Luton fans furious at FA flag ‘cover-up’
Luton have said they are “extremely disappointed” that a banner reading “betrayed by the FA” was covered up during an England Under-21s fixture at Kenilworth Road.
The flag, which is critical of the Football Association's role in the 30-point deduction handed to the club in 2008, was hung at the ground by Hatters fans.
The punishment, imposed for financial irregularities, led to Luton's relegation from the English Football League at the end of the 2008-09 season.
They spent five years as a non-league club before rising back up the ranks and spending one season in the Premier League in 2023-24.
The banner has been displayed at the stadium since the sanction was imposed but the pertinent line was folded up and obscured as the FA staged England Under-21s' friendly against Austria on Monday.
The Loyal Luton Supporters Club issued a statement demanding an explanation as the flag “symbolises LTFC'S remarkable rise from near collapse”. And the fans’ position has been supported by the Championship club’s hierarchy, who said this was not something they agreed to and they declined an earlier request to remove the banner altogether.
A statement read: “In the final build-up to the match, the FA asked for the flag to be taken down, a request that the club rejected. Instead, the corner was folded, which meant the flag remained in place, but the full extent of its meaning was compromised
“The club understands the reaction from the fanbase and is extremely disappointed the FA felt the need to hide the message.”