Luton Town Football Club has issued a strong and defiant statement in response to the latest incident of racist abuse targeted at their striker, Elijah Adebayo.
This disturbing event occurred on Wednesday evening during the club’s 2-1 defeat by Sunderland in the Sky Bet Championship.
At 8:28 pm BST, Adebayo received a racially abusive message on Instagram, an incident that was promptly reported to the police and Meta, the parent company of Instagram, for investigation. This is not the first time Adebayo has been subjected to such vile and disgusting messages. Just a year ago, he faced a similar wave of racist abuse, highlighting the persistent and troubling issue of online racism in football.
In a powerful statement, Luton Town condemned the abuse and stood firmly in support of their player. “We stand by and support Elijah unequivocally,” the club declared. “To the individual who cowardly dropped into Elijah’s DMs: We know who you are and you know who you are. You’re not a faceless account, one which we have sadly become accustomed to reporting in recent years.”
The club dared the perpetrator to confront Adebayo in person, emphasising the collective support and solidarity of the entire Luton Town community. “But as if you have the balls to come to Kenilworth Road and say it to his face. We dare you. If you do, you’ll be faced with everyone at Luton Town Football Club, standing side-by-side with Elijah.”
Luton Town reiterated their commitment to combating racism and all forms of abuse, emphasizing the real-life impact these messages have on their players. “Abuse of any kind is unacceptable. But does everyone know that? It’s why we are doing our bit to educate everyone that racism and all forms of abuse is abhorrent and unacceptable,” the club stated.
Last season, as part of the Premier League’s No Room For Racism campaign, Luton Town showed members of their staff the racist and abusive messages their players have been subjected to, highlighting the stark reality of this ongoing issue.
The club’s strong stance and unwavering support for Adebayo reflect their dedication to creating an environment where players can perform without the shadow of racist abuse. As they continue to advocate for education and awareness, Luton Town remains resolute in their fight against racism and all forms of abuse.
