AWAY fans heading to Luton next season are in for a treat – and already loving the throwback stadium.
The Hatters earned promotion to the Premier League for the first time with their dramatic play-off penalties win over Coventry at Wembley.
It means their incredible Kenilworth Road home will welcome Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham who are used to the glitz and glam of their respective grounds.
The tiny Luton stadium, opened in 1905, has a capacity of just 10,356.
And because it is right in the heart of the Bedfordshire town, the ground is sandwiched between houses.
So some of the entrances require fans to go through turnstiles under local residents’ bedrooms and bathrooms.
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And a video taken by one away fan shows the journey visitors go through to head up the outside stairs.
They overlook the back of a row of houses and gardens before heading into the top of the stand.
And supporters are relishing the chance to make the same walk in the new season – before the new 23,000-seater stadium is built.
One said: “Honestly, rather this than some of the Marvel spaceship-esque stadiums that have been built.”
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Another wrote: “This is excellent, far too many sterile identikit grounds on the edge of town, two fingers up at the pristine made for tv show. Humble, shabby, and loved.”
A third added: “Old school, I like it.”
And a final user said: “New favourite team,” with plenty of others certainly rooting for Rob Edwards’ side to succeed in the top flight.
Abdul Ali, a resident in the Victorian red brick terraced houses on Oak Road, revealed there are certainly some pros and cons of living so close to the stadium.
He told SunSport: “I’ve lived here my whole life. Until about seven years ago it was really easy to see into the stadium.
“We used to have footballs smashing our window every so often when they accidentally got kicked out when teams tried to score.
“It was kind of annoying at the time, it used to drive my dad mad.
“We complained and complained and the club finally put up netting and some corrugated iron to stop it.
“It means that my view of the pitch is gone unless I jump up and down on my bed. Then I can see a little bit of the grass, but not enough to watch the game.”
Neighbour Anu said: “My son’s bedroom in the attic enables him to see a bit of the ground so he can sometimes see the games.”
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Luton’s promotion in the £200million match does come at a cost, though.
The Hatters will need to stump up £10m to upgrade their home in order to comply with Premier League broadcasting and facility requirements.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
