Ashley Goes Into Battle!

Last updated : 24 February 2010 By Footy Mad - Editor

NU

You'd think Mike Ashley would have enough to worry about at the moment, with Sports Direct still the subject of various competition probes.

But that hasn't stopped him wading back into the battle over the future of rivals Blacks Leisure.

Blacks, which only narrowly avoided administration last year (after cutting a deal with creditors), wants to raise £22m so it can open 35 new stores over the next two years, refurbish 130 of its existing outlets and refinance some of its debt.

However, this plan seemingly doesn’t meet with the approval of Ashley, who intends to try and scupper the whole shooting match by voting against them (assuming the SD board approves). 

It’s hard enough at the best of times to keep up with goings-on at Sports Direct, and it all gets very confusing.

Anyway, what is clear is that, despite Sports Direct’s well-publicised headaches (it still has the Office of Fair Trading and the Serious Fraud Office on its back), Ashley clearly still wants to have an influential say in the fate of his rival retailers.