich City away. Non-League Luton Town, going to a team 85 places above them in the football pyramid. I caressed the curtains back shut, sat back down on the end of my bed, “I hope we can do ourselves justice today!”
As I sat in the hotel restaurant eating my Special K for breakfast – lads filtering down one by one with their bed hair in full flow – everyone was in a relaxed mood. Every week in the Conference Premier we were the ‘Big Club’, it was nice to be going into a game with no pressure, no expectation. After all a non-league club had never beaten a Premier League club in the FA Cup away from home, realistically we had no chance, Premier League teams don’t lose to Conference teams, it just doesn’t happen.
A nice warm shower, hair dryer helping place every strand of hair into place, key card handed into reception, sit and wait for the team coach to arrive outside for us. BBC were waiting for us in the hotel foyer. Matt Robinson, a full-time central midfielder and part-time rapper had written a song about us defeating Championship Wolverhampton Wanderers in Round 3. The BBC were covering the build-up to the game slightly. Elsewhere in the FA Cup were the more likely giant-killings, it wasn’t going to happen at Carrow Road.
Matt’s hotel reception concert complete, all the boys climbing onto the coach, we set of on the 5.7 mile trip along the A47. As we made the short coach journey, just under 5000 Luton Town supporters were heading to East-Anglia from all over the country. More in hope than expectation, Hatters fans were descending on Delia Smith territory looking forward to a day out. Heading to a ground that a club the size of Luton Town should be playing at every away game.
The Luton faithful hadn’t had much to shout about in recent times. Season 2008/2009 a 30 point deduction seen them shockingly banished into Non-League for the first time, a few tough years followed. Play-off final heartache on the quest to bounce back to the Football League in 2011 and 2012. Still in their numbers they followed, all round the country to Non-League stadiums in their thousands. The Wolves 1-0 victory in round 3, putting a smile on a few faces. Teams like Wolves should have been coming to Kenilworth Road every week, instead it was the likes of Welling and Woking who would be visiting LU4.
The plush Kings Ferry coach pulled up at the players entrance at Carrow Road. Wash bag in one hand, boots and shin pads the other hand I got off and entered a Premier League stadium as a player. The first time a 21-year-old me had ever done that. We walked out on to the lush green, snow drenched grass,everyone with phones in hand sending Snapchat videos to friends and family. If anything we were going to enjoy the day. I looked across at Mark Tyler, our goalkeeper. Stood there on his own, on the edge of the crisp white centre circle, a match-day programme rolled up in his trusted right-hand. ‘Tyles’ used to stand on the terraces of Norwich’s East Stand as a boy, his job today to keep the ball out of the net against his beloved Canaries.
We sat down in away changing, much bigger and more modern than the ones we were used to. Paul Buckle named the team – from the way we had setup all week we kind of knew it anyway. I was on the bench, of course I wanted to be starting but that is football. “We’re not here to make up the numbers today, stick to the game plan we have worked on all week and we have got a chance. It is 11 v 11, they are not on a great run of form. You lads know what it is like being the big boys every week. Today they’re the big boys, we’re the underdog.” The gaffer, believed we could get something, religiously all week in the build-up he had worked on Norwich having the ball for pretty much the whole game. “Don’t let them play through the middle of us, let them go down the sides. Janos (Kovacs) and Snoop (Lathaniel Rowe-Turner) will deal with crosses into the box all day. Don’t let them play through us.” He had give us a real sense of belief as we left the changing room for the warm-up.
It is not the biggest of Premier League grounds Norwich, 27,244 seats the capacity. I thought a few in the home end might be empty with it being seen as game that Chris Hughton side should comfortably win, but no! Every seat filled. Striding across from one side of the perfectly groomed pitch to the other I took it all in. As a kid you always dream of playing at a Premier League ground, I can’t say Norwich was one I used to pretend to be scoring in when I volleyed the ball past my 5 year old brother in a North London park but it was a Top-Flight ground I was going to relish every minute of it.
I took my place on the bench as the team led by Ronnie Henry walked out onto the pitch. “Come on Luton, Come on Luton” belched out from everyone of the travelling Hatters situated opposite the dug-out in the South Stand. Andre Marriner blew his jet black whistle, Paul Buckle stood on the periphery of his technical area. It was game on!
The clock struck 10 minutes, 0-0 we were comfortable. The battling Jon Shaw and Andre Gray leading from the front, Norwich having the majority of possession. Six-years previous the two teams were in the same division – 25 minutes in – you wouldn’t have known who were the higher ranked team. We were holding our own.
28 minutes – Norwich first real chance. We would have taken that before kick-off, one real chance in the first half-hour. Russell Martin plays the ball over the top, Simeon Jackson clean through on goal. “Stand up Tyles, stand up as long as you can.” The ball bounces three times as Jackson settles himself. Right-foot back he strikes it from 12-yards. Towards Mark Tyler’s right hand side he stands strong and beats it away. “Phew!”
I went for my first-warm up of the game. It is hard sitting on the bench to actually watch the game, I put on my orange coloured bib and jogged down the touchline. I watched on as Javier Garrido played in Bradley Johnson down the left, head up he pulled it back to a 19-year-old Harry Kane. Left foot from the edge of the area he scuffed it towards goal. It is heading for the bottom corner, Greg Taylor gets across and someone gets a heel on it. Away for a corner, the pressure is building, it was always going to.
41 minutes – Frantic! Norwich corner from in front of the travelling Hatters. Out-swinging David Fox delivers, flicked up in the air by Kane. From no where ex-hatter Leon Barnett leaps, launching himself at the descending ball. Getting there just before Mark Tyler he glances it towards goal. The yellow Umbro ball seemed to slowly drift towards the goal-line. It hits the post. As I stretch my groins on the touchline my hands go to my head, the pressure hand been building. The ball leaves the post, it bounces back to the free-falling Barnett. Right bum cheek struck it ricochets towards the net. “Stick to the game plan, do your jobs!” Them the words of Paul Buckle as the lads left the changing room. The ball nearly over the goal line. Alex Lawless, on the opposite post comes across, instinct kicks in. His right-foot comes up and somehow claws it away. Alex done his job, if goal line technology was involved back then and done it’s job Alex might not have kept it 0-0.
Luton fans are celebrating as if we scored as Alex clears, the ball comes out to the touchline. Jon Shaw picks it up, the ever willing Andre Gray on the halfway line. ‘Shawy’ clips it forward, Andre chases. He shrugs off Javier Garrido, bearing down on the penalty area the Norwich defender comes across. He is a strong boy Andre, “Big touch across him Dre. Then get your arm across and your one-on-one with the keeper” My anticipation got the better of me, Jonny Howson realises he is in trouble. Howson’s right foot gets to the bouncing ball, he nudges it ever so slightly into Andre’s path. Howson’s arm wraps round Andre’s shoulder. Andre goes down! Our whole bench go up, the whole Luton end go up! “Penalty, he has pulled him down. Stonewall penalty that!” Referee Marriner shakes his head. Half-time comes after a frantic few minutes. The lads have been brilliant, we have rode our luck but we were always going to.
Half Time Norwich City 0-0 Luton Town
The second-half began, Carrow Road slowly filled back up from fans indulging in their half time cups of tea. We were 45 minutes away from causing a real shock. Imagine a Conference team getting a draw at a Premier League ground and forcing a replay, unthinkable. We grew in belief in the first-half, stick to the game plan and we could grind out a draw in the second half.
55 minutes – Tyler to the rescue again. Norwich attack down the right, Andrew Surman into Jackson. He steps a way from Snoop, and stands a delightful cross to the back-post. Janos doesn’t see half-time substitute Grant Hold behind him. The cross is perfect, it is pin-point. It takes what seems to be an age to get to Holt. Half of Carrow Road rise and almost head it in for their number 9. He has got to score, Norwich’s leading marksman doesn’t miss them. Tyler takes two giant steps to his right, Holt puts it either side of Tyler it’s 1-0, all the hard work undone. Tyler stands strong, Holt connects perfectly. SAVED! “What a ******* save that is!” The boy who once donned the Yellow shirt of his boyhood heroes is keeping them at bay.
I continue to warm up, big jacket wrapped round me fighting off the bitterly cold Norfolk winter I stride up and down the side of the main stage. 65 minutes I look up, assistant manager Alan Neilsen waves down at me. “Here we go, I’m coming on!” I sprint back up to the dug-out like Usain Bolt, I want to get on there for as long as I can. More layers than a game of pass the parcel ripped off, match shirt on. The clock strikes 68 minutes, number 14 off number 17 on. Jake Howells moves into play alongside Jonathan Smith in centre-midfield, I come on left-midfield.
My family watch on from the away end, my little brother and my dad joined by half of Leighton Buzzard. They were going for a day out, they never expected anything other than an enjoyable day and a few beverages in East-Anglia. My dad took me all over the country as a young boy, I used to be out delivering letters with him for Royal Mail on a Saturday morning at 7 so he could get me to my Academy training for 9 o’clock. He proudly watched on, his boy had 22 minutes to try and create a memorable FA Cup draw.
5 minutes after I entered proceedings, it was time to freshen up the front two. The outstanding Shaw and Gray off, Stuart Fleetwood and Scott Rendell on.
78 minutes – Scott’s first involvement almost leads to a goal. Jonathan Smith clips one forward, Ryan Bennett tries to be clever and take it down. Scott nips infront of him, one bounce he lifts it over the head of the lacklustre Bennett. goal scoring hero from Round 3 Alex Lawless comes in from the right. The ball slowly drops out the darkening Norfolk sky, over Alex’s left shoulder. 12 yards out – it is a hard chance – a volley with three Norwich defenders surrounding the Welshman. “What a connection, this is going to be our only chance, imagine if that nestles in.” My thoughts as I look on as the ball sweetly connect with Alex’s right-foot. Declan Rudd is worried in the Norwich goal, he clambers to his left. It flies towards the goal, the Luton Fans rise. The ball beats Rudd, it skims the right-hand post. Anguish reaps around the South-Stand, a few millimetres to the left and we could have won it. 10 minutes left, we’ll happily take a draw.
80 minutes – The best 60 seconds of my footballing life were about to unfold. A wild punt forward from Rudd, Janos Kovacs the big Hungarian comes through like a wrecking ball, smashing Norwich players as he does. His big sweaty forehead crunching the ball, he heads clear. Fleetwood picks it up in front of Paul Buckle’s technical area. The Norwich players are all forward, a big space lies behind where their right-back Russell Martin should be. As Fleetwood collects the ball, I am off. The right ball from one substitute to another and I could be in here. Fleetwood raises his head, I raise my right arm in front of me, my index finger signals exactly where I want the ball as I gallop in full flow into Norwich’s half. “Don’t over hit it Fleets, put it in there, I can get on the end of it!” With the outside of his colourful Adidas boot he caresses the ball down the line. The weight of the pass majestic, he could have done it a hundred times over, he couldn’t have played it any better. It back spins perfectly as I reach it. 10 yards from the byline, I look up. I see Scott catching up the play, arm outstretched telling me to wait. I reach the ball, 5 yards from the byline. My head comes up as I take my first touch. I see Scott again, if I could have had any situation with any player in that game this was it. I know where Scott is going, lets hope Chris Hughton’s rear guard didn’t. Time really did feel like it stopped. “Just wait J, just wait!” Scott first movement looks as if he is going to go between the two central defenders. I know he isn’t, Scott knows he’s not. Bennett and Garrido have no idea where Scott is, BOSH! Here we go, Scott goes, we played together so many times, if the ball is right then I know he is getting there. My head goes down, it was to be the biggest pass of my life. My left foot connects, Scott is on the move, Bennett isn’t. The ball rolls perfectly towards Scott, Bennett sees him coming. It is to late! Scott gets there first, I knew he would – he knew he would. As his right arm went up moments ago this situation had already been planned out. Execution perfect, Scott across the front, his right foot nips in ahead of the despairing Bennett, he toe pokes it up into the air, Declan Rudd dives, there isn’t any need. The ball flies past him before he can react. IT’S IN!! ABSOLUTE PANDEMONIUM!
Scott leapt to his feet. The noise inside Carrow Road deafening. Years of heartache, years of injustice, years of trudging round Non-League grounds in the hope of seeing their beloved Luton Town back in the Football League. That moment was a proud heartfelt moment for every Hatters fan. Something to shout about, something to enjoy. And boy did they enjoy it! I chased Scott, nearly as fast as I ran down the line to latch on to Stuart Fleetwood’s pass. His arms outstretched, I followed suit. “What have we just done!” Everyone piled into the corner, close on 5000 hatters going mental. I was going mental, Ronnie Henry grabbed Scott, there heads went together and all the lads bundled on. “What a feeling, what a sight seeing the joy you can bring so many people!” Grown men crying, my brother pushing my next door neighbour down four rows. It was carnage, Non-League Luton had scored at Premier League Norwich. We had 10 minutes to hold on, even if we couldn’t we had giving the supporters something to shout about. We took what felt like forever to get back in our own half after celebrating, nobody could take that moment away from us!
Ten minutes felt like ten hours. “Ref, how long left?” Every 30 seconds Andre Marriner was getting peppered with the same repeating question. If we were determined to defend at 0-0 in the build-up to us scoring, we were even more determined to hold onto our lead. The clock struck 90 minutes. We were minutes away from doing the unthinkable. Minutes away from creating footballing history. We had come for a draw at absolute best, we were so close to a remarkable win.
90 minutes – The ball is played down our right hand side. Both Norwich centre halves are forward as they search for an equaliser. Snoop goes across to clear it with weaker right foot. Just inside our penalty area the ball skids up off the greasy surface. Snoop scuffs the ball with his right foot, it flies up onto his right arm. 23,000 Canaries scream for a penalty. “No, please no! Ref no chance, ball to hand ref, ball to hand!” All 11 Luton players pleading with Andre Marriner to not do anything. Another shake of his head, no penalty. “Andre Marriner you absolute hero!”
3 minutes of stoppage time went up, 3 minutes have been played. The ball goes back to Declan Rudd in the Norwich goal, all the Luton bench, all the Luton fans impersonating the referee as they blow imaginary whistles. “How long is he playing? Ref any chance?” Rudd clears it. THE REFEREE BLOWS HIS WHISTLE! THAT’S IT! WE HAVE MADE FOOTBALL HISTORY! NORWICH CITY 0-1 LUTON TOWN!
Everyone from the bench piled onto the pitch. The lads cuddling each other like they were family. We had achieved the unthinkable. We had done something very special, we had given the town of Luton and the loyal supporters something to be proud of.
I have had some special days in football, the 60 seconds from Janos clearing the ball to me setting up Scott and the celebrations after are something to me that can never be topped on a football pitch. I relive everyday the 26th January 2013, many times a day, will it always be like that? Most definitely. You face a lot more low points than high points in football. For me it is such a special day. The starting 11 done unbelievably well to keep Chris Hughton’s side at bay for the first 68 minutes. I was able to come on and help that, for the chance to fall to me and to be able to setup Scott is something that still gives me goosebumps watching today. The scenes in the away end as we celebrated as a team is something firmly etched in my mind. Paul Buckle didn’t have the easiest time as Luton Town manager, he would probably be the first to admit that. He was the mastermind behind that victory. He believed we could definitely come away with a draw, he set us up in a way to achieve that. We would’ve taken a draw if you offered us it sat in The Dunston Hall Hotel hours earlier. We achieved the unthinkable, we achieved the improbable. We created footballing history, the first ever Non-League team to knock a Premier League team out of the FA Cup. Everywhere you go, you should try and leave a legacy, try and do something that people remember you by. I was never going to be the greatest player to wear a Luton shirt, but every time I pulled it on it was a true privilege. I’m glad I was able to be part of that team that achieved something so unique and special that January afternoon. In the face of impossibility and against the odds, as a certain Norwich City supporter once said, “Let’s Be Having You”!
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To watch highlights from that History-making day. Please watch below.
JJ O'Donnell 