But apparently the 'big boys' dont like going there because it isnt nice and warm Apparently it will be a great leveller when they play City etc I have a soft spot for Luton because of Mick Harford. But I think they are in for a real rude awakening this season on the pitch. It could easily get really bad quickly.
They'll be like Wycombe at Wembley ... ... unable to play their normal brutal game because the referees will clamp down.
Bit late in the day when everyone outside the Premiership knew it was unfit. They have no chance of getting it ready this side of Xmas so where does that leave them. Have they pinched a place from one of the other playoff finalists?.
I said about both Portsmouth and Luton that they shouldn't be allowed to be qualify for the PL, through promotion or play offs, until their grounds are upgraded ... .... not the other way round and be promoted then have a mad scramble to prepare the stadium.
I reckon they will ruffle a few feathers early on but will get found out around Christmas time and will end up coming back down. And probably bounce straight back up
My mate made a point after they beat us that they've been on about moving for about 70 years. They've known for years it wasn't up to standard and that's going back to the 60s, 70s and early 80s when grounds were much more basic (the old "luge end" at Wigan, anyone). Even the new ground was proposed in 2018 and originally supposed to be completed now, yet it's now supposed to be finished in 2026? It almost feels like they don't want to move because they feel that if they do what ever advantage they have at home will go, so they'd rather stay they and "punch above their weight".
That's all very true. I first started going in the 70's and they were always on about 'the new ground. I've been in three sides of it and it's all poor especially the main stand, a definite fire risk and difficult to exit. Thankfully the away end isn't bigger otherwise it would be more ridiculous than it is with only a thousand in there.
I don't think I agree, no denying it's a ****hole that needs a lot of work but they earned the right to play at the top level and that has to be the ultimate goal for any club however unprepared they may be. I don't think the stadium is a safety hazard in any way.
M K dons have a better ground but look where they are, that Luton 'conservatory' used to make me laugh. How the hell Bournemouth, Brentford, Fulham ,Brighton and now Luton are above us is a joke poorly run club ours.
I never got this so called "Intimidating atmosphere " at Luton that gives them a huge advantage. They have 10 to 12 thousand fans and i wouldn't say they were the most vociferous fans I've ever heard..but for some reason the media seem to think these fans in their s hit hole of a ground will somehow prove a problem for the likes of City, Liverpool, Arsenal etc etc. Lets see. I reckon they will be cut adrift at the bottom by Xmas
I'm not saying they didn't. However, anyone who's been there knows the ground couldn't be made ready for a PL season in a matter of weeks, they're having to spend a lot of money to try, around £10m. Burnley may have their return to the PL disrupted as a result which is unfair. If you've been in the main stand you'll know there's a high content of wood, there are only a few exits in case of fire and their are tunnels with steps underground. There's virtually no quick access for fire engines and the streets approaching are very narrow. If there was a fire the appliances would have to come off a very busy high town centre/high street, up a few very narrow terraced streets and would have crowds of people flooding towards them. From memory there's no direct access for fire engines or ambulances for the away end ... .. with the narrow iron staircases, etc, that's unsafe when there isn't an incident or a fire.
In the case of the last three, they are all very well ran clubs, including two in new stadiums who have been doing what we are now attempting to do. Fulham are a London club, with those advantages. Attendances in the Premier League are almost an irrelevant factor. Bournemouth are floating on past money being injected.
The only thing that's intimidating is that thick locals can easily grab, or hit, players as we found out in our play off game ... ... if that happens to a PL player there'll be hell on.
