Marvin Johnson hasn’t played for Luton Town since 2003, but even 20 years on since hanging up his boots, that burning passion for the club has never been extinguished.
As someone who spent his entire playing career at Kenilworth Road, the defender clocked up more than 400 appearances in a Hatters’ shirt which even now, is a feat he’s immensely proud of.
“It’s only now that I’ve retired that I look back at the history of Luton Town, and to see my name seventh in the all-time appearance list is crazy,” he told me over an internet call from his office at Virginia Revolution Soccer Club in America, a club he now coaches at.
“To think Luton was founded in 1885 and my name sits in that list sends goose pimples down my spine. I’m very fortunate and blessed to have seen out my whole career at the club. I have no regrets and am totally happy to be known as Marvin from Luton.”
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Well, Marvin from Luton actually grew up down the road in Aylesbury, falling in love with the game when a neighbour asked him to join the local Sunday league team. It was in this setup that the player first caught the eye of the Hatters, but he would have to wait a few more years, after unsuccessful trials elsewhere, to sign his first professional contract with the Bedfordshire side in 1984.
Four years later the teenager would play his part in Town’s Littlewoods Cup run which proved to be the greatest day in the club’s history - beating Arsenal 3-2 at Wembley. Although Johnson didn’t play in the final, he recalls the build up to the big day and the celebrations that followed.
He said: “It was fantastic to be involved on that day and travel up on the bus with the lads and get to Wembley. I had only left school two or three years earlier and now I was walking out at Wembley and seeing inside the dressing room.
“It was fantastic, especially with how it ended and how the final went - so back and forth before Steiny (Brian Stein) got the winner."
"We had a celebration at our hotel in London, which was happening whether we won or lost, but it just made it a little bit more special that we won. It was announced we would be coming to the Town Hall for a reception and the whole of Luton was absolutely packed.
"It was mind-boggling to see so many people line the streets. You’re not just representing the club but also the town itself so it was great to see all these people out and cheering. We had to walk about half a mile because the bus couldn’t get through!”
Rising star
That year, Johnson forced his way into a first team spot after regular central defender Mal Donaghy got injured. Marvin knew at the time he was edging towards playing in a league match, but remembers the nerves and excitement of the games prior to his first ever Division One outing with the infamous ‘Crazy Gang’ in south west London.
“I knew I was getting closer as I was a sub, and there were only two subs in those days, plus Mal was having injections (to help with his injury),” he said.
“I was on the bench away at Arsenal and if Mal went down that day at Highbury, it probably could have been the beginning and end of my career because I’ve never been so nervous in my entire life.
"I don’t think I would have been able to play. It was just the sheer atmosphere of the game, more than 30,000 at Arsenal and although it was a great experience, I was bricking it!"
“My actual debut for the first team was a cup game away at Goodison Park, which was great for me as I had Steve Foster beside me who guided me through the game. We ended up keeping a clean sheet which gave me confidence that I could be on the same level as these players which helped for the Wimbledon game in the league.
“They had Vinnie Jones, John Fashanu, Lawrie Sanchez and Dennis Wise who were a notorious group of players who had their certain way of playing. I got through the game, and although we ended up losing 2-0, overall I had a comfortable game.
“All through the game, Fashanu was calling me ‘Young Blood’ and from goal kicks, he was asking the keeper to ‘put it on Young Blood’s head’. At the end of the match, he came up to me and said ‘well played, well battled and well competed’, so you live and learn.”
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Derby days
From there, Johnson went on to play more than 400 matches for the club, including several derby days. Every football fan feels that extra pressure when they face their local rivals, and in the defender’s case, he also got wrapped up in the emotion of playing Luton’s neighbours down the M1 in Watford. The 54-year-old told me he enjoyed every occasion against the Hornets, but looks back on one Vicarage Road clash in 1998 with the most fondness.
“Anyone who says it’s just another game is lying,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s different for me as I spent my whole career at Luton, but we could always sense what it meant to the town, the club and the supporters when playing Watford.
“I relished it and in my time, I think I was only ever on the losing side once. I was very fortunate to participate in those games, but to also score an equaliser at Vicarage Road close to the end once.
“They went 1-0 up and we were pushing for that goal. I can remember Dave Oldfield or Paul McLaren having a shot, and I deliberately stuck my foot out to deflect the ball in a different angle and it went in.
“To score in the derby was great, and in those games, you’re probably pushing yourself a little bit more because you know how much it means. I actually ruptured my hamstring in the final minutes of the match, and I remember thinking - ‘would I have taken scoring and being out injured, or not scoring and being injury free’. I decided I’d take the injury because that’s how much it means sometimes to us players.”
It was the fans that spurred Marvin on to keep battling and help the team achieve an important point against a strong Watford side that year. It’s the fans that he still has the most time for.
“They would let you know and show their disappointment in a performance. But, at the same time, the one thing I can always say is that Luton fans have always been fair and true."
“There’s been many games where we’ve not ended up on the winning side and the fans have applauded us off the field because they know what good football is and they love to see good football - balls on the ground, quick passing and fast flowing, that’s always been the way.
“If you give one hundred percent, you work hard and show you’re committed to the cause by flying into tackles, they’ll be behind you one hundred percent no matter what the result is.”
The beautiful game turned ugly
It’s fair to say that Johnson played his football during a time when racism was rife in the game. It was allowed to thrive in the terraces, polluting the reputation of clubs through inane and abhorrent chanting.
Today, charities like Show Racism the Red Card and Kick It Out work hard to stamp out all forms of discrimination, but it’s only by sharing the ugly past can we aim towards a beautiful and inclusive future. The ex-Hatter agreed he received his fair share of abuse due to the colour of his skin, but wouldn’t ever allow it to deter him from the job in-hand.
He said: “I heard things at a couple of places that we went to. I wouldn’t say it was intimidating because my parents were fantastic growing up. They made sure I was aware that some people would not like me just because of the colour of my skin.
“If we went away to a couple of London clubs who didn’t have many black players in their team, you could hear it. I remember one time being at a certain London club where I could literally see the hatred in a supporter’s eyes while shouting. It was a case where you had him, his son and grandchild there, it was generational. You could see how it was going to be difficult to change.
“I never felt any anger towards them. In a way, I actually felt sorry for them. How sad is it that you’re being this way to me just because of the colour of my skin? Again, I thank my parents because it never affected me, it just spurred me on and I looked at them more in pity."
“I experienced it all the way to the end of my career too. We played a certain Welsh club and they were similar, making noises towards me as I was playing. It affected my teammates more than it did me, asking if I was ok but I was fine. I felt sorry for these supporters who were deemed to feel that way.
“I’m different, but for some people, it might be a case where it does affect them and they get angry and upset. There’s talk that players should walk off the pitch, but for me personally, I would never walk off the field just because they’re making noises. They’re winning that way and you’re giving them ammunition. It just didn’t affect me and I thank my parents for the education I had.”
Success in orange
Marvin had to wait until his penultimate season in 2001/02 with Luton to earn his first promotion, finishing as runners up in Division Three to bounce back up at the first time of asking. Managed by Joe Kinnear, the team was made up with a spectacular mix of players who were always destined for success, according to the former defender.
He said: “We had the likes of Kevin Nicholls who was the captain, then Steve Howard, Matthew Spring and Steve Robinson - you had a great blend of senior and young players who came together with this team spirit.
“We had Matthew Tayor who went on to have a great career in the Premier League scoring some wonderful goals. It would be a case where Joe (Kinnear) would have Matthew playing left back and Jean-Louis Valoire playing left wing, then I would slot in when Jean-Louis came off and Matthew moved up with his good left foot for crosses and shots to see the game out.
“Joe was a wonderful, wonderful manager. He tactically knew and understood how to see games out, and how to structure games along with Mick Harford. It was a great team to be a part of.”
Watch all the goals from that season below...
Johnson still has a brilliant relationship with club stalwart Mick Harford, but was glad to call him a friend throughout his playing days.
“When I first joined the club as an apprentice, Mick was already there so we go back all that time,” he said. “I can tell you 100 percent that you would rather have Mick on your team than against you. He just had a presence where he could look at you if you didn’t do something to his liking.
“If looks could kill, Mick didn’t even have to open his mouth so you can imagine what it would be like if you were to end up in a brawl with him. Back then, people just knew him as big Mick Harford, but he was technically as good, if not better than most players.
“So, to have someone like him on your team, and then to eventually play under him was great. He’s still there today doing a fantastic job and I still speak to him - he’s a great guy.”
With a smile, the former Luton man also touched on some of the explosive pranks the squad at that time would get up to.
“I think other players would say that I was probably the worst for doing the jokes,” he said while laughing like a school boy who had just been caught getting up to no good.
“When Kevin Nicholls joined the club, he was a fantastic signing and someone who wore his heart on his sleeve. He was a great technical player, but could also mix it and get stuck in.
“We would gravitate towards each other because he loved a joke and a prank, we got up to numerous things. He was more ruthless though, for example he would bring fireworks in, and when Brian Stein was first team coach, he went in and got Brian’s underpants and put them on the end of a rocket and let them off from Kenilworth Road.
“All you could see was bits of Brian’s underpants coming down through the air, then Steiny coming out and asking ‘what are you doing letting off fireworks?’ I was just thinking that’s not the half of it, that’s your underpants raining down! It was crazy, but great times.”
It’s easy to forget about the impact Marvin Johnson had on Luton Town Football Club. A player who left everything on the pitch, one of the game’s nice guys and a local lad who never dreamed he would go on to play every single one of his professional appearances in a Hatters shirt.
When asked about his Luton legacy, and how he would like fans to look back at his career, Johnson simply replied: “He always played with a smile and had fun.” I don’t think anyone can disagree with that.
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