UnPhilltered: A look at the new Kenilworth Road matchday experience

Phill discusses the matchday experience since the redevelopments at Kenilworth Road

First things first, I love Luton Town FC. Kenilworth Road is the place I go where I feel absolute, total freedom; I feel free to be angry, free to cry with joy, free to love the players, my fellow fans and let out all of the pent up feelings of the entire week, in an effort to cheer on the Hatters to 3 points. It's a sanctuary and a rare place where if we score/win, you know that you're among your own and it's pure unadulterated joy. That roar around Kenilworth Road when the ball hits the back of the net, the spite you feel and see when someone takes a throw in too far forward…it's like a drug. Once you feel it, that's you, you're hooked.

I started going to Luton Town like so many of us did with their dads and grandads. My first live game was seeing us beat Reading 3-2 in that season where they smashed the points record. I loved football before then don't get me wrong, but being young, I was always sort of waiting for Dad to say he'd get me a ticket. When that day came, I fell in love immediately. Grabbing a dirty burger outside where Kenilworth Road meets the affectionately known ‘Dog sh*t Alley’, nabbing a programme before schmoozing over what gear I couldn’t afford in the club shop, wondering if I should indeed get Nicholls ‘8’ on the back of my shirt. For some time we managed to go into the Nick Owen bar, or if we were really lucky, and if we had smart shoes on, necking a couple of drinks in the Eric Morecambe lounge if they had a few spare seats and we were early enough after the first pint in the Bedfordshire Yeoman.

In the coming years I witnessed the decline on the pitch, as well as the continued tiring of the old girl in front of my own eyes. I always said that if I could, I'd love to spend some time painting the ground and brightening it up, but life gets in the way when you have to work and earn a living.

The dark years were indeed dark and the paint continued to flake, whilst there were times when our attendances were half of what they are now. The atmosphere was subdued, and hateful comments filled those old wooden stands. To those that stuck with it, kudos, because they were trying times for sure and many jumped ship, only to recently return. I'll get to that later.

So my routine has slightly changed over the years regarding getting to the ground and where I park etc, I now scale that bastard mountain up towards Farley Hill every other week, each time, praying I get a spot towards the bottom and don't have to trudge up it after the game, giving my calves a chance to scream like I have during the game!

Once I park up, I walk down past Coral and over towards the Chippy, before approaching the old girl on the bridge over Hatters Way. Then, as ever, past Oak Road and up dog sh*t alley before meeting family and friends. It's home away from home. But now, it's all changed in terms of the match day experience…

First of all you have to skirt past the Premier League elitists snapping photos for social media, giggling about what a dump the place is. We get it. Hilarious. Then, as you head up dog sh*t alley and hope you don't get stuck behind someone, you now have to sidestep your way past those waiting to get in the new turnstiles for the Bobbers. This is absolutely fine by the way, having sat in there for the Bolton game, it's a great experience being so close to the game, and it's made that side of the stadium look so much better, despite it taking plenty of getting used to, especially not being able to rely on the SKF clock that was an almost constant reference point when we were clinging on in games!

As you approach the top of the alley, you are now faced with new metal fencing that stops you turning right and exploiting what was previously plenty of space alongside those tired looking weathered blue fences before you get to Norm’s. Now, you have to go all the way to the end of the alley, fight through those hungry for a burger, before then turning right and seeing a sea of white lorries, all set up to catch every second on camera for the global Premier League crowds, long gone are the days of cars being towed away because they haven't moved before the crowds filter through.

So, you then can either go towards the ticket booth now, before doubling back on yourself to go back all the way round towards the shop and then funnel your way through towards the turnstiles, or you can of course stay right and go to the KR end. You cannot go right and then go behind the ticket booth towards the main stand.

I've always entered in the far corner of the ground to get into the Main Stand. I've stood in front of a burger van that literally was shaped like a burger, I've also stood with loads of space, but that's an impossible task now if you are there after an hour before kick off. Brilliantly, Norm has been relocated and the queues for his ‘scran’ are long, often with special guests like Rio Ferdinand, lauding the food. The selections of beer have increased, with some brands only available at the new Kenny Henny Chicken and chips stand. Each of these elements is great in its own right, but god forbid there is the slightest hint of rain, swarms of people head for cover at the turnstiles and for some reason the queues to get in always seem to be long regardless.

The alternative to this is to go on the newly arranged concourse in the main stand; beer available, food too, and the kiosk has been flipped so it now faces into the main concourse, to accomodate a new section of seating. Whilst I understand the premise of this idea, the reality is awful. The way the barriers are arranged, the way everyone moves into oncoming human traffic, and as you try to make your way to your seat, you bottle neck to the speed of a shuffle, pressed tight up against your fellow fans. It's awful in truth and you can see fans getting more pissed off week after week. No longer is the novelty of Premier League able to accommodate for the feeling of being a human sheep, shuffled towards your seat. It's little wonder that with this situation before you even get in, then seeing what has developed into a wonderful, entertaining side, but not a winning one right now, tempers are frayed among the fan base. If you really want to go to a place that used to bring happiness and is now a tough place to enjoy going, head online to Twitter/X, where it's both a place to have an opinion and also near on impossible to have one without getting abuse.

I said earlier in the piece about returning fans and how many seem to have returned back from the dark days of the successive relegations from the Championship, many have indeed returned and fair play, but as an entire fanbase, the story that we wax lyrical about as the best we've ever seen in football, is marred by sore losers and know-it-alls that say we should do this or that, forgetting that with the exception of Graeme Jones’ time at the club, we have been blessed for many, many years to see winning football, always chasing promotion, play offs, progression. This season above all is the one to enjoy and hope, but don't let a season in the footballing spotlight make us as a fanbase divide. We've been so strong for so long, and having those returning fans, and the new fans among the fanbase is excellent, we sell out every week home and away and we should still be loving life, not trying to score points against each other on a hate inducing app.

What I would say, before tying this up in this piece, is I continue to love Kenilworth Road and Luton Town FC, that'll never go. When we leave KR it'll be awash with full grown adult tears, my own included; she's a beacon for so many with the love of those playing in Orange or White, and a hotbed for happy memories made alongside friends and family. Do I like all the ‘upgrades’ she's had recently, No, absolutely No. She looks smarter and more uniform (I'm looking at you navy seats), but the changes just haven't worked, chiefly the concourse. If we still had the new food, the new drinks and Norm’s place still accessible but without those fecking lorries parked out front, the whole outlook may be different? I dunno, then again maybe I'm just a whiney git that is keen to reminisce, I'm sure I'll have people tell me that too…but for now, I'll keep going as always, enjoy the day except herding time and await that most coveted of days…when we start at Power Court.

See you at Kenilworth Road soon, Phill.