Premier League club wanted F1 TRACK built around their stadium

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Premier League club wanted F1 TRACK built around their stadium

Luton Town's owners dreamed big during their time in the Championship

Dan Davis

Saturday 5 August 2023 22:57

Premier League club Luton Town wanted to build a Formula 1 track around their stadium during their time in the second tier, it has emerged.

Now in the top flight of English football after a three-decade hiatus, Luton will eventually move from Kenilworth Road, though their current home is being renovated.

Back in 2003, ambitious owner John Gurney held similar, ambitious plans, having dreamed of constructing a 70,000-seater, multi-sport venue.

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Notably, an F1 circuit would also have been built as well as a removable pitch on stilts, while Gurney targeted the lucrative NFL and NBA markets, too.

Gurney, who was much maligned by supporters, envisaged the start and finish line inside the stadium and claimed just one grand prix a year would bank £200m.

Lewis Hamilton may well have found himself racing around Luton

Warning signs from the off

In addition, he planned to rebrand the club to London Luton and also mooted the idea of potentially merging with Wimbledon, before they moved to Milton Keynes.

Popular manager Joe Kinnear was sacked, however, leading to a souring of his relations with matchgoers. As a result, they threatened to boycott the club.

"We knew John Gurney from his days at Bedford Rugby Club, which wasn't a happy time for them," BBC commentator Simon Oxley told FourFourTwo. "There were warning signs as soon as he walked through the door."

Unsurprising, Gurney's wild F1 dream failed to come to fruition.