'Un-Lutonesque players need to be given the elbow'

Luton Town fans watched in anguish as their team was defeated 5-3 at West Bromwich Albion which means relegation is confirmed for the second season in a row.

The Hatters had needed a win to guarantee their Championship survival, but were instead beaten at the Hawthorns to fall into the third tier, only a year after they dropped out of the Premier League.

A last-minute goal against Coventry a week ago had lifted Luton out of the drop zone and, with one game remaining, fans were hoping for a bit of luck.

Sadly it was not to be, and supporters in the town have mixed feelings.

Nicky Manix-Hall, 52, still has faith in the club's ability to bounce back as the Hatters prepare to move into their new Power Court stadium in 2028-29.

"They want a new ground in the Championship, but hopefully in the Premiership by the time it's finished. I think that will focus minds to move up," she says.

"It was amazing when they were in the Premiership, disappointing when they went down, it was expected; they didn't re-group quick enough; they've now got to re-group in the summer or continue to go down."

Josh Mizzie, 18, says: "I'm gutted - it's too soon, man.

"Every Luton fan thought we're in the Championships, like, we're established. Not coming back up, but relegation? It's bad. I didn't expect it," he says.

He adds that he is "100% confident" the club can make it back to the second flight.

"It is a shame, we have come a long way in such a few years."

Robin Wheeler, 37, describes himself as a life-long fan.

"I feel awful at the moment. I think with the last four games , everyone thought we only needed three wins... we just relaxed and let those goals in," he says.

"We just needed more; I don't know what's happening."

He said being relegated to League One was a "major fall".

"We were looking to bounce back at the start of the season, and get back into at least the play-offs," he says.

"We thought we went up too early anyway when we went into the Premier League, but for me, I thought we had enough.

"I thought Rob Edwards went a bit too late [the manager was sacked in January]. I'm hoping we go into automatic promotion next year."

Luton looked doomed in mid-April but three successive wins - a timely, season's best run of Championship form - lifted them from second bottom to one place outside the relegation zone, putting their fate in their own hands heading into the final day.

Ollie Kay is a podcaster and is found recording his final show - The OK Football Show - in the Bricklayers Arms.

"I thought maybe there was a chance that we could get out of it," he says.

"They waited about three months to get rid of Rob Edwards and we had a slow start.

"The first eight games weren't good enough and then they improved, but the performance today, I don't know where that performance came from.

"In the end we were just praying for Portsmouth to get something, but frankly that's pathetic.

"I've seen seven relegations now. This is without a doubt the worst, because it was avoidable."

Mr Kay had hoped to be recording a positive podcast after the match.

Instead he has been left feeling "numb" by "that shocking performance which was very un-Luton".

"And that's the problem this season. There's a lot of players that are un-Lutonesque, and they're going to get the elbow hopefully in the summer," he says.

The podcaster did not mince his words when it came to the club's chief executive either.

"Gary Sweet needs to step away from the football side of it.

"He's happy wearing a hard hat on Power Court - fair play to him, go do that, play around in the mud on Power Court.

"And have someone who actually understands football to take over."

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