When the fat wallet of Fulham opened invitingly a few weeks ago, £800,000 of West London loose change was produced to whisk Luton's highly-rated leading scorer Tony Thorpe to Craven Cottage.

Much needed funds for the Hatters' empty coffers maybe, and an undoubted edge to their division two rival's promotion push, but it left Luton in the lurch at the opposite end of the table, locked in a relegation dogfight without their main marksman.

If you don't concede goals you won't lose matches, but if you don't put the ball in the onion bag you won't win - and three-point hauls are going to be crucial as the relegation and promotion issues are settled.

So on transfer deadline day canny Luton boss Lenny Lawrence raided White Hart Lane to secure a loan deal for Rory Allen, immediately thrusting the promising 20-year-old striker into his frontline for the foray to Walsall last Saturday. And Lawrence's attacking approach paid off as Allen notched a 58th minute debut goal, showing a poacher's instinct to rap home a rebound off a post, and with fellow forwards Dwight Marshall and David Oldfield also inspired to find their shooting boots, Town plucked a priceless 3-2 away victory out of the hat.

Allen's opportunities at Spurs had been limited, but he had proved he could penetrate big-name defences. His two Premiership goals, in a dozen appearances, came against Newcastle United and Manchester United - both games ending in 2-1 home defeats in front of 32,000-plus crowds.

With the money from the sale of Thorpe being absorbed by other debts, there is believed to be little chance of the loan move being made permanent at the end of the season. So Luton are hoping that the 5ft 11in Beckenham-born Allen - strangely likened by one Luton observer to "a tall Nick Barmby" - can make what is likely to be a brief stay at Kenilworth Road a memorable one by firing the goals which can haul the Hatters out of the relegation mire.

GOLDEN OLDIE: SAM BARTRAM

York City manager March 1956 - July 1960

Luton Town manager August 1960 - June 1962Extrovert goalkeeper Sam Bartram was named City manager the day after his final game for Charlton - a 2-0 win over Arsenal on March 10, 1956.

Only an inferior goal average prevented City from finishing high enough to become founder members of the new national third division in 1958, but the next season Bartram took City to promotion for the first time in their history.

The glory was shortlived - City were immediately relegated and Bartram was released in July 1960.

He took over at Luton the following month, and after leaving the Hatters in 1962 he reported on football for the Sunday People.

Bartram died suddenly at Harpenden, London, in July 1981 aged 67. Respected in York, he was revered at Charlton where a street near The Valley was named after him in 1975.

Born in County Durham, Bartram was perhaps the best 'keeper never capped by England. Rejected by Reading, Charlton signed him in 1934 and that season he won a division three south championship medal.

Bartram liked to wander out of his area, and chat to fans - traits that may have put off the international selectors, although he played three wartime internationals which did not count in official records.

He saved 22 of 79 penalties faced - and also scored all three he took for Charlton. In 1946 Charlton lost 4-1 to Derby in the FA Cup final, but Bartram got a winner's medal the next year when Charlton beat Burnley 1-0.

MEMORY MATCH

Luton Town 5 (Allen, Jardine, Baker og, Rioch 2)

York City 1 (Hawksby)

May 13 1967, Division 4

City's first meeting with Luton at Kenilworth Road was a painful one.

Relegated the previous season, City were in freefall and re-election beckoned as the clubs met in the final match of the season in a game that had been carried forward from the previous January when the Luton pitch was waterlogged.

Luton still needed a point to guarantee their safety, but City stunned the home crowd when John Hawksby netted after only two minutes.

Gradually Luton got on top with goals from Keith Allen and Fred Jardine before Gerry Baker added to City's misery by putting through his own goal.

Luton's top scorer, Bruce Rioch, later to star with Derby and Scotland, brought the curtain down on a dreadful City season with two more goals to complete a 5-1 romp.

Luton Town: Read, Thomson, Jardine, Conboy, Dougan, Moore, French, Rioch, Allen, Pleat, Johnson.

York City: Fallon, Baker, Turner, Collinson, Jackson, Walker, Horrey, Goodchild, Spencer, Hawksby, ProvanAttendance: 5,196

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.