IT is the end of an era at Southampton Football Club.

In dramatic scenes director Rupert Lowe stood down at a hastily convened press conference at St Mary's Stadium in the last hour.

Facing the media he admitted that some of the managerial decisions he had been during his ten-year history had been wrong.

"I think there is no doubt that some of the managerial appointments that were made were not the best.

"I think it is very difficult in football because I don't think there is a very big high quality pool of people so I think it is quite easy to make mistakes.

"It is quite easy for people who sit on couches and commentate, to criticise about decisions that have been made.

"The majority of these decisions and the majority of bad decisions were made by a group of directors rather than one."

Speaking after the press conference, new chief executive Jim Hone looked to the club's future.

He said: "This has been a very difficult time, it has been a divisive time and it is never nice to see any football club that has factions of supporters lined up one against the other.

"I think a message for all fans is whatever camp they have supported, whether it has been the Michael Wilde Camp or the Rupert Lowe camp, it is not a time for winners or losers.

"It is a time for reuniting, creating harmonisation and taking the club forward."