Luton Town v Millwall: Pleat’s confused predictions and the fixture’s history

MARK Lawrenson, miserabilist BBC football pundit, is sharing his predictions for the weekend with David Pleat, the former Luton Town and Spurs manager (cue that song):

“Luton have beaten Wolves and Norwich fairly and squarely with a lot of determined effort and I think playing Millwall at home is a great chance for them to get into the sixth round.”

Luton to win!

Pleat’s prediction: 2-2 “and the replay will favour Millwall”

Luton to lose!

Photo: Luton Town Manager David Pleat leaves the pitch with his players after his side was relegated.02/05/1992

PS: Of course Luton hosted Millwall in the FA Cup back in 1985. Pleat:

“There were people being carried away on stretchers, fans on the edge of the pitch and players constantly looking up at their families because billiard balls were being thrown at the directors’ box. I can’t tell you much about the football, because there was so much else going on. It was completely out of control…Two-thirds of Luton supporters in the Bobbers stand were pushed out by these hooligans and went home in a state of shock. We were told afterwards that a third of season-ticket holders stopped coming to home games. Whether they later returned, I don’t know…Somehow he finished that game. By the end policemen who had survived the earlier fighting were standing on the touchline, so when a ball went out it literally bounced off them and came back into play. The whole evening was nasty, vicious and surreal.”

A train carriage of the 22:30 Luton/St Pancras Football Special train that was wrecked by Millwall fans on their journey back to London from Luton. Many of the fans arrested wer not Millwall supporters.