James Haskell interview: England flanker will help RFU England Rugby World Cup review but is concentrating on Wasps Premiership duties October 20, 2015 As the England rugby chiefs investigate the team’s pool stage exit at its home World Cup and pundits lament the northern hemisphere’s failings in recent weeks, James Haskell says his attentions are set firmly in the opposite direction. The Rugby Football Union is seeking input from players in its review into how the Red Rose [...]
Peeple, the controversial human-reviewing app, has the right idea. Let’s start rating one another constantly October 15, 2015 Peeple, the controversial new rating app that’s been dubbed “Yelp for people”, launches this week amid concerns that giving star ratings to fellow human beings is unethical, creepy and will render us all vulnerable to a horrifying new realm of online abuse the likes of which the internet has never seen. Which is all well [...]
Black Friday 2015 UK date and deals: The best offers to expect on 27 November, plus who were the winners and losers from last year October 14, 2015 Black Friday is less than seven weeks away – it falls on 27 November this year – and already consumer sites are full of predictions for which deals we'll be falling over ourselves (and other people) to pick up in 2015. We spent £810m last year, with John Lewis celebrating its biggest sales week of [...]
From London property and Tesco to Sports Direct and haunted houses: Here’s what got us talking this week October 9, 2015 It was a week in which plastic bags suddenly became the big new commodity, Google became free to be evil and somewhere lurking in your neighbourhood, proof of "ghost-free" houses became a thing. Here's what got us talking 1) We nailed the property conundrum We don't like to brag but we may have finally found the [...]
Sports Direct chief executive Dave Forsey charged over USC administration on same day staff win legal battle over redundancy pay October 9, 2015 A government agency has charged Sports Direct chief executive Dave Forsey over criminal offences regarding the company's handling of the administration of chain USC. The UK Insolvency Service has started criminal proceedings against the retail boss for “an offence contrary to section 194 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992,” it told City A.M. This [...]
USC workers win case against Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct October 9, 2015 Workers at fashion chain USC that was put into administration by parent company Sports Direct earlier this year have won a legal battle against the firm, giving them redundancy pay that could run into thousands of pounds each. Staff had complained that they were given just 15 minutes notice before they lost their jobs. In [...]
Sports Direct swoops in on Heatons parent company Warrnambool October 7, 2015 Sports Direct is swooping in on the parent company of Irish retailer Heaton, taking a majority stake in the business and looking to buy the remaining shareholders out. The Mike Ashley-owned business is acquiring minority shareholder Sandra Minor's holding in Warrnambool, on top of its current 50 per cent stake in the business. The business [...]
Boris Johnson: £35m cost to host 2017 Tour de France in London better spent elsewhere September 29, 2015 Mayor of London Boris Johnson has taken responsibility for the capital's decision not to host the start of the 2017 Tour de France, arguing that it would be too expensive. Read more: London pulls out of hosting Tour de France Grand Départ in 2017 London had trumped competition from Manchester and cities in Germany to win [...]
Findel share price soars as Sports Direct takes 19pc chunk of Kitbag parent September 29, 2015 Sports Direct has taken an 18.9 per cent stake in Kitbag parent company Findel, almost a year after Mike Ashley first started eyeing up the football strip retailer. The move comes as Findel confirmed it had received an approach for the sports retail business from an unnamed third party and had “agreed terms, subject [...]
Sports Direct gives up chase for posh fitness chain Soho Gyms September 27, 2015 Sports Direct has abandoned its bid for upmarket fitness centre chain Soho Gyms, according to reports. The retailer had held discussions with the gym company with the aim of reaching a deal that would extend its own gym business, Sports Direct Fitness, which launched in November last year. However, The Sunday Telegraph reported that the [...]