Mick Harford’s Kenilworth Road return this afternoon will be loaded with emotion after his absence for prostate cancer treatment – but also because the FA Cup still holds a special place in his heart.
Luton host League Two underdogs Harrogate in a lunchtime third round kick-off, which will be the assistant manager’s first game in the dugout since August, when he took a step back from duties to undergo a 12-week course of radiotherapy.
Any game would be a good one to make his return and there’s no question that the Championship is Town’s priority, but Harford says he’s “100 per cent” from a generation that still highly values cup competitions.
The former England international played in the greatest cup success in the club’s history when the Hatters beat Arsenal in the 1988 League Cup final.
But in the FA Cup three years earlier against holders Everton was the closest the Hatters came to a second ever showpiece.
They were five minutes from Wembley when a slightly dubious foul was given against Harford and Kevin Sheedy curled in to set up extra-time where the Merseysiders went on to win.
Though it was so close, yet so far for Harford’s passion for the competition remains unbowed.
“The FA Cup means a lot to me,” the 62-year-old said, adding: “One of the biggest disappointments of my career was in the semi-final. I played in two but the biggest one was at Villa Park when we lost to Everton late in the game. It was really disappointing. We had a great season.
“I played in another semi-final against Wimbledon at White Hart Lane, so I’ve had some good times in the competition and loved being part of it. Unfortunately, I never got to an FA Cup final but partook in two semi-finals and scored a lot of goals in the FA Cup.
“The third round is still special, especially to us older people. It’s massive in my football calendar.”
Luton have been on the right side of cup shocks, including becoming the first ever non-league side to knock out a Premier League team, when they beat Norwich in 2013.
They’re now in their their year in the Championship, but they’ve been where Harrogate are, so their recent experience of being a lower league underdog should stand them in good stead.
Harford said: “We’ll 100 per cent give Harrogate the respect they deserve. I’ve been back in over the last three or four days at the training ground and the staff and players are preparing really well for the game.
“We know their strengths and their weaknesses and we know they’re a well-organised and well-drilled outfit.
“The manager’s been there for a long time and he’s had some amazing success with that football team. They had an unbelievable result away to Portsmouth in the last round, so it’s something we’ll be totally aware of.”
Luton boss Nathan Jones added: “We have been where they are and Simon Weaver has done a wonderful job there, he really has. They have good continuity and the manager has done really well, they’ve come up from the Conference North, through the National League and now they’re playing well at League Two level.
“It will be a massively tough game because they are very regimented in what they do, they have been together a while, signed one or two new players now but it will be a real tough game and we like these games. When we were League Two, we loved going up against Championship and Premier League sides, we fancied our chances all the time we so know how Harrogate feel.
“We have also had that experience of being a League Two side, we’ve come from there and there will be no complacency from our side, it’s not like we’re suddenly a Championship side strutting and going to get done by attitude because we still have a humble, good attitude because we know where we have come from. It is a really romantic one, one we are really looking forward to and the FA Cup is a wonderful competition.”
The cup clash will be Town’s first game in a month after the Covid chaos at Christmas, which has seen them have four games postponed. Jones would rather this FA Cup tie be the first game back.
He said: “No disrespect to anyone, our primary concern is the Championship. For us to go back into the Championship, yes you know what you are going to get but Harrogate, they’ve missed a few games but they played in midweek so they’re actually a game ahead.
“It’s a nicer game to have and again with the greatest respect, not because we consider it any easier but it’s a different competition. The adrenaline the competition generates will bring us through and I would prefer to start with the Harrogate game rather than the Bournemouth game because of the importance of the competition.”
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