Saints chairman wins libel battle

SOUTHAMPTON chairman Rupert Lowe won £250,000 (€367,000) libel damages over a newspaper claim he behaved “shabbily” in suspending manager Dave Jones in the wake of child abuse allegations.

It took a jury three hours to reach its unanimous verdict after an eight-day case before Justice Eady in London.

In December 2000, Jones stood trial on 21 charges of sexual and physical abuse of children. Four days into the trial, it was stopped, the judge directed an acquittal, and Jones - who had always maintained his innocence - walked free.

Lowe sued over an August 2004 column by Times writer Martin Samuel. The article about the FA, headed: “Men who would be kings are a ghastly alternative”, asked: “How would Lowe approach the issue of an England player accused of breaking the law, when he so shabbily handled the case of David Jones, his manager?”

Lowe, 47, said the article was a “real blot” on his character.