Sports Direct ditches controversial Mike Ashley loan facility over “unjustified criticism” February 26, 2016 It seems Mike Ashley's feelings have been hurt. Sports Direct has said it will no longer draw on a loan facility provided to it by Ashley, its founder. In an unusual statement this morning, the company said although it expects its borrowing requirements to be "consistently in excess" of the £263m it has drawn on [...]
Aston Martin to create up to 1,000 jobs with new factory in St Athan, Glamorgan and Gaydon, Warwickshire February 24, 2016 James Bond's favourite car brand Aston Martin is creating up to 1,000 jobs in the UK as part of plans to create a new factory in St Athan, Glamorgan and ramp up its existing hub at Gaydon, Warwickshire. The new factory will span across 90 acres, repurposing some of the facilities currently in use at the site by the Ministry of Defence, specifically [...]
Company voluntary arrangements and pre-packs harm landlords, suppliers and staff: Something has to change February 17, 2016 With Brantano being put into administration by Alteri and then bought back shortly after (minus key outstanding debts) by – you guessed it – Alteri, it is clear that legislation is required to avoid further misuse of a financial instrument that was originally intended to help retailers through a difficult time – not a mechanism for [...]
Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley agrees to meet MPs for first time as he attempts to “set the record straight” over working conditions at Shirebrook February 17, 2016 Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has agreed to meet MPs for the first time, in an attempt to head off ongoing criticism of his company's working practices. Ashley has invited politicians to the retailer's Shirebrook HQ in Derbyshire to "set the record straight", the Mirror reports. Shirebrook has been the focus of much ire in recent months, [...]
Rangers shareholder Kieran Prior urges chairman Dave King to fight Mike Ashley over Sports Direct retail deal February 6, 2016 Rangers shareholder Kieran Prior, a former Goldman Sachs trader with a reported IQ of 234, has urged club chairman Dave King to continue his legal battle with Mike Ashley's Sports Direct. Prior believes King should seek to terminate the Rangers Retail joint venture with Sports Direct in court as soon as possible, should the FTSE [...]
In 2016, the global ambitions of the NFL and NBA are an example for every sports organisation to follow February 6, 2016 In the $100bn (£68.7bn) global sports industry, teams must think of themselves as technology companies as well as traditional sports businesses. In a competitive, borderless marketplace, the success and growth of individual sports teams is increasingly dependent on them being able to build an international community of fans. Successful sports teams now operate like a [...]
Rangers say goodbye to Mike Ashley: Club formally gives notice to end relationship with Sports Direct February 5, 2016 Rangers are looking to bring their tumultuous relationship with Sports Direct to a close by formally giving notice to the Mike Ashley-owned company to end their commercial partnership – yet the two companies could still be tied together until 2023. In a letter to supporters, club chairman Dave King said he had immediately written to Sports Direct [...]
Sports technology: How open data can help Britain end the scourge of physical inactivity February 4, 2016 Physical inactivity is the fourth largest cause of disease and disability and is responsible for one in six deaths in the UK – it has as great an impact on our mortality as smoking, according to Public Health England. It affects individuals and their families, businesses who are dependent on a healthy workforce, and our [...]
Findel dashes Mike Ashley’s hopes after selling Kitbag to American buyer February 2, 2016 Findel has offloaded its replica football shirt business Kitbag to an American firm for £11.6m, putting an end to Mike Ashley’s hopes of buying the subsidiary. The home shopping retailer said it has completed the sale to Fanatics, a US sportswear firm, more than a year after putting the sports strip retailer on the market. [...]
Bayern Munich beat Manchester United and Barcelona in social media race to win over Chinese football fans January 28, 2016 German giants Bayern Munich are engaging China's football fans through digital media more successfully than any other football club, according to a new report. With millions of potential fans to be found in the increasingly football-focused country, leading football clubs have all built a presence in the country its digital sphere. An annual index from [...]