RTG’s totally and utterly (we hope) indispensable guide to this season’s away grounds.
THE OPPO – Luton Town FC
DATE – Sunday 6 May
KO TIME – 1pm
THE GROUND – Kenilworth Stadium, Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire – click here and here for maps of the area – the red circle shows where the ground is.
Kenilworth Stadium is just to the west of the town centre, only two miles from junction 11 of the M1.
Around 2,000 away supporters are accommodated in the Oak Road Stand. There is precious little in the way of leg-room and some supporting pillars which may block your view.
TICKETS
There was no general sale for this fixture, with tickets being allocated on an invitation-only basis.
GOING BY CAR?
From Sunderland do the usual A19/A1/A1(m) route then onto the M1 southbound.
Stay on the M1 to junction 11 in Bedfordshire
Turn left onto the A505 Dunstable Road
At the roundabout junction with Oakley Road and Chaul End Lane, go straight across (ie stay on A505)
Just after the junction with Westbourne Road (on the left) the road becomes a one-way system – bear left then right
From here the ground is about 300 yards to your right but the nearby streets are subject to ‘Residents Only’ parking schemes.
If you continue up Dunstable Road then just before the big roundabout you’ll see a Sainsburys where you can park for a fiver, otherwise it’s a matter of keeping your eyes peeled for parking schemes on offer.
Another alternative is when you get onto the A505 after leaving the M1, at the first major roundabout turn right onto Chaul End Lane then left onto Hatters Way, then see if you can get parked in any of the industrial or residential areas there and walk to the ground (a footbridge goes across Hatters Way to the ground).
NOTE: there are major roadworks on the M1 between jcn 10-8 in both directions and traffic builds up easily even in off-peak hours in the junctions leading up to the roadworks. If you’re approaching from the north you could get caught in build-up traffic prior to the roadworks and if you’re approaching from the south you may well have to come through the roadworks themselves. During the roadworks section there are ‘average speed’ cameras to ensure all motorists stick to the limit of 40mph.
GOING BY TRAIN?
The 7.00am GNER from Newcastle gets to Kings Cross at 10.28am, then get the 10.48am Kings Cross Thameslink Train to Luton which gets there just before 11.30am.
Or the 7.30am GNER from Newcastle gets to Kings Cross at 11.05am, then get the 11.25am Kings Cross Thameslink train to Luton which gets there at 12.08pm.
Engineering works affect the return route back to the north east – see National Rail’s website for your preferred route and train times.
Alternatively ALS are running their usual coach service, £25 return and departs 6am, see their website for more details.
STOPPING OVER?
Click here for a guide to hotels and guest houses all recommended by Luton Airport.
Luton doesn’t have the best of reputations so if you don’t mind staying further afield, consider Harpenden, St Albans, Dunstable, Bedford or Milton Keynes – all within half an hour’s drive of Luton.
SCRAN AND BOOZE
The Bedfordshire Yeoman has been used with no problems by SAFC supporters in the past – it’s on Dallow Road just behind the ground and across the main road. Alternatively you can buy sandwiches and pasties etc in the nearby Sainsburys or food is served within the stadium. PLEASE NOTE THAT NO ALCOHOL IS SERVED TO AWAY SUPPORTERS IN THE GROUND.
LEND US A FIVER I’M OUT OF CASH
Plenty in Luton town centre, for those travelling by rail there’s an ATM at Luton railway station and there is also one at Toddington motorway services just before you leave the M1 at jcn 11.
Credits Luton Town FC, Luton Council, Luton Airport, Multimap, Football Ground Guide, National Rail.
