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| Location | Luton, England |
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| Coordinates | 51°53′01″N0°25′38″W / 51.8835°N 0.4273°W |
| Operator | Luton Town |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 3 April 1897 |
| Closed | 1905 |
| Construction cost | £800 |
| Tenants | |
| Luton Town | |
Dunstable Road, also known as Bury Park, was a football ground in Luton, England. It was the home ground of Luton Town between 1897 and 1905.
The ground was located between Dunstable Road and the now-closed railway line between Luton and Dunstable. [1] Luton moved to the site in 1897 from their previous Dallow Lane ground, and Dunstable Road was officially opened on 3 April 1897 by the Duke of Bedford, who also donated £50 towards the £800 building costs. [2] The match saw Luton beat Loughborough 3–0 in the United League. [2] The ground initially consisted of a covered seated stand on the eastern touchline, a covered standing area on the western touchline and raised embankments around the rest of the pitch. [1]
After finishing as runners-up in the United League in the 1896–97 season, Luton were elected to the Second Division of the Football League. The first Football League match at the ground was played on 11 September 1897, with Luton beating Gainsborough Trinity 4–0. The highest league attendance was recorded later in the season, when 5,000 saw Luton beat Grimsby Town on 27 December 1897. However, by the 1899–1900 season attendances had fallen as low as 500. Luton finished second-bottom of the Second Division and chose not to stand for re-election, instead dropping into the Southern League for the following season. The final Football League match at the ground saw Luton lose 2–1 to Small Heath on 21 April 1900 in front of 1,000 spectators. [1]
In 1905 the site was sold for housing, [3] and the club moved to Kenilworth Road, [1] around 200 metres away. The site is now a mix of residential and commercial developments.
Luton Town Football Club are a professional football club based in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that will compete in the Premier League, the first tier of English football, following promotion from the 2022–23 EFL Championship. Founded in 1885, they are nicknamed the Hatters and have played home matches at Kenilworth Road since 1905. The club's history includes one major trophy win, several financial crises, and numerous promotions and relegations. Between 1982 and 1992, they were a member of the First Division; they won their first major honour, the Football League Cup, in 1988. Luton Town have a long-standing rivalry with nearby club Watford.
Kenilworth Road is an association football stadium in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It has been the home ground of Luton Town Football Club since 1905. The stadium has also hosted women's and youth international matches, including the second leg of the 1984 European Competition for Women's Football final.
Bedford Town Football Club is a football club based in the Borough of Bedford, England. The club are currently members of the Southern League Division One Central and play at the Eyrie in Cardington, a village on the outskirts of Bedford. They are full members of the Football Association and affiliated to the Bedfordshire County Football Association.
Gresty Road or the Alexandra Stadium, currently known as the Mornflake Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Crewe, Cheshire, England. The home ground of Crewe Alexandra, it has an all-seated capacity of 10,153.
The Northolme is a football ground in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. It is the home ground of Gainsborough Trinity, it has a capacity of 4,304, of which 504 is seated.
Hawthorne Road was a cricket and football ground in Bootle in England. It was the home ground of Bootle F.C. between 1884 and 1893.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire. Founded in 1885, Luton Town were the first professional team in the south of England, fully professional by 1891. Luton were also one of the first southern Football League clubs, joining in 1897 before leaving again in 1900 due to financial instability. The club rejoined the League for the 1920–21 season. George Thompson became the club's first manager four years later, but only lasted eight months before leaving, and wasn't replaced until 1927. 1936–37 saw Luton promoted to the Second Division, and the first post-war seasons saw a strong Luton team begin to emerge. Record goalscorer Gordon Turner's arrival into the first team in 1950 helped Luton to promotion to the First Division for the first time in 1954–55, and the team remained there until relegation in the 1959–60 season. Luton also reached the 1959 FA Cup Final, where Turner's absence and the team's questionable preparation for the game meant that Luton lost 2–1 to Nottingham Forest. The club was subsequently relegated three times in six seasons, reaching the Fourth Division by 1965–66. However, players such as Malcolm Macdonald ensured that the club was then promoted twice in three years and was back in the Second Division by 1970.
South-eastern English football clubs Luton Town and Watford have been rivals since their respective formations in the late 19th century. The clubs are respectively from Luton, Bedfordshire, and Watford, Hertfordshire, and for this reason a match between the two teams is sometimes called a "Beds–Herts Derby". Another name occasionally used in the press is "M1 Derby", which comes from the M1 motorway, which passes both towns.
The 1985 Luton riot occurred before, during and after a 1984–85 FA Cup sixth-round football match between Luton Town and Millwall on 13 March 1985 at Luton Town's Kenilworth Road ground in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It was one of the worst incidents of football hooliganism during the 1980s, and led to a ban on away supporters by Luton Town which lasted for four seasons. This itself led to Luton's expulsion from the Football League Cup during the 1986–87 season. The club also began to enforce a membership card scheme, which Margaret Thatcher's government attempted to have adopted at grounds across England. Kenilworth Road was damaged, along with the surrounding area, and a year later was converted to an all-seater stadium.
Dallow Lane was a football ground in Luton, England. It was the home ground of Luton Town from its formation in 1885 until a move to Dunstable Road in 1897.
Luton Town Football Club is an English football club based in Luton, Bedfordshire, which competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football, for the 2020–21 season. Formed in 1885 as the product of a merger, Luton Town became the first professional team in the south of England six years later and joined the Football League in 1897. After leaving the League in 1900 because of financial difficulties, Luton Town settled at their Kenilworth Road ground in 1905 and competed in the Southern League until 1920, when the club rejoined the Football League. The team was relegated to the Football Conference in 2009, after 89 consecutive years of League membership, following a 30-point deduction imposed by the football authorities. Five seasons later, the club won promotion back to the Football League.
Abbey Park was a football stadium in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England. It was the home ground of Grimsby Town between 1889 and 1899.
The Alexandra Recreation Ground, also known as Nantwich Road, was a multi-sport venue in Crewe in England. It was the home ground of Crewe Alexandra, and also hosted an FA Cup semi-final and the 1886-87 Welsh Cup final, both in 1887, and an England home match in 1888.
Raikes Hall was a football ground in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It was the home ground of Blackpool F.C. between 1888 and 1899.
The Town Ground was a football ground in Nottingham in England. It was the home ground of Nottingham Forest, and the first ground to host a football match using crossbars and goal nets.
Green Lane was a football ground in Stockport in England. It was the home ground of Stockport County between 1889 and 1902, and was used during the club's first two seasons in the Football League.
The Intake Ground was a football ground in Doncaster in England. It was the home ground of Doncaster Rovers between 1885 and 1919, and is still used today as a football field.
The Tower Athletic Ground was a sports ground in New Brighton, Merseyside, England. It was the home ground of both New Brighton Tower and New Brighton A.F.C.
Watling Street was a football ground in Dartford, England. Located adjacent to Watling Street, it was the home ground of Dartford F.C. from 1921 until 1992, and was also used by Maidstone United during their time in the Football League.
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