Former Luton skipper Brian Horton: We knew we were the best team in the league on way to Division Two title triumph

Former Hatters skipper Brian Horton revealed that he and the rest of his team-mates always knew they were the best team in the league during their 1981-82 Division Two title winning campaign.

The influential midfielder had moved to Kenilworth Road from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 1981 aged 31, having dropped down from the top flight, when he was signed by David Pleat.

He went straight into the side, with his arrival thought by many to be the missing piece for a Luton team who had finished sixth and fifth in the two previous campaigns.

Horton went on to play 41 of the 42 matches that term, as Town romped to to the title, finishing eight points clear of fierce rivals Watford, claiming 88 points and losing just four matches all term.

They were crowned champions after a 3-2 win over QPR which took place 38 years ago today, as speaking exclusively to the Luton News, Horton said: "Through pre-season, we won at Millwall, I scored in that game and right from the off, I could see, with having two promotions at Brighton, the quality that was in there, definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, I thought we would have a chance of doing it and we won it easily.

“We won our opening game against Charlton, Alan Mullery had gone to Charlton at that point and we beat them 3-0.

"Then we beat QPR, then we beat Bolton, but we changed the side and changed the system.

"Mossy (David Moss) came back from Tampa, Mossy was an outstanding player, made goals, scored goals.

"Steiny (Brian Stein) was an outstanding player, Ricky Hill was an unbelievable player, so we just carried on.

"We had those two defeats (against Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff City), changed it round, got back to it and then I think we only lost two games in the whole of the rest of the season which takes some doing.

"But we did and played some great football along the way.

“I just remember the last home game when we played Barnsley, we drew 1-1, I’ve got photographs of it now.

"We were parading, it was a lovely day, they scored, they were a good side to be fair, had some good players.

"They'd been one of the defeats away from home, so we knew it would be a tough game, but with all the razzmatazz going on, we forgot how to play until Steiny got a late goal.

"It's is a hard thing to do when you’ve won it or you’re up, but we wanted to win it as we knew we were the best team.

"We were up with points to go, we wanted to win it and win it in style.”

Town had some truly fantastic players that season, with Stein scoring 21 goals, Steve White managing 18, while the likes of Mal Donaghy, Hill and Kirk Stephens all featured heavily.

Horton feels that plenty of the credit should be given to the style implemented by manager Pleat, who was now in his third full season at the club, after joining from Nuneaton in January 1978.

He continued: "David always wanted to play with a style and set pattern, 4-3-3, we just were a very, very open team and a very attacking team, we never went to defend.

“They (supporters) loved watching it and he wanted us to be that way, he would rather win 5-4 than 1-0.

"Some managers would rather have a clean sheet, win 1-0, 2-0, David would rather win 5-4.

"He’d come in sometimes and say 'I haven’t enjoyed watching you play today,' he’s a purist, an absolute purist that wanted us to play.

"He always wanted to be an attacking team, never wanted to go defensive when we were playing, which we carried on doing the following season in Division One.

"It was a marvellous season, a few of us (Horton included) got into the FA team of the year which was great, to be voted in those teams by your fellow players in that division is brilliant.

"Kirk was in, Mossy was in, Ricky was in.”

The day that Town won the title, was further example of the kind of side that Pleat wanted at his disposal, as they saw off QPR 3-2 in front of 16,657 fans at Kenilworth Road, Hill, White and Moss on target.

Horton said: “That’s what it was like.

"Our defeats were 4-3 at Barnsley and 3-2 at Newcastle, that tells a story doesn’t it?

"We score goals and it would take four or three to beat us.

"So Barnsley beat us and drew with us, we knew that would be a tough game, the Chelsea game (2-1 win at Stamford Bridge), there were that many good ones, they were absolutely special times for me."

Although Horton had come in from Brighton having scored 33 goals in five seasons, he only managed one during his first campaign at Kenilworth Road, that a vital strike though, as Cambridge United were defeated 1-0 at Kenilworth Road in March.

He eventually finished with 10 goals in 132 appearances for the Hatters, leaving to become player-manager of Hull City in July 1984, as he admitted a switch to his role saw him become less of a threat in the attacking third of the field.

Horton added: "David had changed my role, as I’d been playing in a 4-4-2 at Brighton all the way through.

"Then when I came to Luton, David made me the sitting midfield player in front of the back four.

"I had Ricky on one side of me, Lil Fuccillo on the other, then Mossy wide left and the two strikers, so it was a completely different system.

"I wasn’t getting forward as much, in my old age either, so it was a different role.

"I took penalties occasionally, if Mossy missed one I’d take one, but Mossy was brilliant on free kicks, and set-pieces.

"But it wasn't just the football, through the three years, when we stayed up at Man City (in the 1982-83 season), the team spirit and the bond we had, was a great bond.

"I include the gaffer and David Coates (trainer), John Sheridan (physiotherapist), Trevor Hartley (assistant manager) in that, we just had a fantastic spirit."