Chairman's Statement
On behalf of all Luton supporters, Trust in Luton would like to express our dismay and disgust at the FA's ridiculously harsh punishment of a ten point deduction for the irregularities in transfer dealings at the club between 2004 and 2007.
While the FA are absolutely right to try to protect the game against this types of behaviour, this particular decision is a massive kick in the teeth to Luton supporters, and we believe, hugely disproportionate to the offences that were found to have been committed.
Even the FA categorically state, in their press release of 4th June, that no evidence of bungs or backhanders was found. We can only conclude that LTFC – and by extension its supporters – have been punished for technical offences, offences that were carried out by people no longer at the club.
Trust in Luton demands that the FA publicly explain this inconsistency, as well as explaining the criteria they used to arrive at the 10-point punishment.
A further baffling element to all this is the fact that the club themselves highlighted these irregularities, admitted all charges and 2020 have been fully co-operating with the investigation and the reward for this openness and transparency is a ten-point deduction. This is not going to encourage whistle-blowing in the future.
It is easy to see why our members and the wider fan base are saying 'one rule for some, one rule for others', when last year West Ham were not deducted points for an extremely serious breach of FA rules. Indeed the panel hearing that case went as far as saying that to deduct points would have been ‘unfair on supporters’ at that stage of the season. Are we to conclude that during the close season, the considerations of the supporters are not important?
Once more, the people who really suffer are the innocent parties. Firstly, the fans who were not able to control what was going on behind the scenes, and secondly, the 2020 consortium team, who have worked tirelessly to drag the club out of administration and are now the ones to be punished for the wrongdoings of others.
Trust in Luton have already contacted their governing body, Supporters Direct, on this matter, and intend to make representations to the FA and Luton's MPs over this matter
The Trust would also urge all Luton fans to stand together with the 2020 consortium. It's crucial that we show the club support and that means buying season tickets and merchandise despite not knowing what our starting position will be in August. We must show the FA and the rest of the football community our determination to see the club through these turbulent times. There is one more fight to fight and I urge all Luton fans to stand full square behind the club in its time of need, as well as joining the Trust and making the fans voice even louder.
Liam