Cut Lloyds boss Antonio Horta-Osorio some slack: His “tryst” doesn’t make him worse at his job August 11, 2016 Not since Fred the Shred was at his most dastardly has a banking boss made the gossip pages of the tabloids. But this week Lloyds boss Antonio Horta-Osorio strolled into the headlines hand in-hand with Russell Group director general Dr Wendy Platt, after The Sun revealed an alleged tryst between the pair The paper’s report [...]
Why the £10bn surfing industry deserves its introduction as an Olympic sport in 2020 August 10, 2016 Once the epitome of sporting counter culture and the natural home to the mavericks and outsiders of the sports world, surfing has finally been accepted as an Olympic sport. With Brazilian pro surfers like Gabriel Medina and Filipe Toledo now superstars in a sport which is rivalling football in its appeal to younger generations, the [...]
Labour leadership contender Owen Smith wants an inquiry into working practices at Asos August 10, 2016 An urgent inquiry into working practices at online retailer Asos is necessary, Labour leadership contender Owen Smith has said. Smith today called for an inquiry to deal with employment practices at Asos, warning it is "the new Sports Direct". Writing to chair of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee Ian Wright, Smith asked for consideration [...]
Online sales grew in July as store sales fell – despite desperate discount offers from retailers August 9, 2016 Online sales performed well in the past three months, but store sales declined as retailers struggled to lure shoppers onto the high street with discount deals. In the three months to July, the online sales of non-food products grew 11.1 per cent as compared to the same period last year, according to research by the British [...]
Usain Bolt unsure whether competitors at his Olympic Games swansong will be clean August 9, 2016 Six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt admitted last night that he cannot be completely sure that his gold medal competitors at the Rio Games will be clean athletes. Jamaican Bolt, 29, will bid to complete the ‘triple triple’ of Olympic sprint titles in Brazil by retaining his 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay crowns which [...]
Rio 2016: As non-sponsoring brands get more scope to cash in on Olympic fever, official partners may be getting a bum deal August 8, 2016 Rio 2016 may have be tainted by doping scandals, the threat of the Zika virus, and worries of violence, but if you’ve got the money, sponsoring the Olympics seems like a no-brainer. Around 3.6bn people saw at least one minute of London 2012, and Rio’s audience is expected to be even bigger still, providing the 11 [...]
Consolidation is the name of the game for Mike Ashley as he see revenues increase by 20 per cent August 7, 2016 Mike Ashley's businesses generated nearly £3bn of revenues during the year to April 2015 latest filings at Companies House have shown. The Newcastle United owner consolidates his business operations into MASH Holdings Ltd – a company in which he is the sole shareholder. Its financial statements were filed on 27 July 2016. Ashley took out further lending [...]
High street sales flat in July despite retailers peddling giant discounts August 5, 2016 Retail sales were flat in July despite outlets trying to haul shoppers to the till with massive discounts. Shops have been tempting consumers with discounts as high as 70 per cent – Sports Direct is now having a "flash sale" offering discounts of up to 90 per cent – but there has been no growth in year-on-year [...]
Two Champions League winning managers, a wealth of ambitious foreign owners and exciting England prospects – whether you support Leeds or Newcastle, the Championship can be relied on for entertainment August 3, 2016 Tomorrow a football competition starts in London featuring ambitious and enigmatic billionaire owners from across the globe, a cosmopolitan array of managers — including two Champions League winners — and some of the most exciting young players in England. But this isn't the Premier League. It is, of course, the Championship. English football’s second tier [...]
Findel has refused to make Mike Ashley chairman July 29, 2016 Mike Ashley has failed to bag the chairmanship of gift retailer Findel – but the company said this morning that "discussions are ongoing." The company wants to agree to a deal with Sports Direct to act as an outlet for the sports shop's brand, but hasn't made Ashley chairman. Read more: Mike Ashley is looking to make himself the chairman [...]