Kenilworth Road (Luton)

Kenilworth Road is an association football stadium in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It has been the home ground of Luton Town Football Club since 1905. The 10,356 all-seater stadium is situated in the district of Bury Park, one mile (1.6 km) west of the centre of Luton. It is named after the road which runs along one end of it, though its official address is 1 Maple Road.

General information

Arena capacity: 10,356 spectators

Address: 1 Maple Road East, Luton, Bedfordshire, England, LU4 8AW

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 51°53′03″N 0°25′54″W

Year of construction: 1905

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 100.6 × 65.8 m

Seating plan of Kenilworth Road

Kenilworth Road End

The Kenilworth Road End on the south side of the stadium is made up of two-tiers of blue seats, with the lower tier much larger than the one above. The letters LUTON are spelt out in white at the front of this stand.

Your view of the pitch from the blocks at the front is pretty good, but there are pillars that come down regularly in front of the upper tier and these will restrict your view if you are sat behind them.

A windshield in the southeast corner protects the upper tier seats but not all of those in the tier below.

Main Stand

The Main Stand is the largest at Kenilworth Road.

It is made up of two tiers, with the lower paddock area significantly smaller than the tier above it. Unlike the rest of the stadium, this paddock area has backless benches for fans to sit on, as opposed to the simple, plastic seats that are much more common at football grounds.

The upper tier is made up of a whole mix of colours, with each seating block a different colour than the one next to it.

Large pillars come down at the very front of the Main Stand and will restrict your view if you are in any of the upper tier seats. Smaller pillars are also in place at the front of the upper tier, which further limit the amount of the pitch that you can see on a matchday.

Luton Town’s changing rooms and tunnel are in this stand, and given that the dugouts are in front of the East Stand opposite, substitutes and staff have to walk across the pitch at the beginning and end of each half.

David Preece Stand

The David Preece Stand next door provides a better view of the action.

It once again is divided into two levels with backless benches in the bottom tier and the same blue seating in the upper tier that you can find in the Kenilworth Road End. Only a small part of the bottom tier is available for fans though as a large blue fence takes up a lot of the space down here. Some of the benches are also unfortunately placed behind one of the Kenilworth Road’s lighting rigs and this will definitely restrict your view if you are sat behind it.

The upper tier does have a couple of pillars but these are well spaced out and so the view from here is one of the best you can get in the whole stadium.

There is a staircase leading down from the upper tier to the lower level and the pillars that hold this up to block the view of a handful of seats in the Kenilworth Road End, so this is certainly worth taking note of.

In addition to all this, because the David Preece Stand and the Main Stand are at a slight angle from one another, there is a section of benches in the lower tier paddock that are not covered at all by the roof.

Whilst the view of the pitch from here is perfectly clear, there is nothing directly over your head that will protect you from the elements. You won’t be surprised to hear that these seats tend to be the last ones sold!

The Oak Road End

The Oak Road End consists of a single tier of blue seating.

Much like the Kenilworth Road End opposite, it has the letters LUTON spelt out in white along the front. What makes this stand different though is the roof, which drops down in sections from one side to the other. The roof over in the northwest corner is higher up as a result than the roof in the northeast corner.

Pillars come down regularly along the front and the middle of this stand so it is highly likely that your view of the action will be restricted somewhat.

The Oak Road End also has a large electronic scoreboard on its roof that can be seen by everyone expect for those in this stand.

As mentioned before, the East Stand is made up entirely of executive boxes.

It is easily the smallest part of Kenilworth Road but does have the clearest and best view of anywhere in the stadium. Each box has two rows of seating in front of it, right up by the side of the pitch.

There is a large net above the roof of this stand that is supposed to stop balls from being kicked over into the neighbouring houses, but this certainly doesn’t always work.

Away Fans

Away fans are housed in the infamous Oak Road End.

Depending on the allocation, they can be given the entire stand, or large sheets and stewards can be used to segregate small away followings into the northeast corner, allowing home fans to take up the rest of the available seats.

Where to buy tickets?

Luton Town categorize their match ticket prices depending on the opposition, with the bigger teams classed as Category A, the smallest Category C and the rest Category B. However, since the only other thing that affects the cost of your seat is your age, it’s still relatively easy to keep track of.

You can buy your tickets online, over the phone by calling the ticket office, dropping into the ticket office in person, or from the supporters’ shop. They even offer friendly advice on where the best seat for you would be if you are new to the stadium.

How to get there?

Luton is, essentially, one of London’s commuter towns so it’s reasonably easy to get to if you live down South. Here are the most common methods of transport for you to consider.

Train

The nearest station is Luton station (in Station Road, Luton LU1 2LT) on the Midland line, operated by ThamesLink.

There are also local stations at Leagrave, and the Luton Airport Parkway with connecting bus routes.

Bus

The number 31 runs from the centre of town and will drop you close to the stadium.

From the station, the ground is a 15-20 minute walk. We recommend you take advantage of the free buses to / from the ground that the Police are offering for away fans.

Alternatively, from the Bus Interchange opposite the station, take the “Luton – Dunstable Busway” which stops outside the ground (close to Oak Road stadium entrances). Busway routes A,B,C or F70 to the Clifton Road stop.

Car

Leave the M1 at Junction 11 and take the A505 towards Luton. Go through one set of traffic lights and at the 1st roundabout, turn right into Chaul End Lane. At the next roundabout turn left into Hatters Way, whilst continuing down Hatters Way the ground will be seen on your left, although it is not accessible from this road. At the end of Hatters Way turn left and start looking for street parking from here on (the ground will now be on your left).

Taxi

A taxi from the station to the ground will take just under ten minutes and cost about £5.

Parking

Note that there is a residents only parking scheme in operation near to the ground, so you will have to travel a little further away to find street parking. You can also park at Beech Hill Conservative Club (LU4 8HZ) at a cost of £5 (payable inside the Club, or you can by phone at a cost of £6). Otherwise, there is a large multi-storey car park at Luton Railway Station, which costs £2.80 for the day on Saturdays. The Kenilworth Road ground is signposted from the station.

Where to eat and sleep?

As a commuter town Luton is built for people who don’t want to stay in London but want the convenience of its use. Here are some hotels for you to consider.

1. OYO London Luton. Half a mile from the stadium is this OYO Hotel. It’s a 3 star establishment with 44 guest rooms, a bar, free Wi-Fi and free parking. It’s also not far from Whipsnade Zoo, if you fancy a trip somewhere fun.
2. Thistle Express London Luton. This 3-star hotel is bang in the middle of town and offers a restaurant, a bar, free Wi-Fi and free parking. It has a great reputation for cleanliness too.
3. Icon Hotel. The Icon Hotel is so named because of its unusual look. It has a restaurant and bar, a rooftop terrace, a business centre and a meeting room. There is also free Wi-Fi and free parking.

Luton may not have the bright lights of London, but it’s not exactly a rubbish place to go for a drink. Here are some of our favourite options.

1. The Bobbers Supporters Club. The Bobbers Club is, as the name suggests, a Luton Town supporters club. It’s good for a pre-match pint as it’s right next to the ground and there’s always a good atmosphere.
2. Beech Hill Conservative Club. Granted, Conservative Clubs aren’t exactly the typical place that you’d think about heading to before watching a football game, but Kenilworth Road lacks options, to be honest, so this is somewhere you’ll want to consider having a drink in before the game.
3. The White House. You know what you’re getting with a Wetherspoons: cheap food and drink, quick service, and a family friendly atmosphere. That is much the same as you can expect here, along with its own library wall, and impressive staircase, and a couple of busts staring down on you as you dine. Very dramatic.

Facilities

Luton Town have been trying to leave Kenilworth Road for years, so they’ve neglected improving the facilities for some time. Basically, there are significantly better grounds in the Football League.

Aside from the executive boxes, four main places host match day hospitality experiences at Kenilworth Road. The Trophy Room promises a pre-match chat with coaching staff, a three-course meal and half-time refreshments; The Eric Morecambe Lounge offers a two-course carvery before the game and the chance to meet the Man Of The Match; whilst the Millennium Suite has a hot and cold buffet, half-time refreshments and a private cash bar. Finally, The John Moore Lounge has a private bar and offers you the chance to buy food.

The Eric Morecambe and John Moore Lounges are both available for hire, as is the Joe Payne Boardroom. Conferences, presentations, receptions, product launches and AGMs have all been hosted at the ground in the past; they even do weddings.

Accessibility

Below is some information so you know what to expect when you come to see the Hatters.

• Disabled supporters are entitled to a concessionary rate when purchasing a season ticket (Home supporters) or matchday ticket (Home or Away supporters) at Kenilworth Road. Disabled supporters are also entitled to a carer free of charge at all first team matches. These can be purchased through the Luton Town ticket office when providing proof of middle or higher rate Disability Living Allowance.
• Two sections of the Kenilworth Road stadium have access for supporters using wheelchairs. One is located in the Kenilworth Road end, behind the goal, and the other is beside the pitch in the Main Stand enclosure. Away supporters are allocated the area in the Main Stand enclosure.
• Entry to the Kenilworth Road section is via the press gate in Kenilworth Road, to the left of the turnstiles and adjacent to the club shop and ticket office. Wheelchair access to the Main Stand enclosure is via turnstiles on the Maple Road bridge. Ramps access is available in both of these sections.
• Inside Kenilworth Road supporters using wheelchairs have access to disabled toilets and a lowered counter service at the main refreshment kiosk, which is located underneath the David Preece stand.
• Home fans can email the LTDSA directly to apply for a disabled/less abled car parking space (This is for match day spaces only NOT seasonal). Applications can be sent 14 days before the game and will close 4 days before the game. If there are more request than spaces available, then a ballot will be held 3 days before the game. The LTDSA will confirm the arrangements directly back to supporters.
• For supporters with a visual impairment, there is a dedicated commentary service where you can borrow a receiver to listen to live match commentary. Contact to pre-book the equipment as soon as you can.
• To book a headset, you can complete the booking form on the official wesbite.
• There are a limited number of car park spaces available to disabled supporters and these can be booked by calling the main switchboard.

History

Luton Town may have stayed at Dunstable Road, their previous stadium, indefinitely had the landlord not sold the site that it was built on for housing at short notice. The director’s of the club quickly procured a new site and Kenilworth Road was built on it in time for the 1905-1906 season. The Main Stand burnt down in an accident in 1921, with the stand, as we know now, built in time for the 1922-1923 campaign.

The stadium is well-known for two reasons. Firstly, it installed an artificial pitch in 1985 at a cost of £350,000. Opposition teams didn’t like it and in 1989 the club was forced to replace it after a Football League Commission decided it had suffered excessive wear and tear. They replaced it, only to have to rip the new artificial pitch up when they were banned from the English game in 1991. The second thing it’s known for is the four season ban on away fans that Luton imposed from the start of the 1986-1987 season. It resulted in them being thrown out of the League Cup in the first season of the ban.