Flight Club

---

By Kris HollandBBC News

Wrexham's Hollywood-fuelled return to The Football League has been one of The stories of The football season, But in Bedfordshire an even more remarkable script is being written at Championship side Luton Town.

As recently as 2014, The Hatters were in The National League - The fifth tier of English football. They had fallen out of The EFL in 2009 amid a financial meltdown. Less than 10 Years on, they are three matches away from The Premier League .

Their cosy and compact Kenilworth Road home in The densely populated Bury Park area of The Town is a throwback to a bygone era of English stadiums. Yet it could soon host top flight action for The First Time in A Generation .

The Club has long planned to move to a new stadium on The Site of a former electricity Power Station . What is The latest on those plans and could Kenilworth Road host Premier League football?

Why do Luton Town want to leave Kenilworth Road?

Surrounded by tight residential streets on The Edge of The Town centre, Kenilworth Road's floodlights tower above back-to-back terraced houses. It has been The Club 's home since 1905.

But with The 10,356-capacity ground deemed no longer fit for purpose, The Hatters are preparing to move to a new, purpose-built 23,000-seat stadium, Power Court.

Although their current home holds great sentimental value, it is undoubtedly dated.

Supporters file into one side of The Oak Road Stand through what must be The Most unconventional entrance in The Land , with turnstiles sandwiched between a Long Row of terraced housing.

After clicking and clunking through The barriers, they are guided to a tight alleyway before ascending metal stairways that have The feel of being in The gardens of The adjoining homes.

Inside The ground, facilities are basic with limited legroom in The seats.

It should all be different at The Power Court development, with trendy bars, restaurants and a hotel lined up instead.

It has been estimated The new stadium will generate many millions of pounds for The Local economy, when compared with staying at The existing stadium.

The Power Court plan

Luton's chief executive Gary Sweet said The Club " hoped to be putting a spade in The ground" to build The 23,000-seater stadium "

He Said The budget for The Work was " approaching around £100m".

The Hatters have opted not to join The many clubs to have moved to out-of-town stadiums. Instead, their new home will be just a mile (1. 6km) away on a site even closer to The Town centre.

The planned move has been a long time coming - The Club has been looking for a site to replace Kenilworth Road since 1955.

The Club and developers 2020 Developments first lodged plans for The new stadium, on The Site of The Town 's former Power Station , in August 2016 and permission was finally granted in January 2019.

It had been hoped that Power Court would be complete by 2023, But economic pressures and have contributed to delays to The Project .

Could Kenilworth Road host Premier League matches?

In The meantime, if Luton win promotion will The Present ground be sufficient to host The likes of Manchester City and Arsenal?

Luton's owners say there is No Doubt about it - But it would come at an immediate cost of about £10m.

Writing in his programme notes ahead of Luton's final Home Game of The season on Monday, Mr Sweet said The Club would need to rebuild most of The Bobbers Stand if they succeed.

The Stand , running down one side of The Pitch , is currently Kenilworth Road's smallest by capacity and contains a row of corporate boxes.

" Like it or not, Kenilworth Road is Real Life , proper Old School football, and it should be embraced or scorned upon at your peril, " wrote Mr Sweet.

And they have to get there first. A third place finish in this year's Championship means they will take on Sunderland, who finished sixth, in The play-off semi-finals.

The clubs will meet for The First leg at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Saturday, before Kenilworth Road hosts The Second leg on 16 May. Whoever wins will meet Coventry City or Middlesbrough at Wembley Stadium

'A proper ground'

Hatters fan Richard Armstrong , 40, was just three years old when he first visited Kenilworth Road and has a unique perspective on The " old girl" as it's affectionally known by many Luton fans.

He comes from A Family of Luton fans and his grandparents lived on a street in The Shadow of The ground.

" Kenilworth Road has to be The Most talked about stadium in The country, " He Said .

" A lot of people my age and above would say it's a proper ground - But it fascinates The younger generation. They don't realise Luton was for many years a top Flight Club .

" I don't think there's been a game this year where we haven't seen away fans on Social Media afterwards posting pictures of The Oak Road entrance.

" I think if we do go up to The Premier League it's going to bring back an Old School football feel to The Division . "

But Mr Armstrong, whose Two Children are members of The Club 's Junior Hatters scheme, acknowledged it was a matter of " when" and not " if" The Club would move.

" It [Kenilworth Road] genuinely means a lot to people. It's a place stuck in a period of time when The Game was different.

" The Good thing is that Power Court is going to be smack bang in The Middle of town. I feel I speak for Luton fans when I say we have owners who have The interests of The Club at heart. They're supporters too.

" Whatever Happens , she deserves A Shot at seeing The World 's best and The World 's best deserve a run out at The old girl. I hope Our Story gives hope to other clubs. "

Analysis

Geoff Doyle, Bbc Three Counties Radio

The Kenny, as it's known, is a wonderful Old School stadium and will be missed by nearly all Hatters fans.

Its charm, character and atmosphere is pretty unique and Luton fans will continue to enjoy it before transferring to a new stadium which everyone understands will move The Club forward.

Supporters would hope The new one at Power Court could replicate Kenilworth Road for its intimidating 'in Your Face ' intensity.

If The Hatters are promoted to The Premier League , improvements will need to be made. Much has been made of The £10m cost mainly on improving Kenilworth Road for media needs; broadcasting rights in The Top flight bring in revenue of over £100m so that won't be an issue.

Indeed, promotion would speed up The Move and essentially pay for The new stadium.

Related Topics

Source of news: bbc.com