Supporters and Rivalries
Luton Town has significantly higher support than the other clubs in its current league, with an average home attendance of 6,242 in 2010–11, compared to the second highest of 3,390. Average attendances at Kenilworth Road fell with the installation of seats and the club's reduction in stature, dropping from 13,452 in 1982–83 to their 2010–11 level – a slump of 53% over 28 years. The club has two major supporters' groups – the official Luton Town Supporters Club and the breakaway Loyal Luton Supporters Club. There also exists a Supporters' Trust, affiliated with both clubs, called Trust in Luton, an Industrial and Provident Society which owns shares in the club and elects a representative to the club's board.
The club produces an official match programme for home games, called Talk of the Town. There is also a free fanzine distributed by the local press called Half-time Orange, launched at the start of the 2007–08 season with 10 issues per season. The club mascot is a character known as Happy Harry, who appears on the pitch before matches.
Luton Town supporters maintain a bitter rivalry with Hertfordshire-based Watford. Watford have remained the higher ranked team at the end of every season since 1997 (and for 20 of the last 21 seasons, with only 1996–97 seeing Luton finish higher in the league than Watford). However, overall Luton still hold the superior record in the fixture between the two clubs; out of 118 competitive first-class matches there have been 53 Luton victories and 36 for Watford, with 29 draws. A survey taken in 2003 showed that there was also animosity between Luton Town fans and those of west London club Queens Park Rangers.
Read more about this topic: Luton Town F.C.
Famous quotes containing the word supporters:
“No Government can be long secure without a formidable Opposition. It reduces their supporters to that tractable number which can be managed by the joint influences of fruition and hope. It offers vengeance to the discontented, and distinction to the ambitious; and employs the energies of aspiring spirits, who otherwise may prove traitors in a division or assassins in a debate.”
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881)