Kingsley Black (1988/89 UEFA Cup, Luton Town)
I’ve saved this little section, because it reflects why I was a Luton fan as well as a Lincoln fan earlier in my life. I was forced to pick a ‘big’ club from a Panini album to avoid bullying, and I chose Luton. Not long after, they qualified for Europe!
Kingsley Black was one of the club’s brightest prospects in the late 1980s. After winning the League Cup in 1988, Luton were denied entry into the 1988–89 UEFA Cup. Black, therefore, missed out on what would have been his first taste of European competition because of the ongoing UEFA sanctions.
He arrived at City long past his best, and was on our books at the start of the 2002/03 season, but was let go not long after we kicked off.
Mick Harford (1988/89 UEFA Cup, Luton Town, 1989/90 UEFA Cup, Derby County)
Target man Mick Harford twice missed out on European competition due to the UEFA ban. First with Luton Town in 1988–89 following their League Cup win, then again in 1989–90 with Derby County. Despite his clubs earning the right to participate, Harford was twice denied the European stage during his prime. What a sight he would have been, shaking up a few continental defenders.
He appeared a couple of times for England, but as we know, he cut his teeth at the Bank. He’s still a regular sight in Lincoln – I saw him on the High Street in February and shook his hand. Legend.
Rob Johnson (1988/89 UEFA Cup, Luton Town)
Defender Rob Johnson was part of the Luton Town squad that won the League Cup in 1988, a success that should have earned UEFA Cup qualification. However, Johnson and his teammates never had the opportunity to test themselves in Europe, with the ban on English clubs still firmly in place.
He had a slow career, playing just 97 times for Luton between 1979 and 1989. He later spent a short spell at Leicester and the only other club he played for was us. He appeared four times at the start of the 1983/84 season, appearing at right back as we lost 3-0 against Brentford and Oxford, and 2-0 against Sheffield United.