Kenilworth Road
The Kenny, The Old Girl | |
Full name | Kenilworth Road Stadium |
---|---|
Location | Bury Park, Luton, Bedfordshire, England |
Coordinates | 51°53′03″N 0°25′54″W / 51.88417°N 0.43167°W |
Owner | Luton Borough Council |
Operator | Luton Town |
Capacity | 12,000[1] |
Field size | 110 by 72 yards (100.6 m × 65.8 m) |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Built | 1905 |
Opened | 1905 |
Renovated | 2023–present |
Tenants | |
Luton Town (1905–present) |
Kenilworth Road, known affectionately as The Kenny,[2] and The Old Girl,[3] is an association football stadium in Bury Park, Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It has been the home ground of Luton Town since 1905. The stadium has also hosted women's and youth international matches, including the second leg of the 1984 European Competition for Women's Football final.
The 12,000
Floodlights were fitted in 1953, and the ground became all-seated in 1991. The record attendance of 30,069 was set in 1959, in an FA Cup sixth round replay against Blackpool. The ground is known for the unusual entrance to the Oak Road End, and the five-season ban on away supporters that Luton Town imposed following a riot by visiting fans in 1985.
History
Luton Town moved to Kenilworth Road in 1905, leaving their previous home at Dunstable Road after their landlord sold the site for housing at short notice.[4] 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 draw against Plymouth Argyle. Watford player C. Barnes scored the first ever goal at the stadium, in a reserve match.[5] Originally known as Ivy Road,[6] 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.[7]
The ground has undergone several major changes since its original construction in 1905. The original Main Stand, boasting a press loft and a balcony above the roof, burnt down in 1921,[6] 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.[8][9]
When attendances were first counted, in 1932–33, Luton Town's average home attendance was taken at 5,868.[10] 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.[11] 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.[9]
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.
Renovation of Kenilworth Road was neglected for the next two decades—financial difficulties and the club's ambitions to build a new ground meant that regeneration was unaffordable, and would also prove unnecessary should relocation occur. However, following the rejection of several potential sites for a new ground, the club finally turned their attentions back to the maintenance of Kenilworth Road.[6] The first real modernisation of the ground came in 1973, with the first addition of seats at the stadium since the construction of the new Main Stand in 1922. The Bobbers Stand became all-seated, while the rest of the ground remained terracing.[9] The new look stand could hold only 1,539 seats, and as a result the capacity of the ground dropped to 22,601.[6]
A £1 million refurbishment got underway in 1985 with the introduction of an
The
On 24 March 2015 the ground was officially renamed "The Prostate Cancer UK Stadium" for one day, for the game against Wycombe Wanderers, in support of charity and raising awareness of prostate cancer.[17]
Artificial pitch
In 1985, following the lead of
Away fan ban
On 13 March 1985,
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 February 1989, when the
Structure and facilities
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
The Main Stand covers approximately 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,[16] 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.[16] The David Preece Stand acquired its present name in 2008, a year after the former player's death.[9]
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.[16] The Bobbers Stand stood here until 1986, when the seats were removed from the stand and replaced with the boxes.[9]
To the right of the Main Stand is the 3,229-seater[16] 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.[9]
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.[33][16] Originally a home section, the Oak Road End was turned into a stand for away fans only at the start of the 1991–92 season. Early in the 2013–14 season, the Oak Road End was re-opened for home supporters for fixtures where visiting support was predicted to be especially low, with the section for away fans moved to A Block of the Kenilworth Stand for these games.[34] Later that season, it was announced that the stand was available for shared use between both home and away supporters, increasing Kenilworth Road's home capacity by 15%.[35] The Oak Road End has an entrance that is often considered unusual, requiring spectators to go through an entrance built into the row of houses and up stairs to the stand.[9][36]
Moving and redevelopment plans
Luton Town have been looking for a new ground since 1955, when club chairman Percy Mitchell spoke of building a stadium "to hold 35,000 in comfort ... [and] get a lot of support which goes to London at the moment". However, due to unstable finances and an inability to find a site, no ground was built.
The first time Luton managed to get as far as a planning application for a new ground was when chairman
By 2012, the club was undertaking an independent feasibility study to determine a viable location to move to. Sites mooted included 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, which is the preferred site of the local authorities. Luton Town did not rule out staying at a redeveloped Kenilworth Road,[28][43][44][45] entering talks to buy the stadium back from the council in October 2012, but by mid-2015 these plans had been dropped in favour of a move to a new location.[46][47] Managing director Gary Sweet confirmed that the club was in a position to "buy land, secure the best possible professional advice ... and to see the [planning] application process through to the receipt of consent."[47] The club announced its new preferred location in 2015—Power Court in central Luton, near the Mall and St Mary's Church, for a 17,500-seater stadium.[48]
Planning permission for this ground, with potential to expand to 23,000 seats, was granted by Luton Borough Council on 16 January 2019.[49]
2023-2024 redevelopment
Following the club’s promotion, for the first time to the
On 1 March 2024, work was completed on the installation of safe standing in the Oak Road stand which increased the stadium's capacity by 800. The club plans to install additional safe standing in the Enclosure.[54]
Other uses
Kenilworth Road has been used occasionally by the England women's team. 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.[55][56] 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.[57]
The ground is home to the Hatters Study Support Centre, which provides local school pupils with
On 23 March 2024 Hashtag United women beat Newcastle United women at Kenilworth Road in the FA Women's National League Cup
Records
The highest attendance record at this stadium was 30,069 against
The highest seasonal average for Luton at Kenilworth Road was 21,455 in the 1955–56 season.[14] Luton's lowest seasonal average was 5,527 in 1998–99.[14] 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.[14]
Transport
The ground is located about half a mile away from
References
Notes
- ^ "Safe standing installation complete in the Oak". Luton Town Football Club. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ Kelly, Ryan (1 September 2023). "Inside Luton Town's stadium Kenilworth Road: Capacity, famous away end & everything you need to know". GOAL. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ "The old girl has had a makeover' Luton Town reveal Kenilworth Road upgrades". Sky Sports. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ Hayes (2002). Completely Top Hatters!. p. 43.
- ISBN 0-9527458-0-1.
- ^ a b c d Hayes (2002). Completely Top Hatters!. p. 96.
- ^ Collings (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885–1985. pp. 17–19.
- ^ Collings (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885–1985. p. 27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Kenilworth Road". Luton Town F.C. 21 May 2009. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
- ^ Bailey (1997). The Definitive Luton Town F.C. p. 27.
- ^ Bailey (1997). The Definitive Luton Town F.C. p. 30.
- ^ Hayes (2002). Completely Top Hatters!. p. 52.
- ^ Collings (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885–1985. p. 353.
- ^ a b c d Collings (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885–1985. p. 350.
- ^ a b Hayes (2002). Completely Top Hatters!. p. 97.
- ^ a b c d e f "J12 Stadium—illustrative financial projections" (PDF). South Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 20 May 2009. [dead link]
- ^ "Luton Town: Kenilworth Road renamed for cancer charity". BBC Sport. 18 March 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ Hayes (2002). Completely Top Hatters!. pp. 133–134.
- ^ McGuire, Sean (17 April 2009). "Unlucky Luton, a reminder of football's forgotten days". Liverpool Daily Post. Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012.
- ^ Lawton, Graham (4 June 2005). "Pitch battle over artificial grass". New Scientist. No. 2502. p. 35. Archived from the original on 17 February 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2008.
- ^ Howells (1997). A Hatter goes mad!. p. 58.
- ^ "Uefa approves artificial pitches". BBC. 10 November 2004. Retrieved 26 March 2008.
- ^ "Revenge for Millwall riot". Herald & Post. Luton: Bedfordshire Newspapers. 15 March 2000. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
- ^ Davies, Christopher (21 May 2004). "Millwall hopes to leave dark history behind in F.A. Cup final". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2008.
- ^ Hayes (2002). Completely Top Hatters!. pp. 7–8.
- ^ "Extra cash to keep soccer yobs pinned down". Herald & Post. Luton: Bedfordshire Newspapers. 22 August 2003. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
- ^ "Luton may end its ban on supporters". The Times. 24 May 1990.
- ^ a b c d "Luton Town Football Club". Luton Borough Council. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ Collings (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885–1985. pp. 35–40.
- ^ "Chapter 6 – Social Matters". Luton Borough Council. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ a b "2020 Mission Fan Update 2009". 2020 Mission Fan Update. Luton Town F.C. 20 May 2009.
- ^ "Council plan lease extension". Luton Town F.C. 14 January 2010. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
- ^ "Luton Town's Official Matchday Programme". Lutontown. 14 April 2007.
- ^ "Hatters to open Oak Road for home supporters". Luton Today. Johnston Publishing Ltd. 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Kenilworth Road, Luton Town". Jack Laws. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ Collings. The Luton Town Story 1885–1985. p. 74.
- ^ a b Willacy, Gavin (February 2007). "Relocation, relocation". When Saturday Comes. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
- ^ "Luton Town 1 MK Dons 0". When Saturday Comes. June 2005. Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ Bose, Mihir (23 October 1994). "Luton chairman ready for a stretch inside". The Sunday Times: 22.
- ^ "New stadium plan for Luton". BBC. 28 February 2001. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ "J12 stadium plans run into problems". Luton & Dunstable Express. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ a b "Junction 12 application withdrawn". Luton Town F.C. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ "Luton stadium plan 'unaffordable'". BBC. 23 February 2009. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ "Chapter 9 – Action Areas". Luton Borough Council. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ "Luton Town FC in talks to buy back Kenilworth Road". BBC. 1 October 2012. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Hatters' new stadium location to be revealed soon". Luton Today. Johnston Publishing Ltd. 19 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ^ "Luton Town announce proposals for 17,500 seater town centre stadium on Power Court". Luton on Sunday. Bedford: Local World. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Power Court: Luton Town football stadium gains planning permission". BBC Sport. 16 January 2019. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "Luton's first Premier League home game postponed". BBC Sport. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ Duncan, Euan (24 July 2023). "Council agree to put £400,000 towards Luton Town stadium improvement works". bedfordshirelive. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ Holland, Kris (28 August 2023). "Luton: Premier League side confirm Bobbers Stand test event". BBC News. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ^ Yew, Oliver (1 September 2023). "Luton Town 1–2 West Ham: Hammers spoil Kenilworth Road homecoming to go top of the Premier League". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ "Safe standing installation complete in the Oak". Luton Town Football Club. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ Kelly, Graham (16 April 2001). "Fulham lead way as women's game gathers strength". The Independent. London. Retrieved 11 May 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Coultard cautious over England hopes". BBC. 19 June 2001. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ Vernon, Leslie (1971). "April 1971". Rothman's Football Yearbook 1971–72. The Queen Anne Press.
- ^ "Luton Town Football Club" (PDF). Active Luton. Retrieved 21 May 2009.[permanent dead link]
- London Luton Airport. Archived from the originalon 16 March 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ "Police Use Football to Kick Knife Crime into Touch". Bedfordshire Police. Archived from the original on 16 May 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ "Luton Town all time records". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 7 August 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ Bailey (1997). The Definitive Luton Town F.C. p. 43.
- ^ "Luton Town". Football Ground Guide. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
- ^ "Luton Changes 10 May". Arriva. 10 May 2009. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
- ^ "Directions to Kenilworth Road". Luton Town F.C. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
- ^ "Green light for Luton-Dunstable Busway". Bedford Today. 27 August 2008. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
Bibliography
- Collings, Timothy (1985). The Luton Town Story 1885–1985. Luton Town F.C. ISBN 0-9510679-0-7.
- Bailey, Steve (December 1997). The Definitive Luton Town F.C. Soccerdata. ISBN 1-899468-10-2.
- Hayes, Dean P. (November 2002). Completely Top Hatters!. The Book Castle. ISBN 1-903747-27-9.
- Howells, Kristina (November 1997). A Hatter goes mad!. The Book Castle. ISBN 1-871199-58-1.