Today is the 20th anniversary of Luton Town's Littlewoods Cup win. Hatters supporter John Pyper looks back on the momentous occasion.

AS we reach the 20th anniversary of what for all Luton Town supporters has to be the greatest day in the football club's history, it's time to reflect on the good times and lift the spirits of everyone young and old associated with the club.

As we end what has to be one of the worst seasons I can remember in my 44 years as a fan, it's important that the new Luton2020 consortium in charge of the club is not letting the anniversary go by without celebrating.

There is hard work going on behind the scenes for what should be a great day on the May 10 at Kenilworth Road, when a Luton Town Legends XI will face an Arsenal Legends and Pro-celebrity XI, raising money for charity and the club's own centre of excellence.

Sunday, April 24, 1988, was a day I will never forget. The Hatters were successful in all areas that year, with three visits to the great stadium in one season – the Simod Cup final and the Mercantile Credit FA Centenary Competition, too – so it was a great time to be a Luton Town fan.

In the weeks leading up to the final, the town was buzzing with the excitement of going to Wembley again, with shop windows and pubs decorated in the club colours.

The day itself was a lovely sunny spring day, and very warm for the time of the year.

We had more than 25 coaches heading to London from all areas of Bedfordshire, and surrounding counties – it was a lot of work but worth it in the end.

It seemed that everyone from the town was heading south. Travelling down Wembley Way was one of many highlights, seeing so many Luton straw boaters, hats and flags.

Being there quite early, I had time to soak up the great pre-match atmosphere and scenes outside the stadium, so I sat on the grass embankment by the turnstiles.

As I went into the stadium, I remember many Luton fans being upset by having all their flag poles taken from them by stewards – even though, when I finally got to my seat, directly in line with the edge of the penalty box where Brian Stein was to score the winner, we saw Arsenal fans with red and white flags on poles.

After taking many pictures, blowing up balloons and watching all the pre-match entertainment – including marching bands and communal singing – the noise was deafening when the teams finally entered the arena led by the late team manager Ray Harford, and team captain and leader, Steve Foster, alongside Arsenal's manager George Graham and skipper Tony Adams.

After all the pre-match presentation and national anthem etc, Luton had won the toss and kicked-off towards the players' tunnel.

After early pressure from the Hatters, we scored what was to be the only goal of the first half through Brian Stein after a free-kick by the late David Preece.

The Hatters fans were in great voice by now, and on the balance of play we could have been two up by the half-time whistle.

In the second half, Arsenal took the game to Luton early on, and had the edge with Luton tiring under the Gunners' pressure in hot conditions. It was inevitable they would score, and it came from a set piece free-kick that was very harsh at the time, scored by sub Martin Hayes in the 71st minute.

What was to happen in those last 19 minutes will survive in my memory for as long as live, and will for everyone who witnessed it.

Three minutes later, with Arsenal very much on top and kicking towards their own supporters at the tunnel end of the stadium, they scored a second. The ball fell into the path of centre-forward, Alan Smith and, with the Hatters defence retreating, he struck the ball passed a diving Andy Dibble, from an acute angle.

I, like many of the 30,000-plus Luton fans that day, thought that our chance had gone, and that became more evident when referee Joe Worrall, awarded Arsenal a penalty, which at the time from where I was sitting looked a penalty.

But in the repeated times I have watched that incident, from many angles, defender Mal Donaghy never made contact with the ball or the midfield player, the late David Rocastle.

In my eyes, looking back at that incident I think the referee was unsighted, and made a rash decision and still to the day the linesman, who had a better view, should have intervened.

Anyway, what was to happen turned the game in the Hatters' favour, with the resultant penalty being saved by Littlewood's Mman of the match and hero Andy Dibble.

The period prior to the penalty being taken by Arsenal's full-back Nigel Winterburn seemed to last forever, which looking back now was partly due to many Luton players' frustration and venting their anger towards the referee.

The player ruled to have made the tackle, Donaghy, who normally being the true pro, would except most decisions was also frustrated.
What will go down as one of the greatest penalty saves to grace the Wembley Stadium was made with a save low down to his left and palmed it around his left hand post.

They never seem to show this penalty on TV as much as the one in the following month, Dave Beasant's save for Wimbledon in the FA Cup Final against Liverpool, which was just as important.

That Dibble save seemed to galvanised the whole Luton team, who from nowhere found another gear and tremendous energy, and within eight minutes were level due to sheer pressure and partly down to mistakes from the Gunners' defence.

Gus Caesar slipped in the box and Danny Wilson stooped low to head in a cross from Brian Stein, following good work from the ever-improving winger Kingsley Black.

Myself, my family and friends were now on cloud nine. I was thinking just hold out for extra-time, even though the Hatters were taking the game to Arsenal.

However, there was the fitness factor to take into account for an extra 30 minutes having put so much effort into the second half.

But that thought was wiped away from our thoughts with a moment that I will never forget as a Luton Town supporter for more than 45 years.

With the clock ticking away to 90 minutes, the Hatters gave one last tremendous effort and threw players forward, including late substitute Mark Stein (who only overnight prior to the final was made a substitute, having not been considered for the main squad) who was on for Mick Harford. I remember the Arsenal captain Tony Adams looking very tired in that sun and made crude tackle on Mark Stein.

With the Luton fans at that end of the stadium shouting for one final effort with a chorus of Come On You Hatters (and by this time I didn't have much of voice left myself), from the resultant free kick taken by Danny Wilson the ball was headed out of defence wide to the right-hand side of the box.

It fell to the other Luton sub Ashley Grimes, who took the ball to the by-line and with the outside of his left boot he crossed for the on-rushing Brian 'Bruno' Stein, who got there before Winterburn to slot the ball past Gunners keeper Lukic for greatest goal in the history of Luton Town Football Club.

What happened after the final whistle is at times a total blur, but I do get reminded from time to time from fellow supporters and family who were near me in the stadium that day of exactly what I did.

If I was ever given the opportunity to relive a moment of my life, this would have to be up there in the top three.

The presentation of the trophy and the post match celebrations on the pitch seemed to pass by so quickly – thank heavens for the TV and video, which allow me to look back at any time at the whole match, or just those last few minutes, and watch one of the greatest cup final comebacks ever to grace Wembley.

I floated out of the stadium and back to our waiting coaches back to Luton, and what was going to be a another great 24 hours-plus of celebrations, with the trophy being paraded around the streets and the welcoming thousands outside Luton Town Hall.

With the game having taken place on a Sunday, somehow I got into work, albeit a little later and A bit more weary than usual.

Luckily I was working just the other side of the Arndale Centre in Cheapside, so I was able during my lunch break to pop across with posters in hand to the local shops, public houses. I even got Town Hall staff to display a few extra ones in their windows.

With very obliging employers, I left work early – as did many others – which gave me time to get down to the football ground, where I saw the open-top bus which was to depart from the Maple Road car park.

There must have been more than 500 supporters with their banners and flags in the car park alone, and they had been there for hours.

For me, the highlight was seeing the heroes of the day, the Luton Town players and the late Ray Harford. They must have taken over 30 minutes to get from the players' entrance to the waiting bus.

From Maple Road, the bus went down Oak Road and around the arcade in Dunstable/Leagrave Road, and then on the dual carriageway towards the town centre, with many thousands of fans and town folk lining the streets, cheering, waving en-route to the town centre.

When I got there, I wasn't able to see much having run from the ground, but the players, staff and VIPs had to leave the bus and walk the length of George Street to the steps of the Town Hall, with various players holding on tight to what was by then a sorry-looking Littlewoods Cup.

The trophy had been broken somehow in the post-match celebrations for the players, staff and VIPs at the Savoy Hotel in London the night before.

At the Town Hall I had a great view about 50 yards from steps. I took many pictures, soaked up in the great atmosphere and displayed my large banner which somehow was still intact from the match itself and being passed from person to person.

In summing up, my overall experience of those unforgettable two days was the sheer pleasure to have been at Wembley and to seeing the Littlewoods Cup come back to Luton.

And with what has happened to our football club since that greatest period in the club's history, it is one video/DVD I watch a lot to raise my spirits when we are having bad times, which we have been experiencing far too often over the past few seasons.
Here's to the return to the good times with the new consortium.

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