The 2021–22 season was the 136th season of competitive football and third consecutive season in the Championship played by Luton Town Football Club, a professional association football club based in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. Luton also competed in the FA Cup and EFL Cup. The season covered the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

Background and pre-season

After leading Luton Town to safety from relegation on the final day of the 2019–20 season, Nathan Jones guided the team to a top-half finish in 2020–21 with their highest points total in the second tier since 1981–82.

Luton Town's first-team pre-season programme began with an away fixture against Hitchin Town, before a week-long training camp at Queen Ethelburga's College in York, North Yorkshire, England, which concluded with a behind-closed-doors match against Rochdale. This was followed by friendlies away to Bedford Town and Boreham Wood, before home fixtures against Portsmouth and Brighton & Hove Albion.

+ Pre-season match detailsDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceHitchin TownAW7–0Clark (4) 30', 32', 34', 43', Bree 60', Lee 77', Mendes Gomes 85'1,250RochdaleNW4–0Adebayo 18' pen., Burke 45', Cornick 54', Jerome 65'Bedford TownAW5–0Mendes Gomes 9', Richardson 31' o.g., Lansbury 75', Bree 89', Cornick 90'Boreham WoodAW3–1Clark (2) 74', 89', Mendes Gomes 86'877PortsmouthHD1–1Adebayo 10'Brighton & Hove AlbionHL1–3Cornick 44'

Match results EFL Championship

+ EFL Championship match detailsDateLeaguepositionOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendance2ndPeterborough UnitedHW3–0Adebayo 30', Cornick 68', Onyedinma 71'10,01911thWest Bromwich AlbionAL2–3Cornick 70', Mpanzu 90+8'23,2833rdBarnsleyAW1–0Bell 4'12,99911thBirmingham CityHL0–510,01412thSheffield UnitedHD0–09,77412thBlackburn RoversAD2–2Berry (2) 73', 90+8'11,24113thBristol CityAD1–1Hylton 90+1'16,87813thSwansea CityHD3–3Berry 7', Adebayo (2) 15' pen., 23'9,72116thAFC BournemouthAL1–2Kelly 64' o.g.9,7379thCoventry CityHW5–0Adebayo (2) 3' pen., 45+7', Cornick (2) 18', 58', Berry 30'9,80513thHuddersfield TownHD0–09,97710thMillwallAW2–0Cornick (2) 11', 53'14,2279thDerby CountyAD2–2Onyedinma 48', Adebayo 83'20,2585thHull CityHW1–0Adebayo 17'9,99910thPreston North EndAL0–211,0596thMiddlesbroughHW3–1Bradley 57', Adebayo 60', Cornick 62'9,79011thStoke CityHL0–110,06811thQueens Park RangersAL0–215,06211thNottingham ForestAD0–025,71514thCardiff CityHL1–2Clark 64'9,98712thBlackpoolAW3–0Bradley 42', Adebayo 54', Clark 90+1'11,36612thFulhamHD1–1Adebayo 62'9,99213thAFC BournemouthHW3–2Kelly 30' o.g., Campbell 42', Naismith 90+7'9,64911thReadingAW2–0Holmes 33' o.g., Campbell 58'9,61113thSheffield UnitedAL0–227,78010thBristol CityHW2–1Lockyer 42', Adebayo 68'9,20210thBlackburn RoversHD0–09,9879thSwansea CityAW1–0Cornick 72'16,5987thBarnsleyHW2–1Campbell 28', Adebayo 59' pen.9,10110thBirmingham CityAL0–317,2928thWest Bromwich AlbionHW2–0Jerome 55', Campbell 83'10,0218thStoke CityAW2–1Hylton 56', Jerome 81'18,2706thDerby CountyHW1–0Hylton 67'10,0708thMiddlesbroughAL1–2Cornick 90+6'23,8176thCoventry CityAW1–0Adebayo 38'16,9967thQueens Park RangersHL1–2Jerome 37'10,0735thPreston North EndHW4–0Berry (2) 9', 42', Onyedinma 28', Diaby 59' o.g.9,4083rdHull CityAW3–1Adebayo 9', Cornick 56', Bree 72'16,5554thMillwallHD2–2Adebayo 33', Cooper 87' o.g.10,0694thPeterborough UnitedAD1–1Hylton 49'10,9405thHuddersfield TownAL0–218,3794thNottingham ForestHW1–0Naismith 37' pen.10,0704thCardiff CityAW1–0Cornick 71'19,3815thBlackpoolHD1–1Adebayo 2'9,8436thFulhamAL0–719,5386thReadingHW1–0Cornick 45+1'10,070

League table

Results summary

Play-offs

+ EFL Championship play-offs match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceSemi-final first legHuddersfield TownHD1–1Bradley 30'10,005Semi-final second legHuddersfield TownAL0–123,407

FA Cup

+ FA Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceThird roundHarrogate TownHW4–0Adebayo 18', Jerome 50', Naismith 82', Berry 88'4,834Fourth roundCambridge UnitedAW3–0Burke 16', Mendes Gomes 23', Muskwe 88'7,937Fifth roundChelseaHL2–3Burke 2', Cornick 40'10,140

EFL Cup

+ EFL Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst roundStevenageAD2–20–3 pens.Jerome 5', Muskwe 40'3,052

Transfers

In DatePlayerClubFee25 May 2021Fred OnyedinmaWycombe WanderersUndisclosed15 June 2021Allan CampbellMotherwellUndisclosed26 June 2021Carlos Mendes GomesMorecambeUndisclosed1 July 2021Amari'i Bell(Blackburn Rovers)Free1 July 2021Reece Burke(Hull City)Free1 July 2021Cameron Jerome(Milton Keynes Dons)Free1 July 2021Henri Lansbury(Bristol City)Free15 July 2021Admiral MuskweLeicester CityUndisclosed21 September 2021Conor Lawless *(Reading)Free21 September 2021Josh Williams *(Stafford Rangers)Free24 September 2021Elliot Thorpe(Tottenham Hotspur)Free25 February 2022Robert Snodgrass(West Bromwich Albion)Free

Brackets around club names indicate the player's contract with that club had expired before he joined Luton. * Signed primarily for the under-21 squad

Out DatePlayerClubFee9 August 2021Joe MorrellPortsmouthUndisclosed31 January 2022Simon SlugaLudogorets RazgradUndisclosed30 June 2022TQ AddyReleased30 June 2022Sam Beckwith(Maidenhead United)Released30 June 2022Danny Hylton(Northampton Town)Free30 June 2022Elliot LeeReleased30 June 2022Kal Naismith(Bristol City)Free30 June 2022Corey PanterReleased30 June 2022Jake PeckReleased

Brackets around club names indicate the player joined that club after his Luton contract expired.

Loan in DatePlayerClubReturn31 January 2022Jed SteerAston VillaEnd of season4 March 2022Alex PalmerWest Bromwich Albion11 March 20221 May 2022Matt IngramHull City18 May 2022

Loan out DatePlayerClubReturn11 July 2021Corey PanterDundeeEnd of season, recalled 2 January 202213 August 2021Jake PeckConcord RangersEnd of season26 August 2021Elliot LeeCharlton AthleticEnd of season27 August 2021Sam BeckwithMaidenhead UnitedEnd of season31 August 2021Peter KiosoMilton Keynes DonsEnd of season, recalled 18 January 20227 October 2021Ben StevensBiggleswade TownJanuary 20228 October 2021Dion PereiraYeovil TownOne month, terminated due to injury 14 October 202113 October 2021Matt MoloneyHitchin TownJanuary 20224 January 2022Dion PereiraBradford CityEnd of season7 January 2022Avan JonesSt Albans CityEnd of season22 January 2022Casey PettitLewesEnd of season31 January 2022Glen ReaWigan AthleticEnd of season, terminated due to injury 17 March 202218 March 2022Josh NeufvilleYeovil TownEnd of season, recalled 14 May 202227 March 2022TQ AddyLewesEnd of season21 April 2022Corey PanterKidderminster HarriersEnd of season

Appearances and goals Source: Discipline records accessed via individual player pages. Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with name and squad number struck through and marked left the club during the playing season. Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Luton. Players listed with no appearances have been in the matchday squad but only as unused substitutes. Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward

+ Players included in matchday squadsNo.Pos.Nat.NameLeagueFA CupEFL CupPlay-offsTotalDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GKJames Shea190101000210102DFJames Bree421100020451503DFDan Potts9 (1)020000011 (1)0204MFKal Naismith4221100204531005DFSonny Bradley20 (2)210002123 (2)3316MFGlen Rea8 (4)00010009 (4)0407FWHarry Cornick30 (8)121 (1)10 (1)02033 (10)13408MFLuke Berry10 (3)61 (1)1000011 (4)7209FWDanny Hylton5 (12)40 (3)0001 (1)06 (16)44010FWElliot Lee00001000100011FWElijah Adebayo38 (2)1611000 (1)039 (3)176012GKSimon Sluga 1900000001901012MFRobert Snodgrass4 (4)00 (1)0001 (1)05 (6)01014FWCarlos Mendes Gomes2 (7)031100 (1)06 (8)10015DFTom Lockyer27 (2)120100 (1)030 (3)15016DFReece Burke25 (2)032002030 (2)25117MFPelly Ruddock Mpanzu31 (3)10 (1)0000031 (4)13018MFJordan Clark19 (6)210002022 (6)23019MFDion Pereira00000 (1)0000 (1)00020DFPeter Kioso8 (8)020100011 (8)03021GKHarry Isted1 (1)00 (1)000001 (2)00022MFAllan Campbell31 (2)40 (3)00 (1)02033 (6)48023MFHenri Lansbury18 (16)010101021 (16)011024MFFred Onyedinma14 (15)31 (1)0000015 (16)34025GKJed Steer *30200000500026FWAdmiral Muskwe7 (13)021110010 (13)23027GKMatt Ingram *20000020400028MFElliot Thorpe00100000100029DFAmari'i Bell40 (1)12 (1)0002044 (2)13031GKJameson Horlick00000000000032DFGabriel Osho16 (7)020100019 (7)04033MFSam Beckwith00001000100035FWCameron Jerome14 (17)32 (1)1111 (1)018 (19)56036DFAvan Jones00000000000037FWEd McJannet00000000000040DFAidan Francis-Clarke00000000000041GKAlex Palmer * 200000002000

+ Players not included in matchday squadsNo.Pos.Nat.Name25MFJoe Morrell

References