On the morning of April 19th, Luton Town's players assembled at their training ground as usual.
But there was no need for training today — today was the FA Cup semi-final! They were heading to London, to the iconic Wembley Stadium!
Waiting for them in London would be their formidable opponent: the North London giants, Arsenal.
"Hurry up, pack your things and get on the bus!"
Assistant coach John Aston was busy urging the players along. His role was especially demanding on a day like this.
Meanwhile, manager Ethan, following his usual habit before away matches, looked up at the sky to check the weather.
The morning sun filtered softly through scattered clouds. The sky was bright and the air was fresh.
"I hope when we come back tomorrow, we'll see a sunrise just like this," Ethan thought to himself, feeling a rare moment of sentimentality.
"It doesn't look like it'll rain today..." John Aston said, walking over after making sure everything was ready.
"I actually hope it does rain," Ethan replied with a smile.
Arsenal were known for their elegant, intricate football — quick passing around the box, technical movement, and a slick ground game. Heavy rain would slow the ball down, making it harder for Arsenal to play their natural style.
It would affect Luton too, of course — but Arsenal would suffer more.
John laughed. "It's no use wishing for rain, Gao. We're going to Wembley!" he said proudly, holding up a finger. "And this is Wembley!"
Indeed, rain or shine made no difference at the new Wembley Stadium. Unlike the old Wembley, which had hosted England's 1966 World Cup triumph, the new Wembley was a modern marvel, built to host football in any conditions.
The old Wembley, with its iconic Twin Towers, was demolished because it could no longer meet the demands of modern football. Despite efforts from fans to preserve the Towers, the stadium was officially closed after hosting its final FA Cup Final in May 2000 — a match where Chelsea defeated Aston Villa, with Roberto Di Matteo scoring the decisive goal.
Later that year, Germany defeated England 1–0 in the stadium's final ever match, with Dietmar Hamann scoring the last goal at the historic ground. That defeat even prompted England manager Kevin Keegan's resignation.
In 2002, construction began on the new Wembley, but progress was slow, with costs ballooning amid controversies and delays.
Finally, after years of setbacks, the new Wembley Stadium opened in 2007, at a cost of £780 million. Boasting 90,000 seats and a retractable roof, it became the largest all-seater stadium in the UK and the second-largest in Europe.
...
As the team prepared to depart, the city of Luton was already buzzing with excitement.
When the team bus pulled out of the training ground, they were greeted by a sea of fans lining the streets, all clad in Luton's famous orange home shirts.
Although Arsenal, drawn as the home team for the semi-final, would wear their traditional red kits, there was no colour clash. Luton Town — despite being assigned to the "away" dressing room — would also wear their home orange kits for the match.
Flags waved, flares were lit, and cheers rang out. The crowd's energy peaked as the bus passed through.
"Wembley!!! Wembley!!! Wembley!!!"
The chant thundered through the streets.
The players, especially the younger ones, were stunned by the passion of the fans.
Even John Aston, a club veteran with over 20 years of service, couldn't remember Luton supporters ever being this fired up.
Today, they weren't just playing for themselves. They were carrying the dreams of the whole town.
"This is... the whole of Luton coming out!" Linsen smacked his lips in disbelief.
Since arriving in England, he finally understood what football truly meant to English fans.
Take Luton, for example. Almost everyone in the town supported Luton Town FC — loyalty passed down through generations like a family heirloom.
Ethan stood by the side of the car, staring down the straight road that led directly to the entrance of the training ground.
This road, one of Luton's main arteries, even lent its name to the club's stadium — Kenilworth Road, the heart that pulsed through the entire town.
From the entrance, you could see all the way down the street. For two or three kilometers, the road was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people.
"This is insane..." Ethan muttered.
He exchanged a look with John; both saw the shock mirrored in each other's eyes. In the crowd, Ethan quickly spotted Alexander — the lively pub owner who also led one of the main fan clubs. Right now, he was organizing the fans, trying to keep some kind of order.
"Alexander! How did you pull together such a massive crowd?!" Ethan shouted as he stepped out of the car, weaving through the packed fans.
The arrival of the head coach triggered a new wave of cheers. Alexander cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed back, "We're heading to Wembley with the team!"
Ethan laughed helplessly, pointing at the thick sea of people. "The game's at five! How are you planning to get all these people there?!"
He was starting to get a little worried. So many people in one place — if something went wrong, it could turn dangerous very quickly.
"Trains! We've booked two special trains with the rail company!" Alexander grinned. "It's not every day Luton Town reaches the semi-finals! Everyone's going — no one's staying behind!"
Ethan nodded in understanding. The FA had allocated Luton Town 30,000 tickets for the semi-final at Wembley.
On the first day of sales, the sheer number of Luton fans crashed the club's online ticketing server. After all, Luton was a town of just over 200,000 people...
In the end, the club had to shift to offline ticket sales. Fans camped outside the ticket offices overnight, queuing for hours just to secure their place at Wembley.
"You've got more than 30,000 people here, though..." Ethan pointed at the endless crowd. "Even with two trains, there's no way you can fit everyone!"
Ethan wasn't exactly an expert in train logistics, but even he knew that a standard 12-carriage British train could only carry about 1,000-1,200 people.
Alexander shrugged and laughed. "We'll just run a few more trips if we have to!"
"And this is only the semi-final. What happens if we actually make it to the final?" Ethan asked, half-joking.
Alexander chuckled, but deep down he was already worrying about the same thing.
Let's just get through this first... he thought.
Ethan didn't know what the fans were thinking, but seeing this kind of turnout at least reassured him: at Wembley, Luton's support wouldn't lose out to Arsenal's.
And that made him genuinely happy.
When the team bus finally rolled out of town, the players were stunned to find a convoy of cars trailing behind them.
Some cars had Luton Town flags flapping proudly from their windows, the orange and navy colours flickering in the breeze.
More Luton fans!
The players couldn't believe the army of support behind them.
As the bus merged onto the M1 motorway, the convoy behind stretched out in a long, snaking line — hundreds of cars, all racing together toward Wembley Stadium.