They are only 20 miles apart yet have barely played each other. Indeed, the last time MK Dons hosted Luton Town was in November 2004 at the former National Hockey Stadium. Contrasting promotions and relegations means their paths have not crossed until Saturday's League One game at Stadium MK ( ) They are not rivals as such, nor is the fixture comparable with Luton's traditional, deep-seated hatred of Watford.
Still, for some Hatters fans, the resentment towards MK Dons runs deep. Many remain angry about the controversial move of Wimbledon to Milton Keynes in 2003, a so-called 'franchise team' encroaching in their own backyard. They saw it as a betrayal of a club and its community.
"I don't dislike Milton Keynes, I dislike what they stand for," said Mike Fanning, a Luton Town fan. "They're a franchise and that's not what football is about. "It's a working men's game, about a club and its community and it matters.
You can't up sticks and go elsewhere because someone wants you to." Luton were nearly that club back in the 1980s. The club were in financial strife and there were serious proposals to move to Milton Keynes and become 'MK Hatters'. The Football League initially approved the concept in 1983.
Luton's then chairman Denis Mortimer believed the move could attract new fans. They were close to becoming a franchise themselves. But after a huge backlash from supporters, who marched and protested with thousands signing a petition, the plans were eventually scrapped.
"I was on the action committee to fight the move to MK back in the 1980s," said Luton fan John Pyper. "We could have lost our club, but we fought the decision of our then directors to take the offer to move to MK. We boycotted games back then.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
