Sports Direct

[Beezerk]

Really interesting programme on C4 last night, but I'm not one bit surprised by how they operate to be honest. The main depot in Shirebrook looked more like a Nazi prison than a workplace!
I was though surprised that they seem to own the Newcastle Utd club shop, and all the money from sales go straight to Sports Direct.

 

[GreiginFife]

Wouldnt be surprised by anything they (Ashley) does. Sports Direct are buying up brands and businesses left, right and centre.
One thing for sure is he knows how to turn a profit. A real life Harry King as it were.

Does he, ergo, SD not own NUFC by way of a massive debt so profits from club shop pumped in to SD and the debt? Woukd make sense I suppose but dont know the ins and outs of how the ownership at NUFC is structured.

 

[Beezerk]

Does he, ergo, SD not own NUFC by way of a massive debt so profits from club shop pumped in to SD and the debt? Woukd make sense I suppose but dont know the ins and outs of how the ownership at NUFC is structured.

As far as I know none of the debt has been paid off yet but I'm here to be corrected on that. Would make sense for any profit the "club" makes to be put towards paying it off but it doesn't seem to be that way. The receipt from the NUFC store has the Sports Direct head office as the address, same price labels on their goods etc

 

[GreiginFife]

As far as I know none of the debt has been paid off yet but I'm here to be corrected on that. Would make sense for any profit the "club" makes to be put towards paying it off but it doesn't seem to be that way. The receipt from the NUFC store has the Sports Direct head office as the address, same price labels on their goods etc

All very odd in that case. It would make sense if the debt was paid for by the shop profit but there will no doubt be a maze of papertrails somewhere for it all.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Capitalism at it's peak.

The only way it can be stopped is by the public not buying any SD products.
Still quite a few Rangers shirts worn around here and they say weekends in Newcastle town centre is a mass of black and white.

 

[Fyldewhite]

Capitalism at it's worst. Not directly linked but on the immigration debate.....these are exactly the type of jobs that the a large majority of UK unemployed won't take....and I don't blame them. I'm so glad that I grew up in a world where employment rights mattered and employers had some sense of responsibility and duty of care for their workforce. There is a very real danger that all workplaces will be similar to this sooner than we think and the guy in the street will be back where we started 100 years ago.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Yes, my wife and I were discussing this last night.
We were so glad we lived in an era when staff were [generally] treated fairly.

We do seem to be regressing fast.
Greedy uncaring employers......... unions who have lost the support of their workers due to past excesses....poor government employment laws.... where do you start.

 

[Foxholer]

Some of the debt (about 15M from memory) was paid off a couple of years ago - after sale of high value players gave a significant profit. There's still something over 100M outstanding though - as an interest free loan form Ashley.

The current and near to mid-term club policy is pretty transparent though - survive in the cash cow that is the Premier League; continue to utilise the 50k+ capacity of St James's Park and the dedicated supporters; seek out and bring on young overseas players to be sold on for profit/income! Pretty much the Arsenal model, though at a slightly lower level! It's only supporter discontent to a level where they boycott Season Tickets (as per Rangers) that will force a change. I can't see that happening, though there will certainly be rumblings from now until a new Manager/Head Coach is appointed!

 

[Papas1982]

Capitalism at it's worst. Not directly linked but on the immigration debate.....these are exactly the type of jobs that the a large majority of UK unemployed won't take....and I don't blame them. I'm so glad that I grew up in a world where employment rights mattered and employers had some sense of responsibility and duty of care for their workforce. There is a very real danger that all workplaces will be similar to this sooner than we think and the guy in the street will be back where we started 100 years ago.

I think that's thinking far too high of a lot of the unemployed. Most on my estate choose not to work as they can still afford sky, iPhones and weekend beers without work. The state of contracts available don't even get considered.

 

[Beezerk]

I think that's thinking far too high of a lot of the unemployed. Most on my estate choose not to work as they can still afford sky, iPhones and weekend beers without work. The state of contracts available don't even get considered.

That's another subject all together, the full time unemployed with no intention of doing anything with their lives. Yet for some reason they have a chip the size of Europe on their shoulders with people who dare go to college/uni and do something remotely successful with themselves.

 

[Papas1982]

That's another subject all together, the full time unemployed with no intention of doing anything with their lives. Yet for some reason they have a chip the size of Europe on their shoulders with people who dare go to college/uni and do something remotely successful with themselves.

I believe they're known as Ukippers......

back to original point. I'd imagine Ashely has the legal side covered. So whilst morally in the wrong. He'll continue turn a proxy as long as Newcastle remain in the prem.

 

[MegaSteve]

I believe they're known as Ukippers......

Oh dear...

There's an awful lot of folk working in retail who's employment is subsidised by 'the system'... Other employers are seeing the benefits to their business of zero hours contracts... Inevitably 'the system' will be needed more and more to take up the 'slack'... Don't really see why taxpayer's should be having to subsidise profit making companies... Think there was a figure of £6Bn being bandied about on another thread recently...

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Wasn't this discovered by Man Utd shareholders a few years ago, at an AGM it was spotted there were no figures for the shop at the ground, it transpired it was owned by ex-players/ manager (I think) and nothing to do with the club.
Don't know if this is still the case.

 

[pbrown7582]

Wasn't this discovered by Man Utd shareholders a few years ago, at an AGM it was spotted there were no figures for the shop at the ground, it transpired it was owned by ex-players/ manager (I think) and nothing to do with the club.
Don't know if this is still the case.

it was many years ago run by Sandy Busby, now its franchised out to kitbag

 

[Papas1982]

Oh dear...

There's an awful lot of folk working in retail who's employment is subsidised by 'the system'... Other employers are seeing the benefits to their business of zero hours contracts... Inevitably 'the system' will be needed more and more to take up the 'slack'... Don't really see why taxpayer's should be having to subsidise profit making companies... Think there was a figure of £6Bn being bandied about on another thread recently...

my remark was in reference to people who can't be bothered to work and accept handouts. It wasn't at the people who work in retail. I was basing in my estate. Which is a clear example of handouts Britain balk g Johnny Foreigner for their lack of employment. Whilst being too good to take said jobs.

 

[pendodave]

Oh dear...

Don't really see why taxpayer's should be having to subsidise profit making companies... Think there was a figure of £6Bn being bandied about on another thread recently...

Ain't this the truth.

However the 'free marketers' like to spin it, a significant portion of the 'benefits' budget is spent subsidising profit making companies paying low wages and buy-to-let landlords with (in work) tenants on housing benefits.

It's a racket, but not how they'd like you to think of it.

Huge amounts of our bailouts/benefits end up in the pockets of the rich one way or another.

 

[Khamelion]

Ashley has done the same with Rangers, while his cohorts have been ousted from the board, when he could he bought into the shop, he holds all the marketing for the Rangers strip and other items in the shop.

He may not know how to run a football club, but he is one hell of a shrewd businessman and when he sees opportunity he grabs it, especially if it'll net him a shed load of cash.

I think the only way Rangers and probably Newcastle for that matter can gain control of their club shops would be to buy Ashley out and that would cost both clubs.

 

[fundy]

Ashley has done the same with Rangers, while his cohorts have been ousted from the board, when he could he bought into the shop, he holds all the marketing for the Rangers strip and other items in the shop.

He may not know how to run a football club, but he is one hell of a shrewd businessman and when he sees opportunity he grabs it, especially if it'll net him a shed load of cash.

I think the only way Rangers and probably Newcastle for that matter can gain control of their club shops would be to buy Ashley out and that would cost both clubs.

I assume because he isnt throwing money after more money at it he doesnt know how to run it?

 

[Khamelion]

I assume because he isnt throwing money after more money at it he doesnt know how to run it?

He hasn't a clue how a football club runs, he just sees Newcastle as he does Rangers as a cash cow in need of milking, which as a business he has done very well and fair play to him. As a very astute business man, hats off to the bloke, but as football club owner, my daughters hamster would have more idea.

 

[JT77]

Ashley has an interest free loan of 129 million outstanding at Newcastle. He 'loaned' the club the money when he bought it and even with all the profit being made and money that nobody knows where's it's going. The club still owes him! He is a parasite, using Newcastle for free advertising imo. As a businessman quite clearly he knows what he is doing, and as a business Newcastle is performing but as a club, he has ripped the heart out of it. I find it very frustrating as I grew up there and supported them all my life.
He will go nowhere whilst Newcastle are an advert for his shops.
I was talking to a friend here in ballymena a Rangers fan, I think he has closed all the Rangers shops and their merchandise is all through sd now.