Kenilworth Road: The throwback Luton Town stadium hosting the Premier League

The away end at Luton Town's Kenilworth Road home is lined by terraced houses

Wrexham's Hollywood-fuelled return to the Football League was one of the stories of the football season, but in Bedfordshire an even more remarkable script has been written with Luton Town's Premier League promotion.

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 back in the English top flight after a 6-5 penalty shoot-out win over Coventry City in the Championship play-off final.

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. Next season it will play host to some of the biggest names and teams in world football.

Kenilworth Road is boxed in by housing on three sides, with a busway and major road on the other

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 what changes are needed at Kenilworth Road now Premier League football is confirmed?

Supporters visiting Kenilworth Road are housed in one half of the Oak Road stand

Surrounded by tight residential streets on the edge of the town centre, Kenilworth Road's floodlights tower above terraced houses. It has been the club's home since 1905.

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But with the 10,356-capacity ground deemed no longer fit for purpose, the Hatters are preparing to move to a new, purpose-built stadium, Power Court. The capacity could eventually rise to 23,000, with a 19,500-capacity after the initial phase of development.

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

Sparsely spread sheets of corrugated metal provide limited privacy for properties either side of the away entrance at Kenilworth Road

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 unconventional away fans' entrance sees visitors pass through a tight corridor before climbing staircases overlooking gardens of neighbouring properties

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 new stadium "at the end of this year or early next".

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 the coronavirus pandemic have contributed to delays to the project.

On the eve of the club's Championship play-off final win over Coventry City, the club released new images of Power Court, with a detailed planning application set to be submitted within weeks.

It is now hoped the ground will be finished by 2026.

New images show the Power Court stadium in its first phase of development at a capacity of 19,500, which will include around a third as safe-standing

How will Kenilworth Road host Premier League matches?

Now the Hatters have won promotion, the club are getting ready to host the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Luton's owners say there is no doubt they will be able to do it and have estimated they will need to spend about £12m getting the ground ready.

Ahead of the promotion, Mr Sweet had already revealed plans to rebuild most of the Bobbers Stand.

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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 in a Luton matchday programme.

'A proper ground'

Richard Armstrong (right) has been a Luton supporter for as long as he can remember

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."

By moving to Power Court, Luton Town will more than double their current stadium capacity

But Mr Armstrong, whose two children are members of the club's Junior Hatters scheme, acknowledged it was time to move on.

"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.

"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."

Mr Armstrong says Kenilworth Road brings an "old school" feel to modern football

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.

Much has been made of the £10m cost mainly on improving Kenilworth Road for media needs; broadcasting rights in the top flight brings in revenue of more than £100m so that won't be an issue.

Indeed, promotion may now speed up the move and essentially pay for the new stadium.