Back of the net: Goals Soccer Centres to raise £16.75m and completes strategic review June 3, 2016 Goals Soccer Centres will kick off a share placing to raise £16.75m this summer, as part of a new plan for the group after completing an in-depth business review. The company, which operates more than 40 five-a-side football centres across the UK, will place 16.75m shares at a price of £1 per share, and said the proceeds [...]
Timeline: A blow-by-blow account of how BHS’ demise unfolded June 2, 2016 One of the biggest names on the UK's high street could be about to disappear, after its administrators began the process of winding it down. The news comes after a tumultuous few months for the retailer, which announced in April that it was entering administration – just over a year after it was sold for £1 by Arcadia [...]
MPs reject Ashley’s Sports Direct warehouse visit demand May 26, 2016 An influential committee of MPs has declined a request from Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley to visit one of his warehouses. Ashley asked the Business Innovation and Skills committee to attend his Shirebrook warehouse as a precondition for his attendence to a Parliamentary hearing on 7 June. However, the MPs have rejected the suggestion, while [...]
William Hill joins Ladbrokes and other major bookmakers on social media sports betting site Betfect May 23, 2016 William Hill has become the latest major bookmaker to join Betfect, a social network for sports betting. The London-based tech startup allows users to compare, make and share sports bets from the UK's leading bookmakers, and the site went live last year with Ladbrokes. Betfect has said it aims to bring the "social element" back [...]
Ferrari California T Handling Speciale review with price and specs: a £150,000 delight, but better suited to the Tuscan Hills than the Tooting school run May 23, 2016 Everyone should have a ‘bucket list’ – a checklist of things to do before kicking the bucket. Yours might include a meal in a Michelin-starred restaurant, a bungee jump or running a marathon dressed as a rhino. Mine was driving a Ferrari. Now, I should explain that, in eight years as a journalist, I’ve been [...]
Barack Obama must nail down his free trade deals before the protectionist takeover May 23, 2016 Washington – A few years ago, in a predictably thorough fashion, the Chinese government commissioned a study of the documented historical cases where rising powers had challenged dominant powers for leadership of the international system. The currently-rising Chinese (who went all the way back in time to mine valuable lessons from Thucydides about Athens and [...]
Crunch week as BHS seeks a fresh start May 23, 2016 BHS hopes to enter a new era this week with the business set to be sold while its administrators prepare a high court complaint against the retailer’s former boss Dominic Chappell. Administrators plan to announce BHS’ new owner in the coming days, with bids understood to have come from Matalan founder John Hargreaves, Poundstretcher, and an [...]
Chappell facing High Court BHS suit May 22, 2016 Administrators for BHS are to launch a High Court suit against the retail chain's former backer. City A.M. understands that Duff & Phelps will file a suit on Monday, targeting Dominic Chappell and arguing that the businessman has not co-operated with its investigation into the retailer's collapse. Chappell owns a 90 per cent stake in Retail [...]
BHS liquidation rumours dismissed: Sale expected “early next week” May 20, 2016 A sale of BHS as a going concern could be revealed as early as next week – but there are still concerns that the iconic retailer may end up being liquidated. A source close to the situation has told City A.M. that bids are still being mulled and it is hoped BHS will be sold [...]
More BHS bidders revealed following deadline for offers May 18, 2016 Hilco Capital has been named as one of the bidders for beleaguered department story chain BHS, following last week's deadline for offers. BHS went into administration last month, and the company had reportedly attracted the interest of five suitors hoping to buy the whole of the high street retailer ahead of last week's bid deadline. Hilco, reported by ITV [...]