When Will Luton be Able to Play Home Games in the Premier League

28.07.23 1011

As the 2023/24 Premier League season approaches, so does the deadline for Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road as it aims to be fit and ready for action in the club’s first-ever Premier League campaign.

It was announced this past month that the first home game of the season for the Hatters against Burnley will be postponed because the upgrade is incomplete.

So, when will Luton Town be able to play home games in the Premier League?

Why Can’t Luton Play Premier League Games at Home?

At a capacity of 10,356, Luton has the smallest ground in Premier League history, beating the likes of Bournemouth, Oldham Athletic and Swindon Town to number one spot.

However, it is not their record-breaking low capacity that is preventing the club from playing games at Kenilworth Road.

Kenilworth Road has been Luton's ground since 1905, and during this time, the famous stadium has been wedged in between housing on Maple Road.

In fact, you'll be walking down the road, and all of a sudden the stadium will appear, as the Oak Stand is literally planted in between house number 87 and house number 91, with the rooms of the houses above the stands where the fans walk in.

As you travel through the stadium into the seats to watch a Premier League game, fans will travel through old stairways that overlook the gardens of the local residents.

Simply put, Kenilworth Road - unlike other Premier League clubs - does not have its own turf and is placed in the middle of housing areas where the billionaire business of Premier League will struggle to operate.

Because of such a unique placing of the stadium, Luton’s ground also has five stands compared to the usual four.

However, it isn’t the area or old furniture that keeps Kenilworth Road outside of the Premier League guidelines.

Kenilworth Road is undergoing a rapid £10m upgrade in order to be eligible to host Premier League games.

As the Burnley game is postponed, the hope is that Luton will be able to play at home for the match against West Ham United on September 1st.

To do so, the Hatters must redo its TV gantry and facilities. The Premier League requires a bigger and better TV gantry to fit on all the cameras for the panels across the world.

Luton will also need to do things like revamp its steps, change some seats, and install move CCTV.

The work is in progress, and there’s no reason why the club cannot host West Ham in September.