Where is Luton Town? City, stadium, best players for newest club promoted to Premier League

Kevin Skiver

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Where is Luton Town? City, stadium, best players for newest club promoted to Premier League image

Following a win on penalty kicks over Coventry City in the 2023 EFL Championship playoff promotion final, Luton Town will be in the Premier League for the first time in their history.

Luton Town, nicknamed the Hatters, were relegated from England's top division ahead of the 1992 season, when the Premier League played its inaugural season.

But Luton Town are back among England's elite after a 32-year wait, thanks to a 6-5 penalty kick shootout triumph over Coventry City after a 1-1 draw persisted through extra-time.

It was a miss by Coventry's Fankaty Dabo, who misfired high and wide, which clinched Luton Town promotion to the Premier League.

Luton Town will join the Premier League in the 2023/24 season. The club has been stuck in Championship since 2019, but they were down in the fifth division — considered non-league football — just a few years back.

MORE: Premier League teams 2023/24: Which clubs will play in England's top flight?

Here's what to know about the Premier League's newest club.

Where is Luton Town?

Luton Town is based in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, about an hour north of London.

The club was founded April 11, 1885, making it 138 years old. It was the first professional club in southern England.

How big is Luton Town?

Per the most recent census in 2021, Luton has a population of 225,262.

That places it as the 78th-largest of England's 314 districts.

Its area is 16.74 square miles, or 43.35 square kilometers. While a relatively small district by area, it does have a fairly dense population.

Luton Town stadium size, history of Kenilworth Road

One of the most unique aspects of Luton Town is its stadium, which will rank as the smallest in the Premier League.

Kenilworth Road will supplant A.F.C. Bournemouth for smallest stadium by capacity, hosting up to 10,356 fans. A.F.C. Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium can hold up to 11,307 fans.

Kenilworth Road has been Luton Town's home since 1905, and while it has undergone several changes over the years, the location has been static.

The stadium was neglected for renovations for a long time, before a £1 million renovation in 1985 that added turf. Boxes were also added to the viewing experience.

A riot in 1985 led to a ban on away fans for the 1986 season. The ban was lifted in 1990 after four seasons.

MORE: Luton return to Premier League with shootout win over Coventry

Kenilworth Road's future has been in flux since the 1950s, with the club hoping to secure a new stadium. The club announced plans for a new stadium back in 2016, but in 2021 it announced amendments to those initial plans.

The club unveiled renderings of its proposed "Power Court" with the caption "Imagine the Power" on May 25, 2023. In the meantime, Kenilworth Road will need about $10 million to be brought up to Premier League standards.

Who are Luton Town's best players?

Carlton Morris was a bona fide superstar for Luton Town in the 2022/23 season, scoring 20 goals, 13 more than fellow forward Elijah Adebayo. Morris added six assists to that total, putting his goals and assist contributions at a team-best 26.

Morris has never played in a top-flight league, and he was a record signing for the club at £2 million.

While not the "best" player on the team in the traditional sense, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu also made history with Luton Town. He became the first player to make it to the Premier League from non-league with the same club.

American goalkeeper Ethan Horvath started 44 games for Luton Town, saving 91 shots on 128 attempts (71 percent save percentage), winning the EFL Championship promotion final for the second straight season after helping Nottingham Forest one year prior. 

Why are Luton Town called the Hatters?

The Hatters nickname comes from Luton's long-standing connection with the hat-making industry.

It has been a prevalent economy source since the 17th century in Luton, and straw hats were once a massive commodity within Luton.

As such, fans are also called Hatters. There's also a hat featured as part of the club's logo.

Although the hat industry has loosened its grip on the town, the name is here to stay, as Premier League fans will become familiar with next season.

Kevin Skiver

Kevin Skiver Photo

Kevin Skiver has been a content producer at Sporting News since 2021. He previously worked at CBS Sports as a trending topics writer, and now writes various pieces on MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and college sports. He enjoys hiking and eating, not necessarily in that order.