Luton supporters are planning an impressive Tom Lockyer tribute, which they hope to have in place for the club's home Premier League match against Brighton on 30th of January.
Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch against Bournemouth in a match on the 16th of December and although the defender is now out of hospital and recovering, the Luton faithful want to show their public support for their Captain until the end of the season.
The “We Are Luton Town” X account has revealed that they have designed a 6mx6m tifo dedicated to Lockyer which they want to unveil before every home match at Kenilworth Road from the 30th of January until the end of the current season.
Hatters! We have designed a Tom Lockyer 6m x 6m crowd surfing banner (or a Tifo) for the Kenilworth Road end. It will go to show our enduring support of our captain Tom Lockyer.
We are hoping to have it in place for our match against Brighton on the 30th of January and it will… pic.twitter.com/JoDROBXfAh
— We Are Luton Town (@wearelutontown) January 6, 2024
Tom Lockyer tribute: Will it become a reality?
The fan account – which has already agreed with the club that the tifo can be used at the stadium if the plan comes off – has been asking for donations to make the design a reality. The message went out on social media on Saturday morning and just five hours later, they revealed that the Luton faithful online had already provided them with enough money to get the tifo made.
Taking to X to update supporters, they said:
“Wow, immense effort! That took about 6 hours! We now have enough to cover the banner. Everything else raised will be donated to the British Heart Foundation. You are all amazing.”
Some supporters had called for the tifo to be built bigger than 6mx6m to make as the biggest impact possible but the group have confirmed that this won't be possible. They have stated that Premier League regulations mean that 6mx6m is the maximum size they are allowed but have further plans on what to do with any extra funds raised.
In addition to donating money to the British Heart Foundation, the Luton Town supporters group have said that they are “speaking to the club about purchasing a defibrillator” for use within the club, with a local affiliate or simply to donate it to the British Heart Foundation.
Tom Lockyer recovery update
The banner will no doubt be well-received by Lockyer as he continues his recovery at home following his cardiac arrest. The incident in Bournemouth last month was the second time in seven months that Lockyer has collapsed on the pitch, following a similar, but unrelated, incident at Wembley in the Playoff final in May 2023.
After being rushed to a nearby hospital in Bournemouth, Lockyer was discharged five days later and he is yet to explicitly announce that he won't take to the pitch again in the future. Last week, the Luton captain provided the public with an update. He said:
“I feel thankful that this happened to me surrounded by these heroes. They saved my life. I will never forget what you did for me. I have been overwhelmed by the support that I have received and thank you all for your messages, letters, gifts and well wishes.
“Seeing the banners at the ground and hearing my name being sung really did mean a lot to me and my family. I will be doing whatever I can in whichever ways are possible to help the gaffer and the club. In what capacity that is remains to be decided as I'm due to meet with specialists in the new year.”