Luton aim to survive before moving into a new stadium that will be operational from the start of 2028-2029 season.
Luton aim their focus on survival scrap before stadium move.
Gary Sweet, the CEO of Luton Town, gestures to a shabby red stick amid the diggers, cranes, and dirt mounds. In three years, the centre circle will be located in Luton’s new stadium, Power Court, right in the middle of a town that is finally seeing the effects of gentrification.
“We’ve been a fantastic football story for the Premier League. No-one can ever take it away from us, but we are never going to survive in the Premier League at Kenilworth Road. It’s as simple as that.”
What began as an inebriated discussion with architects evolved into a creative lighting concept known as The Halo, a circle of light above the stands that also serves as a symbolic boater for the Hatters’ new home. The first ball will be kicked in front of 25,000 spectators in 2028–2029. However, there is the minor issue of surviving before all of this.
Last August, everyone was talking about automatic promotion back to the Premier League. However, Luton currently has the third-worst goal differential of any Championship team and is sagging in 21st place, one point ahead of Hull.
The manager who helped them be promoted, Rob Edwards, lost his job in January due to poor performance. However, Luton Town Supporters’ Trust member Kevin Harper believes the board made a mistake by firing Edwards and appointing Matt Bloomfield in his place.
The ship has been steadied by Bloomfield. They will be saved by another victory on Saturday away at West Brom in the season’s last game after three straight victories. However, Harper views the glorious moments of winning the play-off final at Wembley as a faraway recollection.
“I think we got promoted too soon and maybe, by not being completely prepared for the Premier League from the get go, we’ve probably not been prepared for the drop out of it,” Harper adds.
“The worst thing would be the shame, the embarrassment, of relegation in successive seasons.”
On that point, Sweet shakes his head: “I would never feel embarrassed being involved with this football club. The times we’ve been to Braintree and losing games at home to Hyde – I wouldn’t have even called that an embarrassment. I’ve always been proud to be associated with this club and I always will.”