EXCLUSIVE: Premier League grant Luton special dispensation to start the season WITHOUT undersoil heating at Kenilworth Road due to ongoing stadium work
EXCLUSIVE: Premier League grant Luton special dispensation to start the season WITHOUT undersoil heating at Kenilworth Road due to ongoing stadium work
- Luton’s Premier League rivals believe the move could lead to postponements
- The Hatters’ first home match against Burnley has already been pushed back
- Luton saw a Championship match with Millwall called off last year due to snow
Luton have been given special dispensation by the Premier League to begin the season without installing undersoil heating at Kenilworth Road in contravention of the competition’s rulebook.
Premier League rule K.22 states that undersoil heating is required on all pitches, but the authorities have decided to make an exception for Luton, who are preparing for their first top-flight campaign for 31 years.
Luton are already facing a race against time to complete a £10million upgrade to their 10,000-capacity ground to ensure it meets Premier League standards, and the installation of undersoil heating has proved impossible.
The club’s first home game against Burnley scheduled for August 19 has already been postponed as the redevelopment of the Bobber Stand will not be completed in time, with their opponents rejecting a request to switch the fixture to Turf Moor, as revealed by Mail Sport earlier this month.
Rob Edwards’ side will begin the season with an away game at Brighton before travelling to Chelsea a fortnight later, with their first home match now scheduled to take place on September 1 against West Ham in the final round of fixtures before the first international break.
Luton have special dispensation to start season without undersoil heating at Kenilworth Road
Rob Edwards’ side have already seen their first Premier League home match postponed
Other clubs are understood to have privately expressed concerns about Luton’s lack of undersoil heating as it will make future postponements more likely during the winter and increase the prospect of fixture congestion.
Luton are in talks with the Premier League to ensure they have sufficient mitigation measures in place to protect the pitch against poor weather conditions.
The club were able to comply with less onerous regulations in the EFL, which require frost covers and/or undersoil heating, but were still forced to postpone a Championship match against Millwall last December due to a frozen pitch.
The Premier League declined to comment.
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