The Luton News of 17th December 1914 describes how "members of the Luton Town football club have come forward splendidly to join the Footballers' Battalion."

When war broke out close to the start of the 1914-15 season, Luton Town had just been promoted into the First Division of the Southern League. The  Football Leagues announced that the 1914-15 season would run as usual. Players were under legally binding contracts until the end of the season and in any case general opinion in England was that the war would be over by Christmas.