Why Adam Silver and Sir Philip Craven are my sports leadership heroes of the last 12 months December 15, 2016 If politics entered a post-truth era in 2016, sport entered a post-trust era. So much of sport is about trust – from your teammates to the coaches and medical team to the administrators that govern the game. Slowly but surely trust has been seeping out of the sports we love, and 2016 was the climax of [...]
Murdoch swoops: 21st Century Fox agrees Sky takeover deal December 15, 2016 Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox today agreed a takeover deal for UK broadcaster Sky. Fox, which already owns 39 per cent of Sky, has made a £10.75-per-share offer, worth £11.7bn. The approach values the whole of the UK media giant at £18.5bn. Fox said it would be using a scheme of arrangement, meaning it would need 75 [...]
JD Sports working conditions: King of Trainers says alleged working practices aren’t in its training manual December 15, 2016 JD Sports has hit back at television reports of draconian working conditions at one of its distribution centres, denying the allegations and saying they are not an "accurate reflection" of working practices. An undercover report by Channel 4 news into the sports retailers Kingsway warehouse in Rochdale revealed staff saying working conditions were "worse than prison". Staff [...]
Le Col: Can this premium cycling brand designed by riders be the next Rapha? December 14, 2016 "I'm convinced that cycling isn't going to go away," says Yanto Barker, a retired British pro cyclist now whose ambitious apparel brand Le Col is currently looking to secure £1m worth of funding from investors via Crowdcube. Le Col is entering the home straight of its crowdfunding campaign with 23 days left for budding investors to join the 117 people who [...]
Consumers are going to spend a record amount on supermarket premium ranges this Christmas December 13, 2016 Consumers have been preparing to taste the difference this Christmas as they stock up on supermarkets' premium own label brands. Data from Kantar Worldpanel showed that during the three months to the end of 4 December, shoppers spent 13 per cent more on brands such as Tesco Finest and Asda Extra Special than they did the year before. Read more: These [...]
How will Christmas dinner be different after Brexit? Here are 2016’s best alternative Christmas cracker jokes December 13, 2016 With Brexit, Donald Trump and mad political party leadership races dominating the nation’s attention, 2016 will be remembered as a year when people really got interested in politics. The final piece of proof? Brexit – surely no laughing matter – has won a joke competition, narrowly beating Sports Direct and BHS (proving that it has even [...]
The alchemists of time: How watch companies combine age-old techniques with cutting edge materials December 8, 2016 Let’s face it: a finely made timepiece is, in a rather nice twist of irony, a flashy anachronism. For starters, no one really needs a watch these days, finely made or not. Secondly, the delicate concoction of wheels, springs and levers driving a mechanical watch is based on an ancient principle – 200-year-old technology that [...]
Sports Direct just bought a new corporate plane for $51.1m despite reporting its profits halved December 8, 2016 Sports Direct announced its profits had halved today, but that didn't stop the company from buying a brand new jet for $51.1m (£40.4m). The new corporate plane will join the company's corporate helicopter, a fleet of vehicles, a Best Western hotel and "several houses in and around Shirebrook" as the company's corporate assets and facilities. Read [...]
Sports Direct shares fall as it unveils 57 per cent profit hit on weak sterling December 8, 2016 Shares in troubled retailer Sports Direct fell as much as six per cent in early trading, after it revealed pre-tax profits had halved in its first half thanks to weak sterling. Underlying profit before tax dropped 57 per cent to £71.6m from £166.4m, it said, while underlying earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation fell 33.5 [...]
Amazon-mageddon: Prices set to rise online due to lack of warehouse space December 7, 2016 Rock-bottom prices for online products may end if the UK doesn't build a shedload more warehouses. The rapid expansion of online retailers is expected to lead to a shortage of warehouse space, which would push up rents, and ultimately the price of goods. Read more: MPs pay surprise visit to Sports Direct's Shirebrook warehouse It is [...]