Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road on fire as crews tackle blaze at famous old ground

A fire broke out in the laundry room at Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road stadium ahead of their Championship clash against Coventry City on Saturday

Fire crews tackled a blaze at Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road stadium on Friday night. The fire started in the laundry room at the ground ahead of the Hatters’ Championship clash against Coventry City on Saturday.

Pictures emerged on social media of the fire, leading to speculation the fixture could be in doubt. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue were called to tackle the blaze. But the Hatters moved to allay any fears the match could be cancelled and said the fire had been contained.

The club said in a statement: “We would like to advise supporters that following reports of an incident at Kenilworth Road this evening, there is no disruption to tomorrow’s fixture with Coventry City taking place.

“Smoke was found to be coming from a small appliance that had caught fire in the stadium’s laundry room, which was contained within that area and has been dealt with swiftly to prevent any substantial damage.

“We would like to offer a huge thank you to Beds Fire & Rescue for their quick intervention, along with club partners and staff who are also on site to help resolve the issue and ensure that everything is now safe.”

Saturday’s match is a crucial one at both ends of the Championship table. Despite back-to-back wins, Luton are still staring down the barrel of a second successive relegation after a nightmare return to the second tier.

The Hatters dropped out of the Premier League after a solitary season in the top flight, which came courtesy of victory over Saturday’s visitors Coventry in the playoff final at Wembley.

Luton sit 22nd, inside the relegation zone by virtue of goal difference, with just two fixtures of the season remaining. They travel to the Hawthorns to face West Brom on the final weekend.