Luton Town’s decision to bring in Rob Edwards resulted in promotion to the Premier League, but there have been a few managerial appointments over the years that were less successful for the Hatters.
Luton Town have had a few successful managers during the last decade, including John Still, Mick Harford, and Nathan Jones, as they made their remarkable journey from non-league to the Premier League.
Five most successful Luton Town managerial stints based on PPG (at least 10 games in charge); as per Transfermarkt
However, the Hatters have also had a few managers who did not bring the same level of success to Kenilworth Road, and their points-per-game records back up the fact that they did not thrive during their spells in the dugout.
Let’s take a look at the five least successful Luton Town managers who took charge of at least 10 games for the club, as per data from Transfermarkt.com.
David Pleat – 1.00 PPG
David Pleat
The Luton manager with the fifth-worst points-per-game record is David Pleat, during his spell in charge at Kenilworth Road between 1991 and 1995.
He had previously led the club from 1978 until 1986, taking the Hatters into the top flight of English football and to an FA Cup semi-final.
Pleat, who had also played for Luton, memorably guided the club to safety in the old First Division on the final day of the season in 1983, when a late goal away at Manchester City ensured their survival and prompted the manager to run onto the pitch in celebration.
Following spells as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City, Pleat returned to Luton in 1991. The Hatters were relegated just before the start of the new Premier League at the end of his first season back at the club, although they did reach another FA Cup semi-final in 1994.
Pleat’s PPG record of 1.00 during his second stint at the helm means he features fifth on this list.
Graeme Jones – 1.00 PPG
Graeme Jones
Graeme Jones, who now serves as Eddie Howe’s assistant at Newcastle United alongside Jason Tindall, managed Luton from May 2019 until April 2020.
The 54-year-old was brought in to replace caretaker boss Mick Harford, who had led the Hatters to the League One title following the departure of Nathan Jones midway through the 2018/19 campaign.
Graeme Jones left Luton by mutual consent during the break for the COVID-19 pandemic with the club 23rd in the Championship, before his namesake Nathan returned to Kenilworth Road and guided them to safety.
Graeme Jones also had a PPG record of 1.00 during his time at Luton, ranking him fourth on the list.
Syd Owen – 0.96 PPG
Luton Town corner flag
Following a successful career in which he played more than 380 games for Luton as a centre-half, Syd Owen was named player-manager in 1959.
As well as being the manager, he captained his side during their 1959 FA Cup Final defeat against Nottingham Forest.
He resigned from his role in 1960, before going on to work in a coaching capacity at Leeds United, Birmingham City and Manchester United.
His PPG record of 0.96 means that he appears in third place on this list.
Ricky Hill – 0.74 PPG
Ricky Hill
Ricky Hill also became manager of Luton after previously playing for the club, with the former England international having represented the Hatters over 500 times in his career.
After being appointed in 2000, Hill left Kenilworth Road later that year amid financial challenges at the club. His squad had consisted of several youth players during his tenure, and the majority of the first team was released at the end of the season following his departure.
Somewhat understandably due to the nature of the role at the time, Hill’s PPG record as manager of Luton was just 0.74, ranking him second on this list.
Lil Fuccillo – 0.64 PPG
Lil Fuccillo
Pasquale “Lil” Fuccillo, who played for the Hatters between 1974 and 1983, was appointed manager in 2000 to replace Hill, having returned to the club as a scout just weeks earlier.
He won just two of his eleven games in charge, and was replaced by Joe Kinnear following his arrival at Kenilworth Road as Director of Football.
His PPG record of 0.64 makes him the least successful Luton manager to have taken charge of at least 10 games. Terry Westley had a slightly worse record in 1995, but he was relieved of his duties after just eight games.
