Hatters Clash at Wembley: Luton vs Stockport

0:00On April 6th, Luton Town and Stockport County, two League 1 squads both nicknamed the Hatters, are set to clash in the EFL Virtue Trophy final at Wimbly this Sunday. The name comes from each town's deep roots in hat making, sparking a fun rivalry among fans over who owns it for real. Both places boomed with hat factory centuries ago. Stockport had 30 factories at its peak in the 1600s, employing 80,000 people and even inspiring the phrase, Matt as a Hatter. From Mercury Poisoning, Luton focused on straw hats and plating, driving the local economy until cheaper imports killed it off in the 20th century. Fans and historians are fired up. Stockport points to their hat works museum and old photos of crowds and hats, while Luton boasts a dedicated Hatter's heritage site and mascots like Happy Harry and Happy Hatter. Stockport switched their Hatter mascot for a friendlier bear named Vernon, who tosses sweets to kids. The teams drew one one in their warm up match on March 21st, keeping things tense.

1:02Fans from both sides even teamed up for a special commemorative program full of stories from each club. As Wimbly lights up this weekend, that age old debate hangs in the air, but one things clear, whichever Hatters lift the trophy, the real winners, are the fans keeping this