Probe tangles sport retail web further September 10, 2009 ALLEGATIONS of anti-competitive behaviour at JJB Sports and Sports Direct are the latest to ripple a very murky pool. In 2003, JJB – then led by founder Dave Whelan – had to cough up £6.7m in fines after Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley, the owner of Newcastle United, alerted the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) [...]
Sports Direct profits climb September 9, 2009 SPORTS Direct, the sports retailer founded by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, yesterday upped its profit forecast for the year as it revealed encouraging trading figures for the summer period. The group, which owns the Sports World and Lillywhites chains, said gross profit for the 13 weeks to 26 July increased to £157m from £150m [...]
Sports Direct profits climb September 9, 2009 SPORTS Direct, the sports retailer founded by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, yesterday upped its profit forecast for the year as it revealed encouraging trading figures for the summer period. The group, which owns the Sports World and Lillywhites chains, said gross profit for the 13 weeks to 26 July increased to £157m from £150m [...]
Lee: Ashley plans don’t ring true September 6, 2009 FORMER Newcastle captain Rob Lee has questioned owner Mike Ashley’s desire to sell the fallen north-east giants and accused him of deliberately stalling on the appointment of Alan Shearer as manager. Ashley put Newcastle up for sale in May after a turbulent season culminated in their relegation from the Premier League. But despite reports of [...]
Lee: Ashley plans don’t ring true September 6, 2009 FORMER Newcastle captain Rob Lee has questioned owner Mike Ashley’s desire to sell the fallen north-east giants and accused him of deliberately stalling on the appointment of Alan Shearer as manager. Ashley put Newcastle up for sale in May after a turbulent season culminated in their relegation from the Premier League. But despite reports of [...]
Prudent Lee learns to leave behind netbusters and focus on net gains September 6, 2009 ROB LEE knows what financial mismanagement looks like. He witnessed the recklessness of England team-mates at the 1998 World Cup, who thought nothing of betting £5,000 a hand on card games. More recently he has seen his beloved Newcastle United relegated from the top flight while embattled owner Mike Ashley runs up personal losses of [...]
Prudent Lee learns to leave behind netbusters and focus on net gains September 6, 2009 ROB LEE knows what financial mismanagement looks like. He witnessed the recklessness of England team-mates at the 1998 World Cup, who thought nothing of betting £5,000 a hand on card games. More recently he has seen his beloved Newcastle United relegated from the top flight while embattled owner Mike Ashley runs up personal losses of [...]
THE TIPSTER UPTICK PUTS MPC DECISION IN FOCUS September 6, 2009 FOLLOWING last week’s gloomy forecasts from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), spread betters will be watching the Bank of England’s policy decision on Thursday closely. While rates are expected to remain on hold at 0.5 per cent and quantitative easing at £175bn, investors will listen carefully to see what they’ll say about [...]
Moat and Shearer look on as Toon take the top spot August 31, 2009 NEWCASTLE UTD (1) vs LEICESTER CITY (0) PROSPECTIVE buyer Barry Moat and would-be manager Alan Shearer watched from the stands as Newcastle climbed to the top of the Championship with this victory. Moat and Shearer looked on alongside owner Mike Ashley as Danny Guthrie’s 52nd minute strike handed the Magpies a fourth successive win. Local [...]
FULL CIRCLE IN SPORT RETAILERS’ WILY WORLD August 19, 2009 IS THERE no end to the incestuous intricacies to the colourful sports retail sector? The current hot potato in the industry is the tide of bad feeling towards JJB chairman Sir David Jones, whose past emails criticising the firm’s directors were recently leaked by former chief executive Chris Ronnie, the man widely blamed for bringing [...]