Luton have been fined £120k by the FA and issued with a two-year action plan after their fans’ homophobic chanting at Brighton on the opening day of the season.
The Hatters, promoted to the top flight for the first time in 31 years in May, have accepted the charge and said the club will ban any fans identified.
An FA Statement said:
“An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed an action plan and £120,000 fine on Luton Town for misconduct in relation to crowd control at their game against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, August 12 2023.
“Luton Town admitted that they failed to ensure their spectators or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters or followers) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion; and do not use words or otherwise behave in a way which is improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting with either express or implied reference to sexual orientation.”
Luton said they were “an inclusive, family-oriented club” that “abhors abusive chanting such as this and has a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination of all kinds”.
The club said they will continue to promote the ‘Love Football. Protect The Game’ campaign added: “Those involved were committing a criminal offence and anyone subsequently identified will be issued a club ban and face a potential police investigation.
“Luton Town has worked with supporters in recent seasons to help form the Rainbow Hatters supporters’ group for members of the LGBTQ+ community, who meet regularly to share their experiences of watching the Hatters.
“We will work further with supporter groups to educate and inform on all forms of discriminatory acts to ensure that watching Luton Town is a safe and welcoming experience for everyone.”
