Brian Stein

Ex-First-Team Coach

Former Luton favourite Brian Stein returned to Kenilworth Road as reserve team manager during the 2000-01 season having been brought to the club during the ownership of Mike Watson-Challis who was a big fan of Brian as a player and also gave him the job as Baldock Town boss when he was on the board at Norton Road.

As a player, Brian Stein was snapped-up from Non-League Edgeware Town and made his Hatters debut in a 2-3 defeat at Maine Road against Manchester City in an FA Cup 3^rd Round replay on November 9^th 1977.  He went on to make 24 League appearances for Luton that season, netting 3 goals, his first strike at senior level coming in only his second home match when he netted a brace in a 4-0 win over Sheffield United.

With the Hatters finishing in a mid-table position in Division Two during Stein’s first season, the 1977-78 campaign, many people didn’t realise just what an impact he would make over the following 10 seasons as he initially earned the number 9 shirt, but then went on to make the number 8 shirt his own.

In only his second season as a first-team player he bagged 14 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, as he helped the Hatters to the League Cup 5^th Round, despite Luton finishing a disappointing 18^th in Division Two.  He also bagged a brace in three matches during the season as he began to earn rave reviews as a young striker with an eye for goal and a big future.

Over the course of the next two seasons, he scored 26 League goals in 84 matches as he was an ever-present for both campaigns.  However, it was during the 1981-82 season that Brian really came into his own as he scored 21 League goals to fire Luton to the Second Division Championship, as the Hatters finished 8 points ahead of local rivals Watford who finished 2^nd.  These 21 goals included 2 in a 4-1 home win over rivals Watford and a hat-trick in a 3-2 home victory over Newcastle United.

Stein during his first spell, pictured here in 1983.

Now a First Division player and playing against England’s top clubs, Brian wasn’t fazed and he continued his fantastic goal scoring record by netting 14 League goals in just 21 matches during an injury-hit campaign for the pacy and energetic striker.  He made a fantastic start to the season as he scored on the opening day of the campaign in a 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur and then blasted 2 in a 3-3 home draw with Liverpool and then a hat-trick in a 5-0 home victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.

Having proved that he could score goals against the very best, Brian had helped Luton to a final position of 18^th in Division One, despite Luton being one of the bookies’ favourites to be relegated at the start of the season.  And he once again helped the Hatters to stave off the threat of relegation the following season as Luton finished the 1983-84 campaign in 16^th position in Division One, Brian netting 9 League goals, which included one in a 2-1 win at rivals Watford.  Brian also earned an England cap during this season, when playing the first-half against France – alongside another Luton striker, Paul Walsh!

With Luton now established as a First Division club, Brian was always a regular in the side as depicted by injury and suspension and it was during the 1984-85 season that manager David Pleat purchased a new striker to partner Brian in attack – a partnership that many Luton fans believe to have been the best in the club’s history.  The new man that was brought in was none other than the great Mick Harford and the Hatters now had a little and large combination up front, the strength and determination of Harford coupled with the pace and trickery of Stein.

The Hatters finished 13^th in Division One that season and claimed League victories against the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Everton, Aston Villa and Sunderland. Pleat’s side also reached the FA Cup semi-final that season, beating Watford along the way, but, despite taking the lead through Ricky Hill, Everton came back to win 2-1, but Stein’s goal against Millwall in the Quarter-Final had taken the Hatters to Villa Park on a night when Millwall’s ‘fans’ made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Luton did better in the League than the previous season, finishing 9^th in Division One and also getting to the FA Cup Quarter-Final, where they were beaten by Everton once more, losing 0-1 at Goodison Park in a replay after a 2-2 draw at Kenilworth Road.  Stein netted 14 League goals that season, including a hat-trick in a 7-0 demolition of Southampton at Kenilworth Road.

12 League goals followed the next season as Luton recorded their best-ever final League position of 7^th in Division One.  By now, Pleat had departed and was replaced by John Moore, but despite guiding Luton to this best-ever finish, he resigned and was replaced by Ray Harford.  Harford did even better than Pleat in the cup competitions as in the 1987-88 season Luton won the Littlewoods Cup with a 3-2 victory over Arsenal at Wembley, Brian netting 2 goals to give Luton arguably their greatest-ever moment.

The Hatters also reached the FA Cup semi-final, but lost 1-2 to eventual winners Wimbledon at White Hart Lane and also got to Wembley in the Simod Cup, but were shocked to be beaten 1-4 by Second Division Reading.  Brian netted 18 goals in all competitions that season and his partnership with Harford was now regarded as one of the best in the business.

Stein during his time at Caen.

At the end of that season, Brian was allowed to leave Kenilworth Road as he joined French club Caen, the club deciding not to ask for a transfer fee as a mark of respect for his fantastic loyalty and dedication during his 11 seasons with the club.  He spent two seasons with Caen, playing in the French First Division along with another Englishman, Graham Rix, and he netted 11 goals in 41 matches for the club, and became a fans' favourite after bagging a hat-trick against Cannes on the final day of the 1989-90 season, which saved Caen from relegation to Division Two.

Stein in his 2nd spell with Luton.

After a season in the French Division Two with FC Annecy in 1990-91, and after a total of 4 years in France, Brian returned to England and, now a veteran striker, he was looking for a new club.  With David Pleat back in the hot seat at Kenilworth Road, he decided to renew his acquaintance with Stein and brought him back to Bedfordshire, much to the delight of the Hatters’ supporters.

However, despite Pleat also bringing Mick Harford back to the club and therefore bringing back the Harford and Stein partnership, Luton were relegated from the Old Division One on the last day of the season following a 1-2 defeat at already relegated Notts County.  Brian netted just 3 goals in 39 League matches that season, his first goal of his second spell with the club coming in a 2-1 home win over Sheffield United in mid-February 1992.

At the end of the season, Brian was released and he joined Barnet having made 427 League appearances during his time at Kenilworth Road, scoring 130 goals.  He left the club with a tag as a Luton legend and went on to score 10 League goals in 40 games for Barnet before spells as a player with Stevenage Borough and as manager of Baldock Town.

However, when Mike Watson-Challis took over as chairman of Luton in the summer of 2000, he brought Brian back to Kenilworth Road in a coaching capacity - as the reserve team manager.

Having worked well with the reserve team, Brian also became the first-team coach at Kenilworth Road in November 2004 when Mick Harford left the club to join Nottingham Forest.  Working equally well in this role, Brian is a popular figure with the both the Luton Town players and fans alike.

After spending three years as assistant manager to Mike Newell, Brian became the caretaker manager of the club in mid-March 2007 following Mike Newell's sacking as manager of Luton Town.  It meant that Brian had now played for the Hatters, been assistant manager, coached the reserve team and the first-team and managed the reserve team and the first-team!

Despite declaring his interest in taking on the job permanently, he was overlooked for the position by the Board and, after just one match in charge, a 0-1 home defeat to Ipswich Town in March 2007, he returned to the role of first-team coach following the appointment of Kevin Blackwell as the new manager.  However, with Blackwell opting to bring in his own backroom staff, Brian was told in June 2007 that his contract would not be renewed and he left Kenilworth Road just a fortnight after another loyal member of the Hatters backroom staff, Marvin Johnson, had been told he would not be required any longer.

A true Luton Town legend in every sense of the word, it brought an end to Brian's seven-year spell as a coach with Luton Town and brought down the curtain on his 19 years total service for the Hatters as a player and a coach.

Profile By:  James Garley