Cricket, rugby and football stars invest in health start-up November 4, 2024 England rugby international Courtney Lawes and Arsenal footballer Ben White are also among the 60 professional sportspeople invested in The Players Fund.
Boohoo calls in Debenhams chief in snub to Mike Ashley November 1, 2024 Boohoo has appointed a former JD Sports executive as its new boss today in what will be seen as a snub to Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley. In a statement to the market, the troubled fast-fashion firm said Dan Finley, who currently runs its Debenhams division and previously spent a decade at JD Sports, would [...]
Selfridges sinks further into the red as sales at luxury department store falter October 31, 2024 Luxury department store chain Selfridges has lost more than £400m since it last made a pre-tax profit, it has been revealed. The business, which has UK stores in London, Birmingham and two in Manchester, passed the milestone after falling to a £41.9m loss in the year to 3 February, 2024. It comes after Selfridges previously [...]
Women’s football scores £100m boost from new Sky and BBC TV deals October 30, 2024 Sky Sports has secured an even bigger share of matches in the Women’s Super League as part of a record new long-term agreement billed as “the most significant broadcast partnership ever for women’s football”. The deal from 2025 until 2030 will see Sky show up to 118 WSL matches, more than three times as many [...]
Parachute payments: Government clarifies stance after regulator move October 24, 2024 The government insists it does not want parachute payments to be abolished, despite giving the incoming football regulator new powers to look at the controversial mechanism. The Premier League and English Football League remain at loggerheads over the issue, which has contributed to an impasse over the so-called New Deal of financial redistribution. More than [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers abandons Mulberry bid amid governance concerns October 23, 2024 Frasers Group, led by Mike Ashley, has confirmed it will not pursue a bid for Mulberry, after the iconic British luxury brand rejected its two previous cash offers earlier this month. The first bid, launched on 1 October at £83m, was dismissed by Mulberry as undervaluing the brand. A subsequent offer on 10 October at [...]
Rugby is staring into the abyss when it comes to Gen Z October 19, 2024 Look at rugby in Britain today and objectively try to answer the following questions. Is it appealing to you? Is it sexy enough to invest in? Would I take my kids or young relatives to watch it? These are the questions rugby chiefs will always be grappling with, and good luck to them. But rugby [...]
Morgan Motor Company: Sports car maker sinks further into the red October 18, 2024 The firm behind sports car maker Morgan Motor Company saw its pre-tax loss widen by more than £10m during its latest financial year as it was hit with supply chain issues and increased costs. The Worcestershire-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax loss of £25.5m for 2023, after having posted a pre-tax loss of £15.5m for [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group backs N Brown takeover amid Mulberry pursuit October 18, 2024 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has backed the £191m proposed takeover of JD Williams-owner N Brown and announced the sale of its 20 per cent stake in the company for £38m. The retail empire, which includes Sports Direct and House of Fraser, holds nearly 95,000,000 shares in the Manchester business and will sell them for 40p [...]
United Utilities accused of illegally dumping sewage into Windermere for years October 17, 2024 Water company United Utilities has been accused of failing to report more than 100 million litres of raw sewage that it illegally dumped into Windemere over a three-year period.