Luton Town manager Graeme Jones has had his contract terminated by mutual agreement, along with assistant manager Gary Brabin, first-team coach Inigo Idiakez and technical goalkeeping coach Imanol Etxeberria.
The shock move comes amid football’s continued shutdown due to Coronavirus, with uncertainty as to when matches might start to be played again.
No replacements will be considered until the club know more about when games might restart and, in the interim, chief recruitment officer Mick Harford will act as a relationship manager between players, staff and the board.
The EFL is aiming to complete the current season behind closed doors when it is safe to do so, with a date of May 16 earmarked as the earliest players can return to training, but Jones will not join them.
He came to Town at the end of last term, but worked behind the scenes as Harford guided the club to promotion into the Championship. The 50-year-old officially took over as manager in the summer, having previously been assistant boss at West Bromwich Albion.
Results were hard to come by in Town’s first season in the second flight for 12 years, but Jones had engineered a run of just one defeat in the last six before all elite football leagues in the country suspended matches in early March.
Since then chief executive Gary Sweet has talked of having to reduce the club’s cost base, with negotiations underway around pay cuts for players. The Hatters chief had talked about all staff having to contribute in helping to keep the club alive, but the departure of Jones and three of his staff still comes as a surprise.
A statement today on the club’s website, said: ‘Given the current circumstances affecting not only football but the world as whole, the Club are taking an early move to restructure in order to reduce its cost base and to create efficiencies within the football department.
‘As a result of amicable discussions, Graeme and the board of directors have agreed terms upon which he will leave his role with immediate effect.
‘The board would like to place on record their thanks to Graeme for his efforts over the last twelve months. We wish him and his family well during these difficult times for everyone, and in his future career.
‘Assistant manager Gary Brabin, first-team coach Inigo Idiakez and technical goalkeeping coach Imanol Etxeberria have also had their contracts terminated with immediate effect. We would like to thank all three for their service to the club and wish them all well for the future.
‘When we have more concrete knowledge about the recommencement of the 2019-20 season or the start of 2020-21, we will then reconsider our position with regards to the football management structure. Meanwhile, applications for any of the positions will not be considered or reviewed at this time.
‘In the interim period, chief recruitment officer Mick Harford will act as a relationship manager between the board, staff and the playing squad on football matters.
‘The Club will be making no further comment at this stage as everyone continues to battle with the challenges of the coronavirus.’
Very challenging times. Luton were in fine form of late. I thought Graeme Jones did an excellent job in the circumstances but I gave complete faith the board know what’s best.
Based on the little information coming from 2020 I am very disappointed. They’ve effectively sacked 4 people during a pandemic and less than a few weeks after asking us to renew season tickets and upgrade to diamonds if we could as we all need to be in this together. As I could, I did both on the day the tickets were released (although had to use the installment plan just in case work doesn’t hold up). On the basis of the statement yesterday, I’m wondering what all being in it together actually means for the club. Who is next for the sack?
I appreciate some didn’t like Jones. I also accept that a lot of our players and the ex manager get/got paid what feels like a lot compared to our fans. But their careers are so short and job security even shorter. And even assuming a pay off to them all, noone should be sacked during a pandemic (mutually agreed or otherwise) unless they have done something during lockdown like hold a sex party with prostitutes, or trained with mates/employees from different households. Yet Man City, Arsenal and Spurs have managed not to sack people for that. I’m guessing none of the 4 stole PPE intended for the NHS, coughed in a policeman’s face or have other jobs to immediately walk into either.
We’ve all seen the tweets about various businesses behaving appallingly to staff and suppliers through the pandemic, along the lines of “another one to avoid post lockdown” (sports direct, wetherspoons, picture house etc). I never thought 2020 would be anywhere near that.
I hope the truth is that they’re not. That they’ve found a way to make them redundant instead, or something else. But 2020 should consider providing more comment than they have done to date and soon explaining what they’ve done, why and what continuing support they’ve offered to the staff they’ve let go during this crazy time.