‘There’s been a lot of talk and a lot of noise about Kenilworth Road and I hope people see the positive of it tomorrow,” says Rob Edwards as he prepares for Luton Town’s first home game of the season. “I hope there’s real noise, [that] the fans make the place a cauldron because it can make a difference. Our supporters have been through some hard times over recent history, so coming to the Kenny this weekend will be something really special for them.”
Edwards is the manager who has presided over a small miracle in the past 10 months. He has taken Luton to the Premier League for the first time and their home at Kenilworth Road has become a symbol of their unlikely success. Photos of the modest stadium, the smallest the division has witnessed with a capacity of less than 11,000, have been ubiquitous in coverage of the club. The ground evokes history, limitation and a certain kind of Englishness. It is also a world away from how elite football customarily presents itself.
