Hatters fans might be open to a return for Nathan Jones as manager

Luton fans wouldn’t be completely against a return for former manager Nathan Jones according to a poll run on Twitter this week.

The Hatters announced on Friday that Graeme Jones had left the club by mutual consent after just 11 months in charge as they look to reduce their cost base in the current financial plight caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen the football season suspended indefinitely.

The club confirmed they were not seeking to make a new appointment for the time being, but league sponsors SkyBet opened a market regardless, with Jones, who had a successful three year spell in charge of the club from January 2016, leading Town to promotion from League Two, the early favourite at 1/3.

He is currently out of work after being sacked by Stoke City in November, but a poll run by the Luton News on Twitter asking supporters if they were prepared to welcome Jones back, which received just under 2,000 votes saw 43.9 per cent admitting they would do so.

That comes despite the 46-year-old controversially quitting Kenilworth Road in January 2019 with Town locked in a promotion fight to reach the Championship, heading to the Potters who were in the second tier themselves.

He then received his manager of the month trophy for December in his Stoke tracksuit, an image that quite rightly riled Hatters fans who used to sing his name.

Jones’ first venture into life at this level wasn’t a success either, leaving the bet365 Stadium with City fighting relegation, and winning just six of his 38 games in charge.

Second favourite for the role is chief of recruitment Mick Harford, now acting as ‘relationship manager between the board, staff and the playing squad on football matters,’ at 8/1, while Ryan Lowe and Steve Robinson are joint third favourites at 12/1.

Former Hatter Robinson is currently boss of Scottish Premier League side Motherwell, as Lowe, who was heavily linked with the job before Graeme Jones took it back in March, is now with Plymouth Argyle, taking the Pilgrims to third in League Two.

Also in the group are Cheltenham Town chief Michael Duff (14/1), Newport County boss Michael Flynn (14/1), Wycombe Wanderers boss Gareth Ainsworth (16/1), former MK Dons and Exeter chief Paul Tisdale (16/1), plus Paul Heckingbottom (18/1) and Paul Hurst (18/1).