General Ashley was in Glasgow two days ago.
I’m told that he was looking over his most recent acquisition.
Interestingly, Big Mike was willing to take time out from looking over the House of Fraser to have a sit-down with the Sevco High Command.
However, he didn’t get a reply after he had told them that he was in town and available for a meeting.
The thing is the chaps in the Blue Room will have to deal with the Sports Direct whether they want to or not.
I’m afraid that fingers in the ears and saying “la la la” just isn’t a sustainable strategy for Sevco.
Meanwhile, spare a thought for those poor folk at Hummel.
They were guilty of putting all of their UK eggs into the basket of assets.
Last month I put the following questions to JD Sports:
Did JD Sports enter into negotiations with representatives of Rangers FC (or subsidiary companies of Rangers FC) to be a retail partner?
Is JD Sports still involved in those negotiations?
After some delays their PR person finally responded with:
“I’m afraid JD Sports are unavailable for comment.”
For the avoidance of doubt, I rarely put in a formal question to an organisation unless I already know the answer so no harm done then.
The cunning plan to outflank General Ashley was to have Hummel kit sold through the JD Sports retail operation.
Indeed I would not be surprised if the land had been acquired for a new store within shouting distance of Ibrox.
Despite the glib and shameless nature of the plan it rather fell down because the Conveyancing Consigliere didn’t spot the import of several key clauses in the retail deal signed with Ashley in the summer of 2017.
Perhaps the fact that Big Mike sent his top three contract lawyers to negotiate that Favourable Settlement should have been a warning to the Sevco legal expert.
You may recall that the Stenography Corps dutifully trumpeted this new deal as a great victory for King over Ashley.
Of course, this fantasy was swallowed whole by The People and they flocked to Big Mike’s superstore in triumph.
It was a pitiful sight…
Now the basket of assets could find themselves at the centre of a three-pronged litigation with Ashley, Hummel and JD Sports as the plaintiffs.
At the moment, every time the Hummel folk watch a match involving Mr Gerrard’s boys they will see The People sporting counterfeit Sevco apparel in XXXL.
This tat is manufactured in various parts of the Levant.
Moreover, it doesn’t earn a penny for Hummel or Sevco.
The latter remains a lossmaking business without a credit line from a bank.
For the avoidance of doubt, General Ashley knows that.
Consequently, time is on his side.
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No doubt the Peepul will have noticed that the Turkish Lira is very good value at present and may well have despatched an emissary to check out the goods on sale. I can see a few odd looks on their return from the Customs & Excise Officers as they go through the nothing to declare exit at Glasgow Airport. .
Oh dear. And I imagine there must be quite a stockpile of official Hummel shirts diminishing in value by the day. But the good news is that last season’s Puma shirts are still available on the Sevco website.
The fools at the pointed end of the Ipox retail outfit are unfit for purpose. I run a small company and if I or ant of my staff acted like the morons at Ipox I would be handing out P45’s. The ineptitude is chronic, they are without doubt ‘useless’. Now where is the sherry?
Do I hear the rumble of Big Mike’s tanks rolling into position in the world famous Albion Car Park. Or are they already in position and the rumble I hear is the gun turrets swiveling to point at the crumbledome.
You say the Levant Phil. This got me thinking.
Some of these budding entrepreneurs might be linked to ISIL/DAESH/ISIS.
Some of the shirt making operations could well have links to the terrorists.
Just makes you think eh, the sevvies funding the terrorists whilst the the brave spokesman mr Chris, (peace be upon him as u say) on the internet frontline Pmsl. And of their brave boys, denied kit and funds from Rangers taxes (RIP), now find the people unwittingly funding terrorism, possibly
Class
General Cashley has done King up like a tofu Christmas turkey.
The Gauteng gobshite talks a good game, but it is increasingly apparent that actually running a business to, you know, succeed and make a profit is not entirely his field of expertise.
Colour us all astonished, like.
Words like “are coming”, “roost”, “home”, and “the chickens” spring to mind.
Stoap it Phil, just stoap it !!
Roll in the Tanks big Mike, finish this disease ridden mob off..
HH
Phil – you mentioned in your penultimate paragraph that sevco do not have a credit line from a bank, however, you omitted to mention that they have an.. ahem!.. “overdraft facility” with those nice Close Brothers people. 😂😂😂
I’ve read the new kits will be available and “trading as normal in early 2019”. Surely the folk at Hummel must be thinking of pulling out?
They ignore Mike Ashley at their peril. If he doesn’t make any money out of it then he’ll make damn sure sevco won’t. It must be sickening for the much indebted board to watch the klan turn up to Ibrox dressed to the nines in their fake Hummin gear. Loyal through and through and aye ready for a knock-off, they are the peepul. JD Sports and Hummell will want their pound of flesh too and quite rightly so. More legal fees to be gathered from the gullibillies but that should be easy considering what they’re asking for tickets for the Europa games. Good intel, Phil. HH
Aye, and lets face it, the gullibillys can afford it. What with all the money they’re saving buying cheap fake strips!