Luton Town fans have been told to stop singing “hugely disappointing” chants about controversial right-wing activist Tommy Robinson.
The Hatters lost 1-0 against West Brom in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, and the club’s CEO, Gary Sweet, was left disappointed by sections of the 1,100 travelling fans signing about Robinson.
“Our experience was blemished, for the second away game running, by hearing the chanting of the name of a political figurehead by a small number of Hatters supporters," Sweet said in an open letter to fans.
"This is hugely disappointing for us, as a board, because the individual in question wasn’t playing or involved in the squad or staff.
"Everyone at the club has worked extremely hard and will continue to work tirelessly to create an environment – whether that be Kenilworth Road, Power Court or any away game – for our community of supporters to support their team and enjoy a football match knowing that all prejudice – whether that be political, religious, cultural or racial – can and should be left for another day.
"This allows us to invite anybody into our environment without discomfort, disrespect or fear, and welcome any and every member of our wide community respectfully.
"We absolutely accept and respect the fact that everyone holds their own independent opinions and values, but we politely ask for you to temporarily overlook those views for a couple of hours or so when attending Luton Town matches in future."
The chanting refers to a section of fans singing Robinson's name included in a popular sports chant, and Sweet is urging fans to leave politics out of football and only focus their support on the team on the pitch.
"Please respect others when supporting our great club," he said. "Please support the players on the pitch and please refrain from introducing non-football songs into our stadia."
Luton Town fans on Twitter largely supported the club's stance, one user said: "Politics has no place in sport and it's refreshing to see a club make that stance."
Robinson is a Luton fan and has become the subject of populist right-wing protests after rising to fame for his outspoken and controversial views. He was jailed for contempt of court earlier this year, but the sentence was overturned by the Court of Appeal.
