Story behind Hatters

Nicknames add to the beauty of football. They bring the community-powered game closer to its fans and make them feel like part of something bigger than themselves. Sometimes, they are so catchy they supersede the club name itself in terms of their usage. “Gunners” or “Red Devils” is almost as common as Arsenal and Manchester United. “The Hatters” is a similar one for Luton Town FC. The name has an interesting story behind it. Here’s why Luton Town are called The Hatters.

Why are Luton Town called The Hatters?

Most football nicknames have their roots in the history of the place the club is situated in, Luton Town FC and its nickname is no different.

As the name suggests, Luton Town FC has its root in Luton. The place was a booming centre for hat-making trade since the 17th century. Many of the town’s residents were involved in the industry and the hat-making business was the main source of income and prosperity for Luton Town. Currently, the industry size has diminished but the roots of their prosperity mean that Luton Town and the club it has is forever linked to it.

The town is so intertwined with the hat-making trade that even the crest of Luton Town FC has straw-plaiters in it (Straw hats). Straw hats used to be the crown jewel commodity of Luton and the club is closely associated with the same roots.

Hence, Luton Town are called The Hatters, with their fans taking on the name “Hatters”.

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Besides “The Hatter”, Luton Town have also been called “The Straw Plaiters”, another reference to the hat-making industry. Of all the hats, Luton Town was most famous for its straw hats. The town had straw resourced in abundance and their finely woven hats were a major attraction which put the town on the map.

Liked the deep dive into the history of this nickname? Check out a compilation of articles explaining the most famous nicknames in football history below-

• Why are Man Utd fans called the “Red Devils?”
• Why are Arsenal fans called “Gunners” or “Gooners”?
• Why are Real Madrid called “Los Blancos”?
• Why are AC Milan called “Rossoneri”?
• Why are FC Barcelona fans called “Los Cules”?
• Why are Manchester City fans called “The Cityzens”?
• Why are Juventus called “The Old Lady”?

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