Preston North End having to keep up with the Joneses at Luton Town as they plan for Saturday's restart

Nathan Jones was re-appointed Luton manager during the lockdown after 16 months away

When the Lilywhites were originally due to travel to Kenilworth Road in March, Neil’s former Hamilton Academical team-mate Graeme Jones was in charge.

Jones left the Hatters on April 24 and a month later saw the return of Nathan Jones as Luton manager.

He had left 16 months previously to take the Stoke City job, a career move which did not work out.

Luton's Kenilworth Road ground where Preston visit on Saturday

Jones lasted 11 months in the Potteries, Stoke winning only six games under him.

North End won twice against Stoke when Jones was in charge – 2-0 away in January 2019 and then the 3-1 victory at Deepdale in August.

Jones had been far more successful in his first spell at Luton, hence why Stoke cast their eyes in his direction.

The Welshman guided them to promotion from League Two in 2018.

When he departed for Stoke in January 2019, Luton were 13 games unbeaten and went on to earn promotion to the Championship under the stewardship of director of football Mick Hartford.

Graeme Jones came in last summer and always knew he had a big task on his hands to keep them up.

They will restart second from bottom of the table, six points shy of safety.

Mind you, the Bedfordshire club had picked up some form in the weeks before the season was halted.

They had won three, drawn two and lost once in six games, giving them some hope of escaping relegation.

Nathan Jones thinks he can keep Luton up.

“The big thing is I came into a group that I knew and an environment that I knew,” said the 47-year-old.

“I probably wouldn’t have done it for other clubs, or I would have taken a different route, but I believe we can do it, I believe we’ve got a squad here that can get a certain number of results.

“Now if we get those results, it gives us a wonderful chance of staying up.

“We can’t affect and we’re not going to worry about anyone else. We will have a target of getting to a certain level of points and that’s a realistic target.

“If we get there, it gives us an opportunity.

“For me, it’s all about the group and the environment I have here, it’s not too different in terms of the people and personnel from when I left.”