RESIDENTS living inside a major football ground say they can watch games from their attics – but life in the stadium has a downside.
The unique entrance to Championship side Luton Town FC’s Kenilworth Road ground has been cut into a road of terraced houses.
A row of terraced houses has been cut in half by an entrance to Luton Town FC’s stadium[/caption]
Ali Abdul lives next to the unique entrance[/caption]
Visiting fans climb bright blue metal staircases over residents’ gardens to enter the away stand, while patios from adjacent homes back onto the stadium.
Mum-of-four Anu, 52, said: “My son’s bedroom in the attic enables him to see a bit of the ground so he can sometimes see the games.”
She added that families on the Luton street used to get complimentary passes to games – before the pandemic put paid to the free tickets.
Anu said: “We used to get a family ticket to go in the summer which was nice.
“We’d go and see a match against one of the smaller teams. It was good to get in the ground.
Neighbour LeeLee said that she loves the buzz of Luton Town’s match days.
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She said: “It makes me feel alive. I love it.
“It keeps things interesting around here. I rarely have any problems with the fans.”
But Anu said life inside Kenilworth Road comes with a downside – claiming she’s fed up of hooligans chucking rubbish from the steps into her garden.
She said: “Last week my house was egged by fans, they leave cans and bottles in front of my house,” she tells us.
“They spray alcohol on to mine and my neighbour’s windows and drop litter from the stairs as they go into the stands.”
The Hatters are on the verge of returning to the top flight for the first time since 1992, and the first time since the creation of the Premier League.
If successful, the club will be handed an estimated £10million bill to upgrade its long-standing ground.
SAD HATTERS
For locals who live on Oak Road, the thought of the team moving to a new ground throws up mixed feelings.
Many families on the street have grown up in the area and are lifelong fans of the club.
Joumna, 49, said: “The stadium is alright with me. I was born on this road and I’ll probably never leave.
“It was fine when I lived overlooking it. We never had any issues.”
Abdul Ali’s family home is metres away from the entrance and backs onto the ground.
“I’ve lived here my whole life,” he tells The Sun. “Until about seven years ago it was really easy to see into the stadium.
“We used to have footballs smashing our window every so often when they accidentally got kicked out when teams tried to score.
“It was kind of annoying at the time, it used to drive my dad mad.
“We complained and complained and the club finally put up netting and some corrugated iron to stop it.
“It means that my view of the pitch is gone unless I jump up and down on my bed. Then I can see a little bit of the grass, but not enough to watch the game.”
On match days, Abdul says there is always a sea of police on the street – which, he adds, comes with an unusual perk.
“I went out during Sunday’s game to get some food and then police escorted me back to my house,” he says.
“It’s kind of cool being escorted home.”
Luton Town are on the verge of returning to top-flight football[/caption]