LUTON MIDFIELDER SPRING MAKES SHEFFIELD UNITED LOAN MOVE

In a surprise transfer, Luton Town midfielder Matthew Spring has left the Hatters for the second time in his career, linking up with former Luton boss Kevin Blackwell at Sheffield United on a one-year loan deal.

The move has almost certainly come about as a result of Spring’s rumoured high weekly wage, with Sheffield United likely to be paying his wages and thus reducing the wage bill at Kenilworth Road.
Spring featured regularly at the heart of the Hatters' midfield last season - a campaign that was an absolutely awful season for Luton Town both on and off the field in 2007-08.

Playing in the centre of midfield, where he was asked to dictate the play and orchestrate Luton's attacking moves, Spring was also handed the role of Luton's penalty taker and he weighed in with an impressive 12 goals in all competitions during the campaign, making him the club's joint top goal scorer with Paul Furlong. This tally was all the more impressive given that the Hatters ended the campaign by finishing bottom of the League One table.

His first goal of the season came from the spot in a 2-1 win at Dagenham & Redbridge in the League Cup First Round and he went on to net again in the competition with a rare headed goal in a 3-1 win over Charlton Athletic at Kenilworth Road before the Hatters eventually bowed out against Premiership side Everton in Round Four.
Playing in 53 matches during the season in all competitions for the Hatters, Spring was a mainstay in the side under manager Kevin Blackwell and his successor, Mick Harford.

Although Luton had started the season in solid if unspectacular form, a huge blow hit the club in November 2007 when chairman David Pinkney placed the club into administration. The Hatters were automatically deducted 10 League points and dropped to the bottom of the League One table. The sales of key players Chris Coyne and David Edwards - sold by the administrator - took their toll and with a depleted squad, manager Kevin Blackwell left his role as manager in January 2008.

His replacement, Luton legend Mick Harford, continued to play Spring in the centre of midfield, usually alongside either Steve Robinson or Stephen O'Leary. However, with the squad wafer thin and, without a recognised central defender, Luton were relegated to League Two just a year after Spring had joined the club when they were in the Championship.

A tenacious midfielder who loves to drive forward into the opposition's penalty box, Spring had re-joined Luton Town in mid-January 2007 from archrivals Watford for a fee of £200,000 that could rise to £300,000 depending upon his success at Kenilworth Road.

Returning to the Hatters at the age of 27, he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal.

A star of the Luton Town youth team that reached the FA Youth Cup semi-final in 1997, Spring came through the youth ranks at Luton and made 250 League appearances during his first spell, scoring 26 goals for the Hatters after making his senior debut in 1997-98 in a 0-3 loss at Bristol City.

During his first spell, Spring had an eventful home debut against Plymouth Argyle, a 3-0 win, and a result that ended a run of 11 winless games and 4 consecutive defeats. However, this normally controlled midfielder was sent off late in the game for an impetuous tackle and was thereafter used sparingly for the remainder of the season by then Luton manager Lennie Lawrence.

He has great vision and the ability to read a game, and was voted joint Young Player of the Year for the 1997-98 season with the now departed Gary Doherty.

Spring followed up his first season in professional football by making an amazing 52 appearances in all competitions for Luton in the 1998-99 season, despite being only 18 years of age. He missed only one of Luton's fixtures for the entire season, that being due to an injury. He liked to push forward, and also scored the odd goal from midfield, a total of 4 for the season not being bad at all for such a young player. Spring signed a new contract during the season to the delight of the Hatters fans.

The 1999-00 campaign really saw Spring excel. A virtual ever-present, he figured in 52 of the Hatters 54 matches and also scored 8 goals — almost all of which were fine goals. Many Luton supporters will remember for a long time the 30-yard thunderbolts in the FA Cup matches against Kingstonian and Fulham, the first even being included as a contender for the ‘Goal of the Month’ on BBC One’s ‘Match of the Day’ programme.

He also scored two superb goals in the 4-1 home win over Scunthorpe United in January, one a drive from the edge of the penalty area, the other a sweet curling effort. His other goals also came at very critical moments, with the winner in the home match against Blackpool, the second in the 3-1 victory over Wrexham and the second in the win at Cardiff City. In fact, Spring grew in confidence so much, and such was the confidence in his ability, that he became a contender for the club penalty taker, scoring the equaliser in an eventual 1-2 defeat at Stoke City.

The 2000-01 season was a disappointing campaign both for Luton, who were relegated to Division Three (now League Two), and for Spring, who never quite fulfilled the promise of the previous three seasons. Although he did put in some good performances, it was apparent to everyone that he was not playing to his full ability. As Luton endured a disastrous start to the campaign, the worst in the club's history, Spring's form suffered too, although he did score from the penalty spot in the third match of the season, a 1-0 win over Bournemouth. He was sent-off at Cambridge United for a late tackle as Luton were beaten 1-2, but returned two matches later with a goal, another penalty, in a 3-1 win over Brentford at Kenilworth Road.

A virtual ever-present for the entire season, under all three Luton managers - Ricky Hill, Lil Fuccillo and Joe Kinnear - Spring went on to score 2 more goals during the campaign, in a 3-2 Boxing Day victory over Peterborough United and in a 1-3 defeat at Walsall. In total, he made 51 appearances during the season, 41 of those coming in the League.

Spring was yet again an automatic choice in Luton's midfield during the 2001-02 season and he barely missed a game when he returned from an injury that sidelined him for the first month of the season. His first appearance of the campaign came in a 2-2 draw at Exeter City on September 1st 2001, and in his 8th match of the season, he netted his first goal, scoring in a 5-2 home win over Darlington, but also missing a last minute penalty which resulted in Kevin Nicholls being awarded the penalty-taking responsibilities for the remainder of the season. It was Spring's partnership with Nicholls, however, that had seen Luton dominate almost every midfield battle throughout the season, and the two of them combined superbly in the middle of the park, Nicholls with his fierce tackling and Spring with his ball-playing skills and long-range shooting. His second goal of the season was the winner as Shrewsbury Town were beaten 1-0 at Kenilworth Road in mid-November, and he netted again in a 2-1 win at Oxford United on Boxing Day, as he completed a fine passing move that he had himself started by firing home from the edge of the area.

He netted another two goals in an excellent 4-1 win at Kidderminster in January, and one further goal during the remainder of the campaign followed, as Halifax Town were thumped 5-0 at Kenilworth Road in March 2002.

The season was most certainly one to remember for both Spring and Luton - the Hatters stormed to promotion back to Division Two (now League One) at the first attempt, their first promotion season for 20 years. For Spring personally, it was the first taste of silverware as a Luton player, and the season also saw him silence some of his critics, who had criticised him during the relegation season that Luton had suffered during the previous campaign.
Out-of-contract at the end of the season, it looked as though Spring may leave the Hatters and join Matthew Taylor in signing for a First Division (Championship) club. However, much to the relief and joy of both manager Joe Kinnear and the Hatters supporters, Spring agreed to sign a new two-year deal that kept him at Kenilworth Road until 2004.

Spring enjoyed another fairly good season during the 2002-03 campaign, which culminated in him netting 8 goals in all competitions and that was a good tally for the central midfielder who has an eye for goal and is a great striker of the ball.
He was, once again, always a regular in the side and would always be in manager Joe Kinnear’s central midfield when he was available – usually operating alongside skipper and tough-tackling Kevin Nicholls.

He netted his first goal of the season in the fourth match of the campaign as he scored from close-range in a 2-3 home defeat to Barnsley, and four matches later he was back on the score sheet with a vital goal – and some goal it was too! It came on the evening of Tuesday, September 10th 2002 at Vicarage Road against local rivals Watford in the League Cup First Round. With 4,500 travelling Hatters fans located in the Vicarage Road end and the atmosphere buzzing for the first derby match between the two sides for 5 years. With the game tied at 0-0 after 31 minutes, Spring slid in to tackle a Hornets player and emerged with the ball just inside his own half. He burst through the middle and ran with the ball as the home sides midfielders and defence tried desperately to dispossess him. However, dispossess him they couldn’t and, with striker Dean Crowe making a run to the left and many Luton fans expecting Spring to feed a ball through to him, he instead opted to shoot from some 35-yards out – and the ball flew into the top right-hand corner of ex-Hatters goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain’s goal and looked as if it was still rising when it hit the back of the net! It was right in front of the Watford supporters’ end and sent the travelling Luton fans wild! Spring ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Hatters fans – as a born and bred Luton lad it was clear to see how much it meant for Spring, who was incidentally playing in his first derby match between the two sides. He then put a great ball through for striker Steve Howard to score for Luton and make it 2-0 after 41 minutes – and despite a goal from the home side, the Hatters held on to win 2-1 and knock their arch-rivals out! It was a truly great night and Spring was nothing less than sensational!
Now playing fairly consistently, Spring was in the goals again six matches later when he netted a brace in a 3-2 victory at Stockport County as the Hatters began to climb the Division Two table and make a bid for a play-off place.

He netted another of his long-range specialities in a 4-0 home win over Non-League AFC Guiseley in the FA Cup First Round and it began a purple patch of 4 goals in 8 matches for Spring. The second of his four goals came in a superb 3-1 win at fellow play-off hopefuls Tranmere Rovers, and in late January he scored in a 3-2 win at Barnsley and in a 1-0 home victory over Wycombe Wanderers.

Those goals were, however, to be his last goals of the season and his form dipped slightly towards the end of the campaign as Luton failed to achieve their play-off aspirations and finished in 9th position in Division Two (League One).

Spring made 40 League appearances during the course of the season and made a total of 45 appearances in all competitions, his 8 goals going some way to helping the Hatters to a fairly decent season – and his magnificent goal at Watford will always be remembered!
Spring had a rather disappointing 2003-04 season as he missed the last three months of the campaign through injury.

He had begun the season well enough, netting with a header in stoppage-time to seal a 3-1 opening day victory over Rushden & Diamonds.

As always, he was an automatic selection in the centre of Luton Town's midfield, new manager Mike Newell seemingly as impressed with Spring's abilities as all of the other previous Hatters bosses who had nurtured the home grown talent.

Spring was a regular in the side up until early January 2004 when he suffered an injury in a 2-1 FA Cup Third Round win at Bradford City, which forced him to sit out the following month's action. However, despite not being fully fit, he returned to the side in early February 2004 in a 1-0 home victory over Colchester United. However, after two further appearances, in a 2-0 home win over eventually-promoted Brighton & Hove Albion and in a 0-0 draw at Wycombe Wanderers, Spring finally succumbed to his injury and missed the remainder of the season.

Having made 30 appearances in all competitions during the season (24 in the League) Spring had made 250 League appearances for Luton Town at the end of the 2003-04 season, netting 26 goals. Including all competitions, Spring had made over 300 appearances for the club – an excellent achievement at the age of just 24.

However, Spring was out-of-contract at the end of the season and he took the opportunity to join Championship side Leeds United on a Bosman free transfer.

Spring had also been interesting Nottingham Forest, who were managed by ex-Hatters boss Joe Kinnear.

It was sad news for the Hatters, who had not wanted to see Spring leave, but manager Mike Newell had been resigned to losing the key midfielder, who has been a regular first-team member for the last six seasons after progressing through the club's youth system.
He became the eighth new singing for new Leeds United boss Kevin Blackwell, following in the footsteps of fellow new arrivals Clarke Carlisle, Danny Cadamarteri, Julian Joachim, Paul Butler, Jermaine Wright, Michael Ricketts and Danny Pugh.

Spring said of his move to Elland Road, "It was a bit of a shock because I was lined up to go to Forest and I was pleased with that. Then a couple of days later Leeds came in with an offer.

"I had a decision to make but as soon as I saw Elland Road and thought about the atmosphere of 35,000 fans at every home game my mind was made up.

"I feel great about it. It's all been a bit of a whirlwind but it's a great opportunity."

However, the move to Elland Road turned sour as Spring endured lengthy spells out through injury. In August 2005, and after just 13 League appearances and 1 goal for Leeds, he left the club in a £150,000 move to Luton Town's archrivals Watford.

It was a strange move, especially considering he had been the player to score that sensational winning goal at Vicarage Road in the League Cup tie some three years earlier with a 35-yard screamer. However, his move to Hertfordshire had arguably now put him into the same hate category amongst Luton Town supporters as his old team mate Tony Thorpe, who left the Hatters for rivals Queen's Park Rangers.

One thing was for sure - his move to Watford would add even more spice to the local derbies - as if any were needed – and it certainly did that! He received his fair share of ‘stick’ from Hatters fans as Watford won 2-1 at Kenilworth Road during the 2005-06 campaign and then as the sides played out a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.

He quickly became a Premiership player for the first time in his career, helping the Hornets to promotion to the top flight in his first season at Vicarage Road and scoring a vital goal in the play-off semi-final against Crystal Palace. In total, he netted 9 goals from midfield during the season for the Hornets, including a goal on his debut against Burnley in August 2005.

However, after helping Watford to the Premiership, he was unable to break into Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd's Premiership squad on a regular basis. He was limited to just two Premiership starts and four sub showings, as well as a further three Cup appearances. He left Watford after 45 League appearances and 8 goals (not counting his play-off semi-final goal).

Rumoured to be one of the highest paid players at Kenilworth Road, Spring had been linked with a move away from the Hatters to ease the wage bill. Undoubtedly a player who can play at a much higher level than League Two, now he has moved to Bramall Lane on loan, it remains to be seen whether he will be adding to the 356 career appearances and 43 goals he had scored for Luton Town prior to the start of the 2008-09 season.
Story date: Thursday, July 31, 2008