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Kenilworth Road

Coordinates: 51°53′03.08″N 0°25′54.02″W / 51.8841889°N 0.4316722°W / 51.8841889; -0.4316722
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Kenilworth Road
External view of the Kenilworth Stand
Map
Full nameKenilworth Road Stadium
LocationLuton, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
Coordinates51°53′03.08″N 0°25′54.02″W / 51.8841889°N 0.4316722°W / 51.8841889; -0.4316722
OwnerLuton Borough Council
OperatorLuton Town F.C.
Capacity
10,226[1][2]
Field size
110 by 72 yards (100.6 m × 65.8 m)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Built1905
Opened1905
Tenants
Luton Town F.C. (1905–present)

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Kenilworth Road Stadium (almost always known simply as Kenilworth Road) is an association football stadium in Luton, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. It has been home to Luton Town Football Club since 1905, when financial complications forced the club to leave their previous location at Dunstable Road. The ground has also hosted women's and youth international matches, as well as a number of local competitions.

The 10,226 all-seater stadium is situated in Bury Park, one mile west of the centre of Luton. It is named after the road which runs along one end of it, but the official address is 1 Maple Road. Kenilworth Road hosted football in the Southern League until 1920, and in the Football League until 2009, when Luton were relegated to the Conference National.

The ground is known for the artificial playing surface which was present from 1985 to 1991, as well as the unusual entrance to the Oak Road End. Floodlights were fitted in 1953, and the ground became all-seated in 1986. The record attendance of 30,069 was set in 1959, in an FA Cup sixth round replay against Blackpool.

History

The pitch as seen from the David Preece Stand in 2000 - the Oak Road (now away) End and the Executive Boxes are visible.

Luton Town moved to Kenilworth Road in 1905, leaving their previous home at Dunstable Road at very short notice after poor results on the pitch led to a dispute with their landlord. The club's directors quickly procured a new site, and the club's first match at the new ground came on 4 September 1905 – a 0–0 against Plymouth Argyle. The new ground brought success with it – in their last season at Dunstable Road, Luton had finished second from bottom, but in the first at Kenilworth Road, Luton finished fourth in the Southern League.[3]

The ground has undergone several major changes since its original construction in 1905. The original Main Stand burnt down in a fire in 1920, and was replaced by the current stand before the 1922–23 campaign. The new Main Stand was split into two – the upper tier contained wooden seats, so there was a ban on smoking in the stand – the lower tier, which became known as the Enclosure, was terracing.[4][5]

When attendances were first counted, in 1932–33, Luton Town's average home attendance was taken at 5,868.[6] Kenilworth Road's capacity of the time was 25,000, so it was not deemed necessary to improve the ground. However, only three years later, on 25 April 1936, a match against Coventry City attracted 23,142 spectators – at that time a club record.[7] The decision was taken to renovate the stadium, already in disrepair, and work began at the end of the following season. The Kenilworth End terrace was extended, the Oak Road End received a roof and major work was done on the Main Stand. Following these steps, the ground was more in line with those of rival clubs, the capacity standing at 30,000.[5]

The view from the Kenilworth End in 2007. To the left is the Main Stand; to the right is the Oak Road End.

The first ten years following Kenilworth Road's renovation saw average attendances of between 15,000 and 18,000; a huge improvement on what the club had previously been able to attract. Floodlights were installed at the ground before the 1953–54 season, and used for the first time in a friendly against Turkish side Fenerbahçe.[8] Promotion to the First Division for the 1955–56 saw the average attendance climb as high as 21,455.[9]

The first real modernisation of the ground came in 1973, with the first addition of seats at Kenilworth Road since the construction of the new Main Stand in 1922. The Bobbers Stand became all-seated, while the rest of the ground remained terracing.[5] In 1985, following the lead of Queen Park Rangers' experiment at Loftus Road, the grass pitch was dug up and replaced with an artificial playing surface. The new surface became exceedingly unpopular and was derided as "the plastic pitch".[10][11]

On 13 March 1985, Millwall visited Kenilworth Road for an FA Cup Sixth Round replay, and although the club was asked by Millwall to make the match all-ticket, the warning was not heeded. A disproportionately large away following arrived on the day of the game, and following a 1–0 victory for Luton, a pitch invasion and subsequent riot by away supporters caused noticeable damage to the ground and the surrounding area. Many of those arrested turned out to be supporters of teams other than Millwall, most notably Chelsea and West Ham United.[12] The club's chairman, Conservative MP David Evans, reacted by imposing a ban on all away supporters from Kenilworth Road, as well as introducing a scheme that would require even home supporters to carry membership cards to be admitted to matches. Work began months later on converting the ground to an all-seater, as the Oak Road End was filled with seats, while the Bobbers Stand, which had been damaged by the incident, had its remaining seats ripped out to be replaced with executive boxes. The Main Stand's enclosure received seats, and work also began on converting the Kenilworth Stand, which had a roof added at this time. The stand would also receive seats in stages over the coming years.[5]

The 1990–91 season saw away fans return,[13] and the end of the season saw further changes to Kenilworth Road – grass was restored after six years, and the David Preece Stand was erected, simply called the New Stand on construction.[5][14] The final improvements to the ground came in 2005, when the conversion of the Kenilworth Stand was finally completed to bring the capacity to its present 10,226.[2][5]

Ownership

The ground was first constructed in 1905, soon before the club moved in. The club rented the ground until 1933, when newly appointed chairman Charles Jeyes organised the purchase of the stadium. The club retained ownership of the ground until 1989, when it was sold to Luton Borough Council under the leadership of David Evans. The club was granted a seven year lease at peppercorn rent for its continued use. This arrangement has been extended several times, and as of 2009 is due to end in 2015.[2][15][16][17]

Structure and facilities

View from the Oak Road End in 2008, with the Executive Boxes to the left, Kenilworth Stand opposite and the Preece and Main Stands to the right.
Plan of the stadium.
A – Preece Stand. B – Boxes.

The ground is made up of five stands – opposite the eponymous Kenilworth Stand is the Oak Road End, and to the left is the Main Stand, which is flanked to its right by the David Preece Stand. Opposite them stand a row of executive boxes. The Main Stand covers about two thirds of the length of the pitch, though the attached enclosure is longer, covering the whole distance. The Main Stand, which seats 4,277 fans,[2] also contains the dressing rooms, club offices and television gantry, as well as a number of supporting pillars, a car park and the Nick Owen and Eric Morecambe suites. To the Main Stand's right, in the corner above the end of the Enclosure and next to the Kenilworth Stand, is the David Preece Stand, a family area which seats 711 spectators.[2] The Preece Stand acquired its present name in 2008, a year after the former player's death.[5]

Opposite the Main and Preece Stands are 25 executive boxes, which have an attached net to catch balls directed over them and a total capacity of 209.[2] The Bobbers Stand stood here until 1986, when the seats were removed from the stand and replaced with the boxes.[5]

To the right of the Main Stand is the 3,229-seater[2] Kenilworth Stand, which backs onto Kenilworth Road. The Club Shop is behind this stand, which was once an open terrace but is now a roofed all-seater stand. In the corner between the Kenilworth Stand and the boxes is the stadium clock.[5]

Opposite the Kenilworth Stand is the Oak Road End, which bears an electronic scoreboard on its roof and can seat a maximum of 1,800 fans.[1][2] The Oak Road End was once a home section but is now away fans only. The Oak Road End has a highly unusual entrance, requiring spectators to go through an entrance built into the row of houses and up stairs to the stand.[5][18]

Future

The unusual entrance to the Oak Road End.

Luton Town have been looking for a new ground since 1955, when club chairman Percy Mitchell spoke of building a new ground "seating 35,000 ... and capable of hosting cup finals". However, due to unstable finances and an inability to find a site, the club is still at Kenilworth Road.[19] A proposed move to Milton Keynes in the 1980s led to supporters protesting in Luton, and the matter was therefore dropped. The spectre of relocation up the M1 motorway to the new town reappeared several times over the years, but the opportunity to switch to Milton Keynes was never exploited. Such a move is now very unlikely following the creation of Milton Keynes Dons.[20][15]

The club itself has only managed to get as far as a planning application for a new ground once, when chairman David Kohler's Kohlerdome was proposed in 1995. The Kohlerdome was envisioned by Kohler as a 20,000 all-seater indoor arena with a retractable roof and pitch, hosting 85 capacity events each year. Kohler's plans, though ambitious, were perhaps not very realistic – the plans were turned down by the Secretary of State in 1998, with the reason given that the ground was not feasible unless the M1 motorway was widened. Kohler put the club on the market on the plan's rejection, and after a period under Cliff Bassett, the club came under the control of Mike Watson-Challis in 2000. Watson-Challis bought 55 acres of land by Junction 10 of the M1 in 2001, intending to move the club there, but once again, nothing came of the scheme.[15][21][22] Most recently, in 2007, Jayten Stadium Limited were hoping to relocate the club to a new purpose built stadium at Junction 12, near Harlington and Toddington. This plan was very unpopular with both Luton Town supporters and the local authorities, but a planning application was still submitted by former chairman Bassett on the club's behalf. The application was withdrawn by the club almost immediately after the takeover by Nick Owen's Luton Town Football Club 2020 consortium in 2008.[23][24]

As of 2009, the club is undertaking an independent feasibility study to determine a viable location to move to. Sites mooted include a ground built as part of a new housing development to the west of Luton and a site by the proposed Junction 11A of the M1 at Stockwood, which is the preferred site of the local authorities. The club has not ruled out staying at a redeveloped Kenilworth Road.[15][24][25][26]

Other uses

Kenilworth Road has been used occasionally by the England women's team — in fact, the inaugural UEFA Women's Championship in 1984 saw Kenilworth Road play host to the second leg of the Final against Sweden, won by Sweden on penalties. The most recent use of the stadium by the women's team was a 4–2 victory over Spain on 22 March 2001.[27][28][29] Kenilworth Road has been used by England's under-17 team since the 1970s, most recently in a 3–0 win over their Italian counterparts in the 2007 FA International Tournament Final.[30][31][32]

The ground is home to the Hatters Study Support Centre, which provides local school pupils with ICT equipment, football training and lessons in numeracy and literacy.[33] Kenilworth Road also hosts a number of local tournaments and events, including an annual youth competition organised by London Luton Airport.[34][35]

Records

Average home league attendances at Kenilworth Road since 1946–47.

The highest attendance record at this stadium was 30,069 against Blackpool in the FA Cup on 4 March 1959.[36] The highest attendance in the Football League was 27,911 against Wolverhampton Wanderers in Division One on 5 November 1955.[37]

The highest seasonal average for Luton at Kenilworth Road has been 21,455 in the 1955–56 season.[9] Luton's lowest seasonal average was been 5,527 in 1998–99.[9] The most recent season in which the average attendance was more than 10,000 was in the 1990–91 season, when the seasonal average was 10,313.[9]

Transport

Main article: Luton railway station

The ground is located about half a mile away from Luton railway station, which lies on the Midland Main Line between London's St Pancras railway station and Leeds's City station. Many of the roads near the ground are for residential permit holders only, meaning car parking at the ground is notoriously difficult.[38] The number 31 bus, which is operated by Arriva and runs every ten minutes from outside the train station, stops at the junction of Oak Road and Dunstable Road.[39][40]

References

General
  • Collings, Timothy (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885-1985. Luton Town F.C. ISBN 1-951067-90-7. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  • Bailey, Steve (1997). The Definitive Luton Town F.C. Soccerdata. ISBN 1899468102. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
Specific
  1. ^ a b ""Luton Town's Official Matchday Programme"". lutontown. 2007-04-14.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "J12 Stadium — illustrative financial projections" (PDF). South Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  3. ^ Collings (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885-1985. pp. 17–19.
  4. ^ Collings (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885-1985. p. 27.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Kenilworth Stadium". Luton Town F.C. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  6. ^ Bailey (1997). "1932–33". The Definitive Luton Town F.C.
  7. ^ Bailey (1997). "1935–36". The Definitive Luton Town F.C.
  8. ^ Bailey (1997). "1953–54". The Definitive Luton Town F.C.
  9. ^ a b c d "Luton Town FC". http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/. Retrieved 2009-05-01. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ "Unlucky Luton, a reminder of football's forgotten days". Liverpool Daily Post. 2009-04-17. Retrieved 2009-05-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Lawton, Graham (2005). "Pitch battle over artificial grass". New Scientist (2502): p.35. Retrieved 2008-01-11. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  12. ^ Davies, Christopher (2004-05-21). "Millwall hopes to leave dark history behind in F.A. Cup final". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2008-03-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Luton may end its ban on supporters". The Times. 1990-05-24.
  14. ^ "Uefa approves artificial pitches". BBC Sport. 2004-11-10. Retrieved 2008-03-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ a b c d "Luton Town Football Club". Luton Borough Council. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  16. ^ Collings (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885-1985. pp. 35–40.
  17. ^ "Chapter 6 - Social Matters". Luton Borough Council. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  18. ^ "Kenilworth Road, Luton Town". Jack Laws. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  19. ^ Collings. The Luton Town Story 1885-1985. pp. 70–74, 212.
  20. ^ "Luton Town 1 MK Dons 0". When Saturday Comes. June 2005. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  21. ^ Bose, Mihir (1994-10-23). "Luton chairman ready for a stretch inside". The Sunday Times: 22.
  22. ^ "New stadium plan for Luton". BBC. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  23. ^ "J12 stadium plans run into problems". Luton & Dunstable Express. Retrieved 2009-04-11. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ a b "Junction 12 application withdrawn". Luton Town F.C. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  25. ^ "Luton stadium plan 'unaffordable'". BBC. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  26. ^ "Chapter 9 - Action Areas". Luton Borough Council. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  27. ^ "The Swede smell of success". UEFA. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  28. ^ "Fulham lead way as women's game gathers strength". Independent. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  29. ^ "Coultard cautious over England hopes". BBC. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  30. ^ Vernon, Leslie (1971). "April 1971". Rothman's Football Yearbook 1971-72. The Queen Anne Press.
  31. ^ "Home comforts for U17s". The Football Association. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  32. ^ "Spurs strikers on target as England clinch tournament win". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  33. ^ "Luton Town Football Club" (PDF). Active Luton. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
  34. ^ "Pirton Hill Junior School wins Airport's under 9s Football Tournament". London Luton Airport. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  35. ^ "Police Use Football to Kick Knife Crime Into Touch". Bedfordshire Police. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  36. ^ "Luton Town all time records". Soccerbase. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  37. ^ Bailey (1997). "1955–56". {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  38. ^ "Luton Town". http://www.footballgroundguide.com/. Retrieved 2009-05-10. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  39. ^ "Luton Changes 10 May". Arriva. 2009-05-10. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
  40. ^ "Directions to Kenilworth Road". Luton Town F.C. Retrieved 2009-05-21.

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