Watford have explained that complying with requests from both Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire constabularies has led them to again mandate fans to travel on club coaches to the game at Kenilworth Road on Saturday October 19.

Just as was the case two years ago, those fans who managed to get one of the tickets in the relatively small allocation given to away clubs at Luton will have to go to and from the game on coaches laid on by Watford.

But, as in 2023, the club are charging supporters for the coach journey - this season it's £13 per person.

The coaches will leave from, and return to, Vicarage Road, which obviously adds a good degree of inconvenience to those who do not live near the club – particularly those further north who will be required to travel past Luton to meet the coach.

“Mandated coach travel for all Watford supporters is a police decision between Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire constabularies – with which the club is expected to comply,” explained Richard Walker, the club’s head of communications and media relations.

“The mandate we’ve been asked to follow is one based upon the success this process had in almost completely eradicating any form of disorder at the last Kenilworth Road Luton/Watford fixture during the latter part of the 2022/23 season.

“The club regrets the inconvenience it’s going to cause supporters who don’t live locally to Watford, however Vicarage Road Stadium is the logical leave point for such an operation.”

While many fans will understand the need for extra security for this derby game, the fact the club are charging them £13 to travel on the mandatory coaches – on top of the price of their ticket, which is £32 for adults – is fanning the flames of discontent.

“Watford FC has, for many recent seasons, subsidised coach travel for its supporters and continues to do so this year,” Walker pointed out.

The other aspect which aggravates Watford supporters is that, when Luton visited Vicarage Road in October 2022, no such rules were applied to away fans who were free to travel to the game as they pleased.

Consequently, there was some fighting among fans close to the stadium and also around the town centre.

“Luton Town FC do not run official club coach travel, and therefore a similar mandate is unable to be applied for the return fixture,” explained Walker.