Luton Town confirm Graeme Jones as new manager
Thursday 2 May 2019 11:45, UK
Luton have appointed Graeme Jones as their new manager and he will take over from interim boss Mick Harford on Tuesday.
Former Belgium and West Brom assistant Jones initially rejected the opportunity to talk to Luton about the vacant manager's role in January, when Nathan Jones left the Hatters to join Stoke City.
Luton's head of recruitment Harford stepped into the role as interim boss and guided the club into the Sky Bet Championship, with defeats for Portsmouth and Sunderland on Tuesday night confirming their promotion from League One.
Jones eventually left The Hawthorns in March when manager Darren Moore was sacked - although Luton have confirmed terms on a move to Kenilworth Road were agreed a month earlier- and will now take up his first management role.
"Graeme has agreed a three-year contract to take charge at Kenilworth Road until 2022, the terms of which were satisfactorily agreed in February, whichever League we would have been playing in, after amicable consultation with his then club West Bromwich Albion," read a club statement.
"The Hatters' board were insistent on not disrupting another club's season, and Graeme did not want to break the commitment he had made to both West Brom - as they bid to win promotion back to the Premier League - and his manager Darren Moore.
"The Championship club parted company with their management team in March, but despite Graeme's early availability, we rightly continued to honour our commitment to Mick, just as he committed to the club.
"There will be minimal disruption to players and staff in the summer, and Graeme - who in recent weeks, since the severance of his contract with West Brom, has been fulfilling Mick's usual role - has been fully respectful of Mick and his coaches being solely responsible for the team without interference."
Luton CEO Gary Sweet welcomed Jones to the club, an appointment he believes fits in with their "culture and ambition."
Sweet said: "We're delighted to be the first club to secure the managerial services of Graeme Jones.
"Graeme is a very highly regarded coach and assistant amongst his peers and has caught our eye over the last few seasons as someone who is very hard working, very methodical and thorough in his approach, and a coach who sets his teams up in a manner Luton players and supporters will be accustomed to.
"We were always looking for an individual with fresh ideas but one who would befit our Club's culture and ambition; one who is capable of taking Luton Town to the next level, building further upon the foundations we have nurtured over the last few years.
"We are very much looking forward to Graeme leading us into our next few chapters as a Championship club."
As well as roles with Belgium and West Brom, Jones has also previously worked as a coach with Swansea, Wigan and Everton.
