The Football Association certainly know how to hit someone when they are down. Club in administration, relegation, whole future in jeopardy, ''I know,'' they think, ''let’s hit them with a ten-point deduction for next season because of the conduct of people no longer associated with the club. That would be fair.''

Luton Town are considering an appeal after being fined £50,000 and deducted 10 points for misconduct over payments to agents. The Leeds United saga developed into a farce with the appeal going on until the last week of the season, when it had become almost impossible for them to win the case. I’m sure it would do Luton’s chances no good at all if they appealed.

The FA have found the club guilty of paying agents via a third party, but not of paying bungs. The laws were broken in a flagrant manner and they have rightly been convicted. However, the club is under new ownership - those involved in the wrong doing have moved on. Former chairman Bill Tomlins has been banned from football for five years and fined £15,000, while three other ex-directors have also been punished and six agents warned.

'By punishing the new owners, the players and the fans, none of whom have done anything wrong, justice can hardly be said to have been done'


The club's soon-to-be new owners, LTFC 2020, fully accepted that the behaviour of their predecessors was unacceptable. However, they were at a loss to understand why the FA had failed to recognise that the ownership and circumstances of the club had changed.

A statement released by the LTFC 2020 group read: "The FA is completely correct to show the football world that the type of behaviour demonstrated by the past management is totally unacceptable. We would like to reiterate that these findings related only to past directors of Luton Town FC and not to anyone related to, or part of LTFC2020. That decision makes no difference to our commitment to being the next custodians of the club.

‘‘The plans Mick Harford has for squad regeneration are completely unaffected. We are very disappointed the FA has not been able to take into account the current plight of the club and the fact it is soon to be under new ownership. To punish the club and the fans in the future with a points deduction, while the perpetrators get away with just light fines is hugely disappointing. The scale of the deduction is unbelievable when it is clear the people found guilty are no longer at the club. Who, exactly, do the FA think they are punishing?"

To me this seems like a perfectly fair and rational response. The question at the end of the statement is also a fair and rational one. The FA are using this case to flex their muscles and send a message to all clubs (the small ones, anyway) that they can’t get away with breaking the rules.

By punishing the new owners, the players and the fans, none of whom have done anything wrong, justice can hardly be said to have been done.

As a Watford supporter you might expect me to be pleased to see our old foes in such difficulties. However, being a football fan sometimes has to transcend club rivalries and you have to speak out about what is right and what is wrong. I may not like the club from 20 miles up the M1, but they are being treated very poorly indeed by the authorities. Not even Luton deserve that!

Fans of all clubs should let the FA know that this is a poor decision.