Mike Ashley (former owner) (still alive)

[Disco]

[mrmojorisin75]

To reiterate: No matter what you think of this suppurating, clinkerous  dickhead, I cannot envisage a time when I'd be content for the Toon to lose a game. It would give me no satisfaction whatsoever, despite the need to alert the b****** to the outrageous indignity of the whole damn thing.

 

Total opposite. Lose every game please, all of them, badly. Ashley can't be vindicated in what he's done and unless we're getting dicked into oblivion he will

[Robster]

To reiterate: No matter what you think of this suppurating, clinkerous  dickhead, I cannot envisage a time when I'd be content for the Toon to lose a game. It would give me no satisfaction whatsoever, despite the need to alert the bastard to the outrageous indignity of the whole damn thing.

 

You don't see that a win for the team is a win for Ashley ?

On that basis, I want a loss every week.

[Lotus]

The issue for me, like many here, is that the Toon is not a sporting club under Ashley's ownership. It has no sporting ambition, in fact, sporting ambition is a detriment to his vision. Its just a billboard, nothing more and nothing less. Every other club wans  to finish as high up the league as possible and make their decisions on that basis. But not Ashley FC.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

The biggest issue I have with not just Newcastle fans, but so many neutrals, is the ludicrous idea or belief that Mike Ashley is at least a good businessman which is often used unwittingly or subconsciously to somehow excuse him of his mistakes, faults and failures or defend him.

 

I personally consider him to be even more inept and unqualified to run a business than he is as a football club owner.

 

Freddy Shepherd was a better businessman than Ashley, Rafa Benitez is a better businessman than Ashley, even little old me, I’m a better businessman than Ashley. And I don’t need to be in charge of a multi million pound business or for my business to be publicly listed on the sock market or to be a billionaire to prove this.

 

Ashley has proved himself time and time again he’s a poor businessman whose businesses perform in spite of him, not because of him. It’s the opposite in fact when he plays being a businessman. Newcastle United and Sports Direct should be performing much better than they have done, are, and will keep performing.

 

He’s lucky he has no real rival in Newcastle Upon Tyne competing for a share of the football fanbase’ pound and a guaranteed revenue stream that pumps the majority of money into the club as long as it qualifies for membership every year.

 

He’s lucky he has no real rival in retail that can undercut him or quite offer the same range of affordable high volume products to consumers direct in store across the U.K.

 

Both businesses are pretty much self sufficient and perform consistently, but if both were computers, they are still running on Windows 95 and connecting to the world via an AOL modem dial while everyone else has long since changed over to a faster, better and more modern system which will be just as outdated as the systems Newcastle United and Sports Direct run off by the time both catch on.

 

For the club, that time will come too late as we are are already witnessing and the early signs don’t exactly look any different for Sports Direct either.

 

As businesses both club and retailer are behind the times and no amount of fresh paint, a new record transfer fee spent on a new number 9, an Oxford Street store front, an online social media presence, numerous cashless pay options or new product ranges, new brands stocked or how regular the money coming in remains the same or thereabouts every quarter, disguises the fact both of them are more of a bad example of a business much much more than they are good examples and actually reflect rather badly on the image of Mike Ashley as a good businessman never mind anything else. Or should do. He’s not, never has been and never will be a good businessman and none of his businesses will ever reflect anything differently that points the other way, no matter how much money the club and SD make, how many customers they have or how big the gates are, how much the number 9 cost, how big the SD Oxford Street store is or how much his helicopter or home cost or the size of his bank account.

 

If anyone is in doubt that Mike Ashley is a bad businessman running bad businesses and needs further pointed in the right direction for some extra proof, he’s kindly put some sign posts leading to his front door up for everyone’s benefit. Look out for Debenhams, RAFA’s Exit, Relegation 1 & 2, House of Fraser, HMRC, Belgium, Kevin Keegan, Chris Hughton, Alan Shearer, Zero Hour Contracts, CEO/MD Exit, Share Price Drop, Illegal working practices, Low Pay Wages, Court ordered settlements, Wonga, Sports Direct @ St. James’ Park, Steve McClaren, Kinnear 1 & 2, Cup exist, UEFA Brexit, Dennis Wise, corn burger pizzas for the players, What bonuses and so on and so on.

[loki679]

The bloke's made hundreds of millions after starting from a single shop.  He's made some bad decisions recently (on purpose?) but you can't deny his achievements in his field.

[Guest Yerdas El Savon]

He's a billionare, but not a good businessman?

[Guest chopey]

Sounds like he's a Billionaire because of his dodgy deals and being a ruthless fucka I don't think he'll die a Billionaire tho.

[Sima]

‘sock market’

 

[Sima]

Sounds like he's a Billionaire because of his dodgy deals and being a ruthless fucka I don't think he'll die a Billionaire tho.

 

I hope he does tbh.

[loki679]

He's not a billionaire any more is he? Thought his value had dropped to £700m or so. Obviously nothing compared to HTT's family business but nothing to be sneezed at.

[Stifler]

Buying Jack Wills.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Does he have a shopping addiction or something? Mental.

[geordiedean]

Buying Jack Wills.

 

Another shit brand

[Stifler]

Buying Jack Wills.

 

Another shit brand

Quite popular though, most skinny people between the ages of 13-21 have a wardrobe full of their stuff. It would be interesting to see what he does with it, most brands he buys he cheapens the quality and look of, though his Flannels stores sells other brands well. I’m not sure he’d be able to own a brand and not be wanting to cut corners with them.

[loki679]

Buying Jack Wills.

 

Another shit brand

Quite popular though, most skinny people between the ages of 13-21 have a wardrobe full of their stuff. It would be interesting to see what he does with it, most brands he buys he cheapens the quality and look of, though his Flannels stores sells other brands well. I’m not sure he’d be able to own a brand and not be wanting to cut corners with them.

 

Might be popular but it's not a viable business hence the administration.  Brick and mortar stores need to come up with a new strategy if they're to somehow compete with online.

[Shelveys Hair]

He's not a billionaire any more is he? Thought his value had dropped to £700m or so. Obviously nothing compared to HTT's family business but nothing to be sneezed at.

 

Supposedly he made £900 million + from floating SD on the stock market and also stayed a major shareholder.

 

So unless he has blown all that.

[Guest Yerdas El Savon]

He's a billionare, but not a good businessman?

 

You realize those things can both be true?

 

That might be, but to say a self made billionaire is a poor businessman is a bit too far imo.

[jackyboy]

Mike Ashley is a gambler, he's won a lot and will lose a lot but that's the way he operates.

His plan regarding transfers, picking up young talent cheaply from abroad and seeing their value increase could actually work.  Problem is for it to work he needs a good coach/manager to handle and develop these players. Look at HBA, an incredible talent but Pardew couldn't handle or develop him and neither could Bruce when he went to Hull.  My niece is a season ticket holder at Aston Villa and she says Bruce brought in some good players but basically didn't know how best to use them and they finished up being benched. That could well happen to Almirion if he fails to score early on in the season and loses his confidence

[Stifler]

Buying Jack Wills.

 

Another shit brand

Quite popular though, most skinny people between the ages of 13-21 have a wardrobe full of their stuff. It would be interesting to see what he does with it, most brands he buys he cheapens the quality and look of, though his Flannels stores sells other brands well. I’m not sure he’d be able to own a brand and not be wanting to cut corners with them.

 

Might be popular but it's not a viable business hence the administration.  Brick and mortar stores need to come up with a new strategy if they're to somehow compete with online.

Could be in admin because of mismanagement. Jack Wills has a decent online profile. There is always offers and students can save in purchases with them. Again, everything comes down to how he manages it, personally I think he would be wise to just address the issues that led to it being placed into admin, and to run it separately. If he turns it into Everlast and sells via SD, he’ll ruin the brand and the customers won’t go for it. A lot of people buy theirs stuff because they want joggers that don’t make them look like a chav.

[geordiedean]

Buying Jack Wills.

 

Another shit brand

Quite popular though, most skinny people between the ages of 13-21 have a wardrobe full of their stuff. It would be interesting to see what he does with it, most brands he buys he cheapens the quality and look of, though his Flannels stores sells other brands well. I’m not sure he’d be able to own a brand and not be wanting to cut corners with them.

 

Might be popular but it's not a viable business hence the administration.  Brick and mortar stores need to come up with a new strategy if they're to somehow compete with online.

Could be in admin because of mismanagement. Jack Wills has a decent online profile. There is always offers and students can save in purchases with them. Again, everything comes down to how he manages it, personally I think he would be wise to just address the issues that led to it being placed into admin, and to run it separately. If he turns it into Everlast and sells via SD, he’ll ruin the brand and the customers won’t go for it. A lot of people buy theirs stuff because they want joggers that don’t make them look like a chav.

 

Its aimed at a select demographic though skinny students mainly very much like Abercrombie. If you're over 25 and carrying any extra timber no way can you or would you wear that crap

[Mister_Glass]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-adidas-and-nike-will-not-play-ball-with-mike-ashley-r3phl9px7

 

Why Adidas and Nike will not play ball with Mike Ashley

The Sports Direct tycoon is raising his game to appease the sporting goods giants that have shunned him for so long, reports Sam Chambers.

 

With its giant branches of TK Maxx and Poundland, Thurrock’s tatty retail park is a big draw for the bargain-hunters of Essex. For Mike Ashley, it is ground zero in his battle to polish up the country’s grubbiest sports retailer.

 

Thurrock’s new-look Sports Direct store features some unusual flourishes. Greenery dangles over the edges of soft lighting fixtures. On the artificial grass of the football area, children recline in leather dugout-style seats while staff fetch their preferred boots. If they get bored, they can immerse themselves in the neon-lit gaming arena while their parents charge their phones. There’s not an oversized Sports Direct mug in sight.

 

However, Ashley’s true targets are not the shoppers of Essex, but Adidas and Nike, the giants of sporting goods, which systematically deprive him of their most desirable tracksuits and trainers.

 

At a shambolic results presentation on July 26, the 54-year-old conceded his charm offensive was not going well. “The next generation of consumers do not want the old Sports Direct way of shopping,” said Ashley. “They [Nike and Adidas] have good brand representation in the market with the likes of JD Sports and Foot Locker. So they have got this distribution, they are very comfortable with that . . . why do they need to distribute over here? They are taking it slowly and naturally we want to push faster.”

 

Sports Direct’s results had been delayed because of a surprise £605m bill — roughly half the value of the entire company — received from Belgian tax authorities the previous day. Since that bombshell, Ashley has been furiously investigating who at Sports Direct knew about the issue, which dates back several years — and why they didn’t tell him.

 

The sense of chaos was deepened by the disclosure that House of Fraser, bought out of administration for £90m a year ago, had lost £55m in eight months, and was in such a bad state that Ashley could not provide financial forecasts for the current year. Since the results delay, Sports Direct’s shares have fallen 8% to close at 221p on Friday.

 

However, the admission that Nike and Adidas are reluctant to play ball has graver implications, threatening Ashley’s strategy to improve Sports Direct, which has been left behind in the athleisure boom. Sports Direct remains the core of his empire. Sales from his UK Sports Retail division, largely comprising Sports Direct, contributed £2.2bn of the group’s £3.7bn sales last year but fell by 1.6% on a like-for-like basis.

 

Ashley charted a ruthless course to the top of the clubby sports retail industry, making his name after reporting rivals to the Office of Fair Trading for colluding to fix the prices of football shirts in 2001, resulting in multimillion-pound fines.

 

He subsequently forced the likes of JJB and Allsports out of business with savage discounting, funded through buying brands such as Slazenger and Donnay, then using the higher profit margins from those products to fund price cuts on goods from Nike and Adidas.

 

After rivals went bust, Ashley would pick over the carcasses. When JJB collapsed in 2012, he bought all its stock and the fixtures and fittings in its stores. After liquidating the stock, Ashley allegedly sent a “wrecking crew” into unwanted stores to rip up carpets, take out air-conditioning units and destroy wall panels so that rivals would not want them.

 

Even as the business grew at breakneck speed, Ashley and Sean Nevitt, his buying director, kept operating as market traders. Behind the scenes, acolyte Karen Byers kept staff in line. One former member of staff suggested that private investigators were hired to keep tabs on workers who were not trusted.

 

Brands below the top tier bore the brunt of Ashley’s antics. He is said to have ordered a small shipment of Hi-Tec trainers, paying up front, before re-ordering a much larger quantity and delaying payment. Once the shipment was on the water, Ashley allegedly told Hi-Tec he no longer wanted the shoes — before offering to take them at a knock-down price.

 

When Converse trainers were on trend, Ashley started buying additional pairs from eastern European wholesalers once he had sold his allocated stock.

 

“The brands hated working with them because they didn’t engage with people in a credible way,” said a former insider. “We would spend a huge amount of time building up relationships which they would then just tear down . . . Mike felt he was too powerful for anyone to say ‘no’.”

 

To combat the growing threat to their brands, Nike and Adidas, which generated a combined £52bn of sales last year, instituted a hierarchical system categorising retailers according to the quality of products they would receive, hampering Sports Direct’s ability to keep pace with the growth of rival JD Sports.

 

According to Berenberg analyst Graham Renwick, about a third of the Nike and Adidas ranges sold in JD are exclusive. Sports Direct has become more of a dumping ground.

 

JD Sports’ market value is now £6.2bn to Sports Direct’s £1.2bn, its share price having multiplied by 25 times in 10 years.

 

“They [Nike and Adidas] still depend on Ashley because he mops up all their mistakes,” said a former Nike executive. “If they need to sell an extra 50,000 pairs of shoes to hit quarterly numbers, they will be straight on the phone to Mike.”

 

Feeling marginalised, Ashley began flexing his financial muscle, spending about £200m on a stake in Adidas in 2007 in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to exert influence over the German powerhouse. Two years later, Ashley’s Newcastle United dropped Adidas as its kit manufacturer, ending a 14-year deal. Adidas subsequently refused to supply Sports Direct with Chelsea’s home kit.

 

Despite those bumps, Sports Direct motored on with little competition at the cheap-and-cheerful end of the market.

 

A wake-up call came in 2017, when Nike chief executive Mark Parker warned that “undifferentiated” and “mediocre” retail would not survive. He said the American giant would move its resources towards its own stores and those of a select group of distinguished retailers.

 

Since then, JD has moved to acquire the US chain Finish Line, which has 529 stores, for £400m, while Amazon has struck supply deals with Nike and Adidas.

 

Sports Direct’s answer is a strategy to “elevate” its stores with concepts such as the one in Thurrock. The effort is being led by Michael Murray, a 30-year-old property developer who is the partner of Ashley’s daughter and was paid £5.4m this year. Murray said he wasn’t interested in the Sports Direct “of old” and was focused on “elevating every aspect of the business to future-proof it”.

 

Last month’s results presentation was held at Sports Direct’s new industrial-chic headquarters in London’s Soho. Ashley has declined to take an office there, and there is no room for Byers, who called time on 28 years as Ashley’s right-hand woman after finding herself marginalised by the new strategy.

 

Murray has overhauled 20 of Sports Direct’s 487 UK stores and plans to renovate a further 30 this year — but concedes that significant headway with Nike and Adidas is unlikely until they are much further down the track, and that the limited co-operation to date means the level of expenditure is unjustifiable.

 

Ashley’s strategy will be a long, costly endeavour — but history shows that the belligerent billionaire will move heaven and earth to wrest back the advantage.

 

Rotund rivals fall out of love

One person unlikely to shed a tear for Mike Ashley is Sir Philip Green.

 

The rotund tycoons were frenemies for years. Green, owner of Arcadia, Topshop’s parent company, helped Ashley float Sports Direct for £2.2bn in 2007. A few weeks later, Ashley attended Green’s 55th birthday party in the Maldives, where he managed to offend another guest, Bob Wigley, the Merrill Lynch banker who had run the listing. He later apologised after being ticked off by Green.

 

The two emperors — Green called himself “Big Emp”, while Ashley was known as “Junior Emp” — fell out in 2016 when Ashley tried to buy the department store BHS from under Green’s nose by dealing directly with new owner Dominic Chappell. They clashed again last year when Ashley perceived that Green had blocked his efforts to buy HMV by using his influence over Hilco, the restructuring firm that had owned it since 2013.

 

Green particularly hates Justin Barnes, the trademark lawyer who acts as Ashley’s fixer in deals and who led the attempted purchase of BHS. Green, 67, has told friends that Barnes has “f***** every single deal up” for Ashley, 54, who has never commented on Barnes’s role at Sports Direct.

 

Green has watched Ashley’s move into department stores at House of Fraser with bemusement. The pair exchanged brief pleasantries at taxi millionaire Daryl Foster’s birthday party in Monaco in June but have not spoken since. A source said: “If Ashley wants to go and burn all his money doing stupid things, it’s up to him.”

[Mattoon]

I was just reading excerpts of that on twitter, interesting notes on Barnes. Sounds like a matter of when, not if his empire implodes at this rate.

[Stifler]

One massive mistake in that article. Micheal Murray is not a property developer, his dad is. He was never involved in his dads business, his dad viewing him as childish and irresponsible. Instead his dad funded his life abroad, going to different party destinations. He did DJ work in his spare time and that’s where he met Ashley’s daughter who was on holiday with her friends. He was able to put Ashley’s son in touch with some DJ’s in order to kick start his DJ career. Mike returned the favour by giving him a job at SD so that he could return home to a job to be with his daughter. No one, not even Micheal or even his father expected for Ashley to give him a job high up, they were expecting a job in name, instead Ashley walked into the HQ and told everyone that unless Mike says otherwise, whatever Micheal said, goes.

Ashley put a Ibiza DJ wannabe who’s own father did trust, in charge of a multi-million pound business because his daughter was fucking him.

[geordiedean]

So he runs us exactly the same way he runs every other business no wonder we lowball every selling club and it takes us a fucking eternity to do a buying deal