 Luton Town 's first ground was at Dallow Lane , the former ground of Excelsior . The ground was next to the Dunstable to Luton train line , and players regularly claimed to have trouble seeing the ball because of smoke from the trains . A damaging financial loss during 1896 – 97 forced Luton to sell the stadium to stay afloat and , as a result , the club moved across the tracks to a stadium between the railway and Dunstable Road . The Dunstable Road ground was opened by Herbrand Russell , 11th Duke of Bedford , who also donated £ 50 towards the £ 800 building costs . When the site was sold for housing in 1905 , the club was forced to move again at short notice , to its present Kenilworth Road site , in time for the start of the 1905 – 06 season . 
