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Oak Road in Luton is like any other street in Britain. Rows of Victorian red brick terrace houses line the road and everyone’s got a front patio with a little gate.

But sandwiched in the middle are two entrances to a football stadium.

Kenilworth Road is home to Luton Town – the Premier League‘s newest member.

Mohammed Hashim has lived opposite the entrance for more than four decades and thankfully has been a Hatters fan for 31 years.

He says the atmosphere on match days is electric and now it’ll be another level of excitement.

He told Sky News: “It gets so busy. I haven’t seen a moment like this though for a very long time. It will feel strange.

“When they had Premier League clubs coming here for pre-season games, it wasn’t too busy but now we’re there ourselves. It’s going to be so hectic but we’ve been waiting for this for a very, very long time.”

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Mohammed Hashim
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Mohammed Hashim

The kind resident of Number 99 let us into her garden to show us the iron railings of the staircases leading to one of the stadium’s stands for away fans.

Hovering above our heads were narrow walkways and floodlights, beyond the grey walls of the stadium was the pitch. Out of sight but on a match-day not out of mind.

Sunderland fans make their way into the ground before the Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-final second leg match at Kenilworth Road, Luton. Picture date: Tuesday May 16, 2023.
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Sunderland fans make their way into the ground before the Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-final second leg match earlier this month

She told me she didn’t mind people being able to peer into her back garden as she enjoyed the atmosphere on match days.

This quirk of the street is already attracting tourists. We saw lots of people – not just Luton fans but general football ones too – who were spending a sunny Sunday admiring the club that’s reentering English top flight football.

Tourists take a picture outside the stadium
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Tourists take a picture outside the stadium

Khuram Maqsood is also a Luton Town supporter and lives adjacent to the entrance too.

“We love it, especially seeing the energy of the crowd as they walk around and chant. I love that noise and watch them all the time.”

Khuram Maqsood
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Khuram Maqsood

But not everyone we met here was a fan.

Residents have to move their cars off the road on match days otherwise they get towed away. Part of the reason is so that team coaches can come up the road.

Hoards of fans filter into their street almost every weekend to fill the 10,000-seater stadium that’s been there for 120 years.

Fans outside of the stadium before the Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-final second leg match at Kenilworth Road, Luton. Picture date: Tuesday May 16, 2023.
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Fans outside of the stadium earlier this month
A view of the pitch before the Sky Bet Championship match at Kenilworth Road, Luton. Picture date: Saturday April 1, 2023.
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A view of the pitch

Sometimes it comes with issues of public disorder, some residents told us they have to clear up their front patios and back gardens after games as they’re often strewn with beer bottles and rubbish.

Read more:
Luton beat Coventry on penalties to win promotion to Premier League for first time ever
Luton Town captain who collapsed on pitch gives update on condition after celebrating from hospital bed

Mr Hashim said he recognises the problem: “We get the local police supporting us which is nice because there are some fans that cause problems sometimes, but it’s not too bad.”

A few doors down from him, Rita Begum’s eldest son is a huge fan – but she admits she wouldn’t miss the stadium if it wasn’t there.

Rita Begum
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Rita Begum

“It’s nice when there are games on and everybody gets together, and you see all these people and it’s exciting.

“But I know there are plans for the stadium to move further into town. I’m not sure whether I’ll miss it or not – I think I’ll be happy actually if they can put something else there.

“Luton needs something more than just a football ground just there.”

Plans to build a new home for Luton Town are in the pipeline with the aim for it to be ready by 2026.

A mock-up of the new stadium Pic: Luton Town Football Club
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A mock-up of the new stadium Pic: Luton Town Football Club

Until then an estimated £10m is being pumped into the club to make it “show-ready” come the start of the season which is in just 12 weeks’ time.

The money is being spent on refurbishing the Bobbers Stand to meet the Premier League’s requirements which include high-quality broadcast specifications.

It’s an ambitious feat but all doable fans say, for a club that never stopped believing.

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Humza Yousaf: Scotland’s first minister claims Holyrood election could be called – as vote of no confidence looms

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Humza Yousaf: Scotland's first minister claims Holyrood election could be called - as vote of no confidence looms

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf claims a Holyrood election could be called as he refuses to say if he will resign if he loses a looming vote of no confidence.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News in Fife on Saturday, the SNP leader said it was “really disappointing” to learn the Greens will refuse to enter further talks to change their minds on voting against him in a ballot which could prove fatal for his leadership.

Mr Yousaf has today written to all the opposition parties, including Alex Salmond’s Alba party, at Holyrood urging them to rethink their plot to oust him.

Humza Yousaf
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Humza Yousaf

The SNP leader said on Saturday that he was leaving it to his rivals to determine his fate.

A Green Party source said the only letter they will accept from the first minister is his resignation.

Mr Yousaf told Sky News: “Well let me say again, that would be really disappointing if that is the Greens’ position.

“As I say, I’ve reached out to them, they are saying publicly that they’re going to support a Conservative motion against independence, first minister and independence government.

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“That would be, I think, a poor choice to make.”

Asked if there might be a Scottish election if he doesn’t win the vote, Mr Yousaf replied: “Can’t rule it out.”

Ash Regan. Pic: PA
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Ash Regan. Pic: PA

The casting vote now looks likely to be Alba MSP Ash Regan who sensationally defected from the SNP in the wake of her defeat in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon last year.

Sky News understands Alba is holding an emergency meeting this weekend to determine how it will cast the key vote.

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Yousaf to ‘fight’ no confidence vote

When asked how SNP members would feel about being “propped up” by Mr Salmond, Mr Yousaf said: “Let me make it really, really clear, I’ll be sending out to anybody I meet with, whoever comes round that table, that these are the priorities of the SNP minority government.

“This is what we’ll be pursuing, this is what we’ll be pushing. It’ll then be up to be it Ash Regan, be it Lorna Slater, be it Patrick Harvie or any of them, to decide what button they push when it comes to the vote of no confidence.”

Read more:
How did we get here – and what happens next?

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The first minister was asked twice whether he would resign if he failed to win the confidence of parliament.

He responded: “Again, I’m not planning to lose the vote of no confidence, I’m planning to win that vote of no confidence.”

Asked if his position would be untenable, he said “Planning to win.”

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Jewish campaign group cancels walk over safety fears as Met Police chief defends policing of pro-Palestinian march

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Jewish campaign group cancels walk over safety fears as Met Police chief defends policing of pro-Palestinian march

A Jewish campaign group has cancelled today’s Walk Together demonstration amid safety concerns, as the Met Police says the risk of disorder from a pro-Palestinian march is not high enough to seek a ban.

Thousands had been expected to attend the event in central London as part of the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) event, which would have coincided with today’s pro-Palestinian march.

The CAA said it cancelled the event, where people would have walked “where they please”, after receiving “numerous threats” and identifying “hostile actors (who) seem to have intended to come to any meeting locations that we announced”.

It added: “The risk to the safety of those who wished to walk openly as Jews in London… as part of this initiative has therefore become too great.

“We are no less angry about these marches than our Jewish community and its allies. We want to walk.”

The CAA said it had suggested “concrete measures” to government aimed at changing how the pro-Palestinian protests are policed.

Palestine protest london gaza
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Thousands turn up every week to pro-Palestine protests in central London

It highlighted concerns over antisemitic chants, inflammatory placards, and instances of glorifying terrorism, as well as incidents of violence, including attacks on police officers.

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“Police have told us that they intend to handle the march no differently from the passive way that they have become accustomed to over the course of more than six months,” the group added.

But the Met’s assistant commissioner, Matt Twist, said the force aimed to police “without fear or favour”, adding that the impact of the weekly pro-Palestinian protests was “felt widely” but had been a “particular cause of fear and uncertainty in Jewish communities”.

Mr Twist added that pro-Palestinian protests had “never” reached the threshold where it was a “risk of serious public disorder”.

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Extended video of ‘openly Jewish’ row

He said: “The only legal route to ban a march is if there is a risk of serious public disorder – that is rioting or serious violence that could not be dealt with by other restrictions or conditions.

“We have never got close to that threshold on these Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) marches to date.”

The CAA had announced its Walk Together after its chief executive, Gideon Falter, was prevented from crossing a road near a pro-Palestinian protest by a police officer last week because he was “openly Jewish”.

Protesters during a pro-Palestine march organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign in central London. Picture date: Saturday October 28, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Israel. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
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The protests began in October last year. Pic: PA

Footage showed a tense, lengthy stand-off between police and Mr Falter as one Met officer described his presence as “antagonising”.

The campaigner then spoke to another officer who said if he remained in the area, he would be arrested.

After the incident, Mr Falter was critical of the Met and said there were “no-go zones for Jews”, while Scotland Yard apologised twice for the officer’s choice of words.

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Standoff between protesters in London

The PSC protest today, which organisers claim could attract “hundreds of thousands” of protesters, will take place on a pre-agreed route.

Simultaneously, a separate demonstration arranged by the pro-Israel Enough is Enough group will go ahead following a route parallel to the PSC march.

Read more from Sky News:
Once again a Met Police commissioner is stuck in the middle of policing and politics. So what happens now?
Met Police apologise to Stephen Lawrence’s mother for breaking promise

The Met Police said 450 arrests have been made since the pro-Palestinian marches began, with 193 of those being for antisemitic offences, the majority involving placards, chanting or expressions of hate speech.

The cost of policing the protests stands at approximately £38.5m, the Met added.

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King Charles’s return to public outings marks significant moment, but uncertainty remains

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King Charles's return to public outings marks significant moment, but uncertainty remains

After a difficult few months we have a more positive picture from the Palace.

A personal moment of the King and Queen released with the news he can now return to public duties.

It’s the details he will be delighted to share.

Not only are his medics “encouraged” with his progress, and “positive” about his recovery, they’re also happy he can get back to work.

And for a man who is widely reported to be a workaholic, this will be wholly welcome.

This was not how he’d imagined the first year after his coronation.

Read more:
Prince Harry breaks silence on King’s cancer diagnosis
Back to public duties but Prince William is likely being cautious

King Charles III and Queen Camilla, taken by portrait photographer Millie Pilkington, in Buckingham Palace Gardens on April 10
Pic:  Millie Pilkington/Buckingham Palace/PA
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Pic: Millie Pilkington/Buckingham Palace/PA

He knows from his late mother’s mantra, a monarch has to be seen to be believed.

But his cancer diagnosis changed everything.

The royal year so meticulously mapped out was put on pause with unprecedented and huge uncertainty.

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Queen thanks young Kate well wishers

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The King’s constitutional work has continued, but the public outings were stopped.

His family has stepped up to support him, and protocols were in place should the need arise.

But it has been an incredibly challenging time for the House of Windsor.

News of the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis a double blow for the family.

Handout photo provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales recording her message announcing that following her abdominal surgery in January "tests after the operation found cancer had been present." Issue date: Friday March 22, 2024.
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Kate, the Princess of Wales, is also undergoing treatment for cancer. Pic: Kensington Palace

There remains a lot of uncertainty; the King won’t return to full duties, and his engagements will be adapted to reduce the risk while he recovers. There’s also no confirmation yet about the big set piece events like Trooping the Colour or an overseas state visit.

But this is a significant moment. And the King’s return to public work will start with a personally poignant visit, as he and the Queen meet patients and staff at a cancer treatment centre.

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