Editing Rupert Lowe (section)

== Football career ==
=== Southampton Football Club ===
In the mid-1990s the Southampton board were looking to float the club on the [[London Stock Exchange]], a long and costly procedure. Therefore, they attempted a [[reverse takeover]] as a way to reduce costs. They needed to find a company that had already floated and take it over while effectively being taken over themselves. Lowe's Secure Retirements, which ran [[nursing home]]s, was identified as a candidate. The resultant group was renamed Southampton Leisure Holdings.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3489097.stm | title=Rupert the Rare | work=BBC Sport | date=23 August 2004 | access-date=4 January 2010 | archive-date=31 August 2004 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040831100324/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3489097.stm | url-status=live }}</ref> After the deal was completed, Lowe became chairman of the club.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

In the summer of 1997 Southampton's manager, [[Graeme Souness|Graeme Souness]],  left after just one season in charge, as did the director of football and former manager [[Lawrie McMenemy]]. This came as a shock to the local press,{{which|date=March 2025}} who regarded McMenemy as 'Mr Southampton'; he had previously managed the club from 1973 to 1985, guiding it to [[FA Cup]] success in 1976 and finishing second in the league in 1984.{{cn|date=January 2025}} Lowe guided the club from their old stadium into the 32,000-seater [[St Mary's Stadium]], which opened in 2001, and the club continued to follow a long-standing policy of selling players for high prices. Players such as [[Dean Richards (footballer)|Dean Richards]] and [[Kevin Davies]] were sold to [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.]] for £8&nbsp;million and [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.]] for £7&nbsp;million, respectively.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

During his ownership of the club, the Saints<ref>Nickname for Southampton Football Club</ref> maintained their [[Premier League]] status into the 21st century, despite having been in regular relegation battles since the early 1990s. There were eight managers during his tenure. [[Dave Jones (football manager)|Dave Jones]] left the club in January 2000 amid a criminal investigation, though he was later cleared of all charges. Jones was succeeded by [[Glenn Hoddle]], who left just over a year later to join Tottenham Hotspur. Lowe then appointed [[Stuart Gray (footballer born 1960)|Stuart Gray]], but Gray was swiftly replaced by [[Gordon Strachan]] after a poor start to the 2001–02 season. Strachan guided the Saints to a secure 11th-place finish.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

In 2003 Southampton reached the [[FA Cup Final]] and qualified for the [[UEFA Cup]] for the first time in nearly 20 years, also finishing eighth in the league; their highest finish for well over a decade. Gordon Strachan resigned in March 2004, and Lowe and the board took the decision to replace him with [[Paul Sturrock]] before the end of the season. Sturrock himself left the club by "[[Consent|mutual consent]]" within six months, despite achieving good results during his time in charge. It was alleged that Lowe attempted to interfere in team selection after consulting the former head coach of the [[England national rugby union team]] [[Clive Woodward]], who was being approached about a possible role at the club at the time.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/woodward-set-for-top-job-at-saints-529428.html|title=Woodward set for top job at Saints|date=22 March 2005|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=15 May 2019}}</ref>

Lowe appointed [[Harry Redknapp]] manager of Southampton in December 2004. Redknapp had quit as manager of Southampton's south-coast rivals [[Portsmouth F.C.]] two weeks earlier.<ref name=GuardDec04>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/dec/08/newsstory.southampton1|archive-url=|title=Redknapp confirmed as Saints boss|date=8 December 2004|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=12 July 2024|archivedate=}}</ref> Southampton were relegated in 2005 and Lowe appointed Clive Woodward as [[Director of Football]] of Southampton in July 2005. Redknapp resigned as manager in December 2005 and subsequently rejoined Portsmouth.<ref name=BBCDec05>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4506132.stm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315175244/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4506132.stm|title=Redknapp goes back to Portsmouth|date=7 December 2005|work=[[BBC News]]|accessdate=12 July 2024|archivedate=15 March 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Lowe won a libel case against ''[[The Times]]'' in 2005 regarding a column by the sportswriter [[Martin Samuel]] that alleged that Lowe had treated Jones "shabbily" following the latter's suspension after he was accused of child abuse charges on which he was subsequently acquitted. Lowe was awarded £250,000, which he pledged to donate to charity.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hornsell|first1=Michael|title=Football chairman awarded £250,000 in Times libel case|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/IF0502790969/|accessdate=12 July 2024|work=[[The Times]]|issue=68529|date=27 October 2005|page=20}}</ref>

On 30 June 2006 Lowe resigned under huge pressure from club supporters, including the newly formed [[Saints Trust]], following the club's failure to win promotion back to the Premiership.<ref>{{cite web |date=1 July 2006 |title=Lowe resigns as Saints chairman |url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/jul/01/newsstory.southampton |access-date=15 December 2020 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> [[Michael Wilde]], a new investor in Southampton Leisure Holdings, led a new team of directors in taking over the club. The Saints were beaten in the 2006–07 Championship playoffs, and failed to mount a promotion challenge the following season.{{cn|date=March 2025}} In July 2008 Lowe returned as the chairman of Southampton Leisure Holdings. At an [[Annual general meeting|AGM]] on 23 December 2008, he received several calls to resign from former chairman [[Leon Crouch]] and from fans and shareholders at the meeting.<ref name="Admin">{{cite news| title=Mark Fry and David Hudson of Begbies Traynor appointed as joint administrators to Southampton Leisure Holdings plc |url=http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=11581 |publisher=[[Southampton F.C.]] |date=2 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404055244/http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=11581 |archive-date=4 April 2009 }}</ref>{{fv|date=March 2025}} On 2 April 2009 Southampton Leisure Holdings was placed into administration, resulting in Lowe's resignation from the board.<ref name="Admin" />

===Garforth Town===
In December 2012 Lowe purchased [[Garforth Town]] of the Northern Premier League, along with the franchise operation of Socatots & Brazilian Soccer Schools linking up again with [[Simon Clifford]], who had been employed as a Southampton coach in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gree|first=Wendy|title=Rupert Lowe makes football return|url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/10111599.Rupert_Lowe_makes_football_return/|work=Daily Echo|access-date=29 April 2013|date=17 December 2012|archive-date=2 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602195159/http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/10111599.Rupert_Lowe_makes_football_return/|url-status=live}}</ref> Lowe left the club in January 2015.<ref>[http://www.ncefl.org.uk/news/ncelpremierdivision/2014/3508-changeofownershipatgarforth/ Change of ownership at Garforth] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124101131/http://www.ncefl.org.uk/news/ncelpremierdivision/2014/3508-changeofownershipatgarforth/ |date=24 January 2025 }} Northern Counties East League, 20 January 2015</ref>

=== Football Association ===
Lowe has served as a member of the executive board of [[The Football Association]] as a [[Premier League]] representative and as an FA Councillor and on the FA Cup committee.<ref name=BBC04>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3489097.stm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019092016/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3489097.stm|title=Rupert the Rare|date=23 August 2004|work=[[BBC News]]|accessdate=12 July 2024|archivedate=19 October 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=IndAug04>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news/blunders-increase-eriksson-and-thompson-s-chances-of-survival-50258.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712115331/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news/blunders-increase-eriksson-and-thompson-s-chances-of-survival-50258.html|title=Blunders increase Eriksson and Thompson's chances of survival|date=23 August 2004|work=[[The Independent]]|accessdate=12 July 2024|archivedate=12 July 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>