List of Luton Town F.C. seasons

Luton Town Football Club is an English football club, founded in 1885. After becoming the first professional team in the south of England in 1891, Luton joined The Football League in 1897 before leaving three years later. The club rejoined the League in 1920, and reached its top division in 1955–56. After losing the 1959 FA Cup Final 2–1 to Nottingham Forest, a period of decline saw Luton in the Fourth Division by 1965. After a swift revival the club was back in Division Two by 1970. Luton earned another promotion four years later, returning to Division One for the 1974–75 season, in which Luton were relegated back to the Second Division.

Financial crises during the 1970s led to the sale of important players and it was not until David Pleat, a former Luton player, was appointed in 1978 that Luton started to recover. Pleat's team achieved promotion in 1981–82, and remained in Division One until 1992. Luton won the League Cup in the 1987–88 season with a 3–2 victory over Arsenal, but it marked the beginning of decline. Inconsistent performance and financial uncertainty meant that Luton rose and fell through the divisions from season to season, and in 2007 a collapse began that would result in three successive relegations. The club claimed a Football League Trophy victory in 2009, but with it came the relegation to the Conference Premier made inevitable by 40 points deducted in two seasons. Luton contested five years in non-League football, including three unsuccessful play-off campaigns, before winning promotion to League Two as Conference Premier champions in the 2013–14 season. The club were promoted to League One after finishing second in League Two in 2017–18, and the following season they won a second successive promotion to the Championship after winning the League One title. In the 2022-23 season Luton secured promotion to the Premier League by winning the Championship play off final on penalties against Coventry City at Wembley, however their stay in the top flight only lasted one season being relegated back to the Championship after a single season along with the other promoted clubs Burnley and Sheffield United. In the 2024-25 season Luton suffered a second successive relegation dropping down to League One for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Key

ChampionsRunners-upPromotedRelegated Top scorer and number of goals scored shown in bold when he was also top scorer for the division Division shown in bold when it changes due to promotion, relegation or reorganisation League results shown in italics for abandoned or wartime competitions

Key to league record

Pld = Matches played W = Matches won D = Matches drawn L = Matches lost GF = Goals for GA = Goals against Pts = Points Pos. = Final position

Key to divisions

Prem = Premier League Champ = EFL Championship Lge 1 = EFL League One Lge 2 = EFL League Two Div 1 = Football League First Division Div 2 = Football League Second Division Div 3 = Football League Third Division Div 3 S = Football League Third Division South Div 4 = Football League Fourth Division Conf Prem = Conference Premier South = Southern Football League Division One South 2 = Southern Football League Division Two United = United League West 1B = Western Football League Division 1B West 1A = Western Football League Division 1A

Key to rounds

Grp = Group stage QR1 = Qualifying round 1 QR2 = Qualifying round 2 QR3 = Qualifying round 3 QR4 = Qualifying round 4 QR5 = Qualifying round 5 QR6 = Qualifying round 6 Int = Intermediate round R1 = Round 1 R2 = Round 2 R3 = Round 3 R4 = Round 4 R5 = Round 5 R6 = Round 6 QF = Quarter-finals SF = Semi-finals RU = Runners-up W = Winners S = Southern sector

Seasons SeasonLeagueFA CupLeagueCupOther competitionsTop scorer(s)DivisionPldWDLGFGAPtsPos.CompetitionPos.Player(s)Goals1885–86R1—none01886–87R1—E. Ellingham1887–88R1—George Deacon1888–89QR3—J.C. Lomax1889–90QR3—Harry WhitbyJ.C. Lomax1890–91QR1—none01891–92R1—Harry Whitby1892–93QR3—Frank Whitby1893–94R1—Fred AllenRobert Dimmock1894–95SouthR1—Hugh Galbraith1895–96SouthQR1—Hugh Galbraith1896–97UnitedR1—George Ekins1897–98Div 2R1—Willie StewartUnited1898–99Div 2QR5—James KemplayUnited1899–1900Div 2QR5—John Brock1900–01SouthInt—James BlessingtonJimmy Durrant1901–02SouthInt—James Blessington1902–03SouthR1—Leon Gall1903–04SouthQR5—Jason McKee1904–05SouthQR6—David Ross1905–06SouthQR4—Sandy Brown1906–07SouthR2—Sandy Brown1907–08SouthR1—Herbert MoodyWest 1B1908–09SouthR1—Herbert MoodyWest 1A1909–10SouthQR4—Thomas Quinn1910–11SouthR1—Herbert Moody1911–12SouthR1—Herbert Moody1912–13South 2QR5—James Stephenson1913–14South 2QR5—Ernie SimmsArthur Wileman1914–15SouthR1—Ernie Simms1919–20SouthR2—Ernie Simms1920–21Div 3R3—Ernie Simms1921–22Div 3 SR2—Ernie Simms1922–23Div 3 SR1—Syd Reid1923–24Div 3 SR1—Andy Kerr1924–25Div 3 SR1—George DennisSyd Reid1925–26Div 3 SR2—Jimmy Thompson1926–27Div 3 SR3—Syd Reid1927–28Div 3 SR3—Jimmy Yardley1928–29Div 3 SR3—Andy Rennie1929–30Div 3 SR1—Andy RennieJimmy Yardley1930–31Div 3 SR2—Andy Rennie1931–32Div 3 SR3—Tommy Tait1932–33Div 3 SR6—Tommy Tait1933–34Div 3 SR3Football League Third Division South CupR2Andy Rennie1934–35Div 3 SR4Football League Third Division South CupR2Jack Ball1935–36Div 3 SR4Football League Third Division South CupR1George Stephenson1936–37Div 3 SR4Football League Third Division South CupJoe Payne1937–38Div 2R5—Joe Payne1938–39Div 2R3—Hugh Billington1939–40Div 2n/a—Hugh Billington1945–46R3—none01946–47Div 2R5—Hugh Billington1947–48Div 2R5—Hugh Billington1948–49Div 2R5—Billy Arnison1949–50Div 2R3—George Stobbart1950–51Div 2R4—Willie DavieGeorge Stobbart1951–52Div 2R6—Jack Taylor1952–53Div 2R5—Jesse Pye1953–54Div 2R4—Gordon Turner1954–55Div 2R5—Gordon Turner1955–56Div 1R3—Gordon Turner1956–57Div 1R3—Gordon Turner1957–58Div 1R3—Gordon Turner1958–59Div 1—Allan Brown1959–60Div 1R5—Billy Bingham1960–61Div 2R5R2—Gordon Turner1961–62Div 2R3R2—Gordon Turner1962–63Div 2R3R4—Ron Davies1963–64Div 3R3R2—John O'Rourke1964–65Div 3R3R2—Tommy McKechnie1965–66Div 4R2R1—John O'Rourke1966–67Div 4R2R1—Bruce RiochRay Whittaker1967–68Div 4R2R2—Bruce Rioch1968–69Div 3R3R3—Brian Lewis1969–70Div 3R2R3—Malcolm Macdonald1970–71Div 2R3R3Watney CupMalcolm Macdonald1971–72Div 2R3R2—Peter Anderson1972–73Div 2R6R2Anglo-Italian CupGrpJohn Aston1973–74Div 2R5R4—Barry Butlin1974–75Div 1R3R3Texaco CupGrpAdrian Alston1975–76Div 2R4R2—Jimmy Husband1976–77Div 2R4R2—Ron FutcherJimmy Husband1977–78Div 2R4R3—Phil BoersmaRon Futcher1978–79Div 2R3—Brian Stein1979–80Div 2R3R1—David Moss1980–81Div 2R4R3—David MossBrian Stein1981–82Div 2R4R2—Brian Stein1982–83Div 1R4R4—Brian Stein1983–84Div 1R3R2—Paul Walsh1984–85Div 1SFR4—Mick Harford1985–86Div 1R6R3—Mick Harford1986–87Div 1R4n/a—Mike NewellBrian Stein1987–88Div 1SFWFull Members' CupMick HarfordFootball League Centenary TournamentR11988–89Div 1R3RUFull Members' CupR3Roy WegerleDanny Wilson1989–90Div 1R3R3Full Members' CupR2SKingsley BlackIain Dowie1990–91Div 1R4R2Full Members' CupLars Elstrup1991–92Div 1R3R2Full Members' CupR2SMick Harford1992–93Div 1R4R2Anglo-Italian CupGrpPhil Gray1993–94Div 1SFR1Anglo-Italian CupGrpScott Oakes1994–95Div 1R4R1—Dwight Marshall1995–96Div 1R3R1Anglo-Italian CupGrpDwight Marshall1996–97Div 2R3R3Football League TrophyR2STony Thorpe1997–98Div 2R1R2Football League TrophyTony Thorpe1998–99Div 2R2Football League TrophyR2SPhil Gray1999–2000Div 2R3R1Football League TrophyR1SLiam George2000–01Div 2R3R2Football League TrophyR1SLiam George2001–02Div 3R1R1Football League TrophyR2SSteve Howard2002–03Div 2R2R2Football League TrophySteve Howard2003–04Div 2R4R2Football League TrophySteve Howard2004–05Lge 1R3R1Football League TrophyR1SSteve Howard2005–06ChampR3R2—Steve Howard2006–07ChampR4R3—Rowan Vine2007–08Lge 1R3R4Football League TrophyR2SPaul FurlongMatthew Spring2008–09Lge 2R2R2Football League TrophyWChris Martin2009–10Conf PremR3FA TrophyR1Tom Craddock2010–11Conf PremR2FA TrophySFMatthew Barnes-Homer2011–12Conf PremR2FA TrophySFStuart Fleetwood2012–13Conf PremR5FA TrophyAndre Gray2013–14Conf PremR1FA TrophyR3Andre Gray2014–15Lge 2R3R1Football League TrophyR2SMark Cullen2015–16Lge 2R2R2Football League TrophyR2SJack Marriott2016–17Lge 2R3R2EFL TrophySFDanny Hylton2017–18Lge 2R3R1EFL TrophyR3SDanny Hylton2018–19Lge 1R3R1EFL TrophyR2SJames Collins2019–20ChampR3R3—James Collins2020–21ChampR4R3—James Collins2021–22ChampR5R1—Elijah Adebayo2022–23Champ4621178573980R4R1——Carlton Morris2023–24Prem386824528526R5R3——Carlton Morris2024–25Champ4613102345694922ndR3R2——Carlton Morris 2025–26Lge 1462111146856747thR2R1EFL TrophyW Jordan Clark

Footnotes

References General

Specific