Graeme Jones admits he’s unsure how he’ll be received at The Hawthorns tomorrow when he makes his first return to West Bromwich Albion since getting the sack last year.
As assistant manager to Darren Moore, the pair were relieved of their duties last March with the Baggies sitting in fourth place in the Championship.
Jones had already agreed a deal to become the Hatters’ manager from the start of this season, while reports from the West Midlands claimed relationships between him and the Albion board became strained after they ruled out a transfer swoop for Sunderland left-back Bryan Oviedo.
Asked how West Brom fans might receive him at Saturday’s Championship clash, Jones said: “I don’t know. I ended up being the scapegoat for us leaving because I’d agreed to come to Luton, but Darren Moore knew all along.
“My conscience is absolutely clear. Me and Darren are closer than ever. Sometimes you have to go through tough times to find out if people are being honest and straightforward. Absolutely, we have been.
“Darren even came to my mother-in-law’s funeral last Friday, that’s how strong the relationship is. So, we’ve survived that, for the better, with integrity.
“Not everybody can say that, but that’s for me to know.”
Jones takes his Town team to his old stomping ground on the back of a 3-2 win over Derby County and hoping to end a dismal away run of ten straight defeats – a 92-year worst.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, adding of West Brom: “It’s a wonderful football club, and I mean wonderful. One per cent of me was disappointed there, if I’m being honest. I know what happened to me and Darren. The rest was magnificent.
“I loved the club and I really mean that. I really settled, so I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces.
“There are some wonderful people there. But they are where they are in the league (second) because of Darren Moore as well. It’s not just Slaven Bilic. I’ve got total respect for Slaven but Darren turned that football club from a losing football club in the Premier League, to a winning football club.
“When we left, we were fourth in the Championship and Darren Moore deserves as much credit as anybody for where they are now in the league.”
