Lowe: Spurs will rue Sugar exit

Lowe and Hoddle in happier times

Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe has warned that Tottenham will regret the day Alan Sugar left the club.

As manager Glenn Hoddle's switch from Saints to Spurs finally went through after hours of negotiation, Lowe launched a scathing attack on the business practises of new Tottenham owners Enic.

"Tottenham will rue the day, within a very short space of time, that Alan Sugar left them as chairman," Lowe said in an interview with BBC Sport Online.

"That's what I think of the transaction after what I have learned in the last week."

Hoddle reported for duty at Tottenham's Chigwell training ground on Monday, despite the threat of legal action by Southampton. Director of Football David Pleat took training as the new manager waited to get permission to work with the players.

Earlier, Spurs had issued a statement to the stock market indicating that Hoddle and his assistant John Gorman had officially taken over.

Lowe had refused to sanction the move until final documents referring to Southampton's compensation package had been agreed.

He was furious that Spurs had unveiled Hoddle at a news conference on Friday when the deal had not officially been done.

Although he eventually relented and released Hoddle's registration, it took most of Monday for the legalities to be sorted out.

As I hold Glenn's registration, I insist they be met before he takes over at the club

  Rupert Lowe

"There is quite a list of requirements on a legal document that have to be agreed, including non-poaching of any more of my staff for the next 12 months," Lowe said before final agreement late in the day.

"As I hold Glenn's registration, I insist they be met before he takes over at the club.

"We advised Spurs not to hold a press conference while the documentation had not been completed.

"I have to say that the way Spurs have handled this entire matter has not been in the essence of good business practice.

"Technically speaking, the transaction was incomplete. You can't say something has happened until it actually has.

Lowe said Tottenham executive vice-chairman David Buchler's insistence that Hoddle's move had been done by the book was untrue.

"It's a bit like saying you have bought a house before you have exchanged contracts," he said.

"To announce you have a manager before the legal documents have been signed is highly unusual."

Lowe also accused Hoddle of selfishness in the way he quit Southampton.

"I've told Glenn to his face that he was unbelievably selfish," said Lowe.

"It is not the way I would have done it. I certainly would not have walked out on the people I worked with for 15 months without even talking to them."