Luton Town and the Fear of the White Elephant: A Discussion
It didn’t take long for the usual gang-of-four to start discussing all things Luton Town.
One topic that came up was the development at Power Court.
We all agreed it was a much-needed and exciting step forward, acknowledging that while Kenilworth Road has been a fantastic home, it’s time to move on and embrace a new stadium. However, there were some concerns about the club making such a significant leap into the unknown.
One point raised was that, for a couple of seasons, we might miss the unique atmosphere that Kenilworth Road provides. This is a challenge many clubs have faced when moving to new stadiums, and it’s an issue that will likely need careful management.
How this will be handled remains to be seen.
The major concern, however, was whether we could fill a 25,000-seat stadium consistently enough to justify its size.
Recently, the Hatters have had little trouble filling Kenilworth Road, but it’s become noticeable that there were some empty seats in the last two home games against Swansea City and Derby County. Is the magic of watching the Hatters fading, especially after the Premier League experience and with the grind of the EFL Championship setting in?
We all agreed that striking the right balance between stadium development and maintaining a competitive squad is crucial, especially with ambitions of a swift return to the Premier League.
Sadly, we concluded that such a return seems a long way off, and we now find ourselves at a precarious point in our history—something we didn’t foresee eighteen months ago when everything seemed so promising.
If, heaven forbid, we are relegated and don’t bounce back into the Championship before Power Court opens, we could struggle to fill even half of the new stadium. With the increased capacity, we’d rely on large away followings to boost attendance, but there are few teams in the lower leagues with such large traveling support.
In the end, we agreed that if relegation happens next May and we don’t return to the Championship before Power Court opens, we might find ourselves with a white elephant—a stadium that attracts more crowds for concerts than football matches.
My late father always said he’d never see his beloved Hatters play in a new stadium. He dismissed all talk of it as mere white noise. But in today’s world, a new stadium has become a necessity. We’ve made do with the aging Kenilworth Road for far too long, despite occasional updates. Power Court is set to happen, and while it brings its fears, it’s essential for our survival as a club with ambitions.
In our discussions about Power Court, one suggestion was that the club could be more transparent with fans regarding the project’s financing. We understand that the cost of living crisis has led to increased costs, but after our Premier League stint and the substantial financial windfall it brought, are the funds available to cover the full project? Or will the club need to take out a sort of “football mortgage” to finish it?
While this article only touches on a few of our conversations, nothing would make me prouder than to see the Hatters thriving in their new home in four or five years. But with age on my side, that might be a bit of wishful thinking.
Source: https://luton.vitalfootball.co.uk/luton-town-and-that-white-elephant-fear-discussion/
