Luton boss Rob Edwards feels the club’s strong statement following more racist abuse directed at Elijah Adebayo on social media will have “really landed with people” in the continuing fight for equality.
The Hatters reported an Instagram message sent to the striker during their defeat to Sunderland on Wednesday evening to both the police and Meta.
The social media company confirmed on Friday the account in question had been disabled and that contact had been made with the club.
The boss on Elijah 🧡
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) October 25, 2024
Adebayo had also been subjected to racist abuse last season while playing in the Premier League, which at the time left the player “tired” and contemplating not reporting the matter over his disillusionment.
Luton’s statement on Thursday was headlined “Is it ever going to stop?”, and in it, the club challenged the individual to come to Kenilworth Road “if you have the balls” and “say it to his face. We dare you”.
Edwards again addressed the issue at his press conference ahead of Saturday’s Championship match at Coventry, and believes the club deserve credit for a united stand against racism.
“When I read it, it made me think, ‘wow, I’ve not seen anything like that before’, and I think it is about time,” Edwards said.
“We are a really diverse town and really multicultural support base and it is really important to us as we want to try and be right at the forefront of getting this message out there.
“The way that the statement went out and how strong it was, I think it’s really, really landed with people.
“It has probably captured one or two people, because we believe in it, we stand together and there is a part of you that wishes these people could not hide behind a keyboard and come and stand in front of six-foot-five Eli and try and say that, but that is not the world we live in now.
“We are a family here, we always say that and we look after our own. We want to stand with Eli on this and support him.
“Unfortunately it is not just him and I don’t think it was just him either the other night.
“But it is not the first time I have been here sat in front of a room full of people talking about this in my short time here – and I have not even been here two years yet.
“So are we fighting a battle that we are never going to win? I don’t know.
“Speaking to (Luton forward) Carlton Morris about it, he believes that there are improvements, there are changes – but is that just because people are worried about the punishment and not really because we are making progress with the situation?
“I don’t know to be honest. It is hard as a 41-year-old white man to come out and talk about it, but we are doing all we can to support Eli and he is fine.”
Edwards added: “I suppose we are in a position now within football to get our message out there maybe even more so than anyone else.
“We are completely and utterly against any form of discrimination and in this instance now, racist discrimination.
“We are 100 per cent with Eli and all of our players and always will be – and hopefully we can see change.”
