Sports Direct boss says he's been 'stabbed in the back'

[Jammy89]

Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has launched a furious attack on his firm's shareholders, accusing them of stabbing him and the company in the back.

He said shareholders had failed to support him and chairman Keith Hellawell, who resigned on Wednesday.

Mr Ashley denounced the "media circus" surrounding the firm and said "true entrepreneurs" would never be accepted.

Mr Hellawell stepped down after it emerged he was unlikely to be re-elected at the firm's annual meeting.

In his statement, Mr Ashley said shareholders had "made it extremely challenging for future engagement to take place".

He went on: "On the one hand they are delighted with our performance and progress, yet with the other hand they have stabbed Sports Direct and myself in the back by repeatedly hounding Keith Hellawell."

Mr Hellawell's decision to step down from the board followed last year's meeting where he was re-elected by just 53% of independent shareholders. He had said he would step down at the next annual meeting if he did not win their support again.

The former chief constable of West Yorkshire Police had faced criticism about the way Sports Direct was run.

Debenhams-House of Fraser tie-up eyed
House of Fraser bought by Sports Direct
Ashley vows to keep most House of Fraser stores open
Mr Ashley added: "It is blatantly apparent that true entrepreneurs will never be accepted in the public arena.

"The media circus surrounding Sports Direct, including but not restricted to matters connected to our AGM, only proves that whatever progress Sports Direct makes, it will always be subject to disproportionate scrutiny and misrepresentation."

'Above and beyond'
Mr Ashley said he had "gone above and beyond" in order to "rebuild the reputation of Sports Direct in the City", which had been tarnished by scandals centring on working conditions at its Derbyshire headquarters.

"These achievements have been widely recognised, and it has been acknowledged by a number of independent indexes that the reputation of Sports Direct has been significantly improved," he said.

Mr Ashley complained that "despite this progress", shareholders appeared to be affected by "the pressure of the media and certain other organisations".

More recently, Mr Ashley has attracted further media attention in connection with his plans for reviving the House of Fraser department store chain, which Sports Direct bought for £90m last month after it had collapsed into administration.

Mr Ashley said in conclusion: "The people within the Sports Direct group, including House of Fraser, are and will continue to be my number one priority."

My heart bleeds for him

He really doesn't like all the negative press he's getting and what a load of *******s about entrepreneurs not being welcome.

The bolded bit is of particular interest, we always knew where we ranked but he's now said it publicly, we aren't in that group (we're MASH i believe, which is separate to his SD group) so we're nothing to him except of use to push that group.

[Sclox]

Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has launched a furious attack on his firm's shareholders, accusing them of stabbing him and the company in the back.

He said shareholders had failed to support him and chairman Keith Hellawell, who resigned on Wednesday.

Mr Ashley denounced the "media circus" surrounding the firm and said "true entrepreneurs" would never be accepted.

Mr Hellawell stepped down after it emerged he was unlikely to be re-elected at the firm's annual meeting.

In his statement, Mr Ashley said shareholders had "made it extremely challenging for future engagement to take place".

He went on: "On the one hand they are delighted with our performance and progress, yet with the other hand they have stabbed Sports Direct and myself in the back by repeatedly hounding Keith Hellawell."

Mr Hellawell's decision to step down from the board followed last year's meeting where he was re-elected by just 53% of independent shareholders. He had said he would step down at the next annual meeting if he did not win their support again.

The former chief constable of West Yorkshire Police had faced criticism about the way Sports Direct was run.

Debenhams-House of Fraser tie-up eyed
House of Fraser bought by Sports Direct
Ashley vows to keep most House of Fraser stores open
Mr Ashley added: "It is blatantly apparent that true entrepreneurs will never be accepted in the public arena.

"The media circus surrounding Sports Direct, including but not restricted to matters connected to our AGM, only proves that whatever progress Sports Direct makes, it will always be subject to disproportionate scrutiny and misrepresentation."

'Above and beyond'
Mr Ashley said he had "gone above and beyond" in order to "rebuild the reputation of Sports Direct in the City", which had been tarnished by scandals centring on working conditions at its Derbyshire headquarters.

"These achievements have been widely recognised, and it has been acknowledged by a number of independent indexes that the reputation of Sports Direct has been significantly improved," he said.

Mr Ashley complained that "despite this progress", shareholders appeared to be affected by "the pressure of the media and certain other organisations".

More recently, Mr Ashley has attracted further media attention in connection with his plans for reviving the House of Fraser department store chain, which Sports Direct bought for £90m last month after it had collapsed into administration.

Mr Ashley said in conclusion: "The people within the Sports Direct group, including House of Fraser, are and will continue to be my number one priority."

My heart bleeds for him

He really doesn't like all the negative press he's getting and what a load of *******s about entrepreneurs not being welcome.

The bolded bit is of particular interest, we always knew where we ranked but he's now said it publicly, we aren't in that group (we're MASH i believe, which is separate to his SD group) so we're nothing to him except of use to push that group.

That bit in bold was the thing that jumped out at me when I read it on the mag earlier. Confirmation of what we know.

[Kingstonbob1]

Must have been one of the Magpie Group when he wouldn’t allow any questions!

Isn’t he a big feckn cry baby. Can’t get his chocolate. God he’s detestable.

[ashingtoon62]

That bit in bold was the thing that jumped out at me when I read it on the mag earlier. Confirmation of what we know.

Aye as if we needed any further proof,what an odious cnut that man is...
He couldn't give a toss,but saying that it's obvious he doesn't like it up him.
This has to be the way forward for us as a fanbase,give the fu cker plenty of bad publicity.Together we can do this...

[Kingstonbob1]

Keith Hellawell former chief Constable of West Yorkshire. i thought I knew his name. God he’s gone down in the world mixing with Ashley. Must be a right slimy Cnut.

[ranat22]

i hope he loses every penny and has to get stabbed in the back(end) by tramps for half a polo and 3 draws of a woodbine!

[ex_pat_magpie]

Ashley saying "entrepreneurs not being welcome". Alan Sugar didn't do too badly as an entrepeneur.

[Kingstonbob1]

Ashley saying "entrepreneurs not being welcome". Alan Sugar didn't do too badly as an entrepeneur.

Aye and he has said that running a football club like a normal business just doesn’t work. He was at the club he loves and it didn’t work and showed what a top business man he is by getting out and allowing someone else to take the club forward. Ashley is just content treading water. In fact we’re like that woman who jumped off the ferry last month off Croatia. Watching the boat sail off and having to tread water for hour upon hour hoping that she would be saved. That’s us as a club.

[ex_pat_magpie]

That bit in bold was the thing that jumped out at me when I read it on the mag earlier. Confirmation of what we know.

Aye Ashley goes on about the "people within the group" being a number one priority.


Of course they are. Without the poor sods he'd be making no money and that is all he's concerned about.

[toptoon]

I would love to take all Ashley´s wealth away and make him an employee of SD for him to see what it´s like. He is wrong - entrepreneurs are encouraged but there are certain rules that people should follow without being called up for it in as much as treating other people, subordinates or not, in a decent manner. I mean, to take an extreme, should an entrepreneur who has slaves be allowed? I think anybody could get rich quick in any business if they had free (or very cheap!) labour at their disposal and were thick skinned enough.

He is a despicable man and a liar - motivated by selfish greed and a hunger for money with no interest or sense of responsibility to the well being of his employees or clients. People like him make the world a worse place to live in.