Luton Town’s first Premier League home game postponed due to ongoing stadium upgrade
Luton Town’s first home game back in the top flight since 1992 has been postponed after the club admitted that it couldn’t promise the Premier League that £10m worth of stadium improvements would definitely be finished on time.
The Hatters were due to face fellow newly promoted side Burnley on Saturday August 19, but that fixture will now be played later in the season instead.
Work to bring the club’s ageing Kenilworth Road stadium up to the required Premier League standards for broadcast specifications started just days after the Hatters were promoted from the Championship in late May.
The majority of the stadium’s Bobbers Stand has to be completely rebuilt to comply with requirements on media facilities and camera positioning for matches.
In a statement, the club said that the improvements were “progressing extremely well and are currently ahead of schedule,” but added that it “couldn’t guarantee supporters that any future unforeseen issues would not cause any delay potentially impacting upon the scheduled opening game at home.
“
“All parties felt this was a sensible outcome,” the statement went on.
It means that, as things stand, Luton’s first home fixture will now be against West Ham United on Friday September 1.
A new date for the Burnley game will be announced in due course.
“The joint decision to delay this fixture is regrettable, especially given the amazing progress that continues to be made on our construction works,” said chief executive Gary Sweet.
“Our current programme is indeed on time, but there is no additional contingency and therefore can’t give a cast-iron guarantee at this stage that a problem outside of our control, however minor, wouldn’t force a postponement further down the line and inconveniencing supporters of both clubs.”
