Fairytale of Luton in play-off final against Coventry but it’s not magic for club legend Brian Stein

There was only one regret for Luton Town legend Brian Stein as he watched his former side reach the Championship play-off final on Saturday against Coventry City.

He would have preferred to be in Kenilworth Road to see it live rather than stay home with a cup of tea in front of the television.

Luton’s fairytale rise from non-league to the brink of the Premier League in nine years – along with taking the Wimbledon Crazy Gang in the 1980s – captured the nation’s imagination , but the estrangement between Stein and the club is a sad postscript for all the joy.

Amidst three footballing brothers, Stein scored the most famous goal in club history when his 90th-minute winner against Arsenal in the 1988 League Cup final won the Hatters their only major trophy.

However, he says a stint as the club’s assistant manager then ruined their relationship. After helping Mike Newell win promotion to the Championship, they both left the club in 2007; Newell was fired, and Stein later took time off from gardening after taking charge of an acting game. Now 65, he says things haven’t been the same since, expressing disagreement over the terms of his departure.

‘Luton is not inviting me to the ground or anything. They don’t have the decency to ask me if I want to come to the game,” he said.

‘It’s a joke. For what I have done for the club, I feel insulted. I spent so many years there and we accomplished so much.

“Sometimes I get invited to games by fans and they always like to talk about beating Arsenal in the final.

‘My brother Mark [who also played in the game] tells me not to worry. He wants to go to Wembley next weekend and says he will get us tickets for both.

Despite this, Stein is as passionate about Luton’s entry into the Premier League as any fan.

Born in South Africa, he came to England as a child after his father was imprisoned alongside Nelson Mandela as part of the anti-apartheid movement. His footballing talent was spotted by David Pleat, who was then working at Luton under Harry Haslam, playing for non-League Edgware Town.

Stein’s goals helped Luton get promoted to the top flight, he was selected for England and the ultimate triumph came in 1988, the occasion made more special by having Mark alongside him at the whistle finale and proud dad Isaiah watching from the stands.

“Andy Dibble saved a penalty to stop Arsenal going 3-1 up and I told our midfielder to play the ball behind their defense as they weren’t as quick as Mark and myself. And the The momentum started to change,” Stein recalls.

A foul from Tony Adams on Mark Stein sparked the comeback and Brian became the hero volleying Ashley Grimes’ cross for his decisive second of the afternoon.

“I have the medal in storage and it will be passed on to my son and daughter. It will always be with our family.

Stein left that summer to play in France. When he returned in 1991 he found a different Luton. The Hatters were relegated in 1991-92 and the timing couldn’t have been worse with the Premier League coming next season. Luton fell to the Conference before the resumption in 2014.

Wherever he ends up watching the final, Brian will want his team to recapture the spirit of 88.

Luton told us last night that Stein had been invited and attended anniversary events to commemorate the Littlewoods Cup win and was part of a Mick Hartford golf day two weeks ago which chairman David Wilkinson and other club managers participated.