Luton’s revamped Bobber’s Stand will open for first time tonight for the visit of Gillingham in the Carabao Cup, after a summer’s of building work to get Kenilworth Road ready for the Premier League.
The cup clash is being billed as a test event for the Kenilworth Road upgrade and a side of the stadium which, for 37 years, has housed the Hatters’ infamous Executive Boxes.
Those have now been removed and it is now a fourth stand, which will also be home for much of media and broadcast holders required by the Premier League.
It means Kenilworth Road is expected to host its first top flight game for 31 years on Friday when high-flying West Ham United pay a visit for the first time since 1994 when Town beat the Hammers in the FA Cup quarter-final, courtesy of a Scott Oakes hat-trick.
But before that, Luton have a chance to claim their first win of the season against League Two Gillingham in the League Cup.
“The cup tie and test event in the Bobbers represents a significant landmark in the development of this side of Kenilworth Road ahead of the planning for our first home game in the Premier League,” Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet told the club’s website.
“Given the huge demands and the time and space constraints placed under us, we appreciate supporters’ patience in waiting for information. However further, detailed, information regarding all of the new additions and changes at Kenilworth Road that awaits them will be communicated ahead of the West Ham fixture.”
In a statement ahead of the cup clash, the club said: ‘The new Bobber’s Stand has received an interim safety certificate which enables, subject to the signing off of an operational plan, a structural seating report and a final clean-up process, the Bobbers to operate at 75 per cent capacity for this fixture.
‘The second round tie with the Gills will therefore be used as a test event in this area of the stadium. Tickets cannot be made available for supporter consumption for a test event, so tickets in the Bobbers for Tuesday’s game will be distributed free to displaced hospitality guests, members of the local community affected by the redevelopment works in and around Kenilworth Road, contractors and staff.’
