Kicked in doors and stealthy billionaires

It is a recurring theme here that my reporting tends to be eventually vindicated.

Often it is years later.

Therefore, I make no apology for starting with the hilarious observation in May 2015 from the man who imagines billionaires.

In a properly functioning Fourth Estate, the  “wealth off the radar” scoop should have been a career-ending moment.

However, readers in Scotland have their own programme.

Back in May 2015 reported on this bizarre claim, and a newly acquired source at Sports Direct HQ assured me that no doors had been kicked in.

I was reminded of this hilarious piece of stenography when I caught up with my source at Shirebrook.

He’s high enough up the  Ashley chain of command to have very useful scéal from time to time.

I told him what Rugger Guy said to me at the Sports Direct vans delivering the Castore gear to Harlequins.

He chuckled at my question as he probably knew where it was going.

I put it to him that if Sports Direct and Castore were so entwined, then as Sevco’s kit suppliers, Big Mike was still in the Big House.

“Yeah, we are deeper into them now than ever!”

He clarified that he was referring to the ten-year-old club at Ibrox.

It remains to be seen what, if anything, will be in the RIFC year-end accounts about the settlement with Ashley.

The Shirebrook chap and I have danced around the possible quantum for many months.

In the end, he didn’t demur when I estimated that it might be in the region of £18m.

Now, on the basis that Sevco would struggle to pay a bill of that size, I then steered to conversation to the possibility that Big Mike would accept a new retail deal in lieu of payment.

Let’s just say that he didn’t dismiss the possibility that I was on the right track.

Is there a new retail deal between Sevco and Sports Direct?

Now, Rugger Guy has assured me that if such a thing were to have happened within the accounting year, then it really should be mentioned in the accounts.

Just don’t expect any such analysis in the Daily Radar.

3 thoughts on “Kicked in doors and stealthy billionaires”

  1. I know nothing about Accounts …but wouldn’t it be mandatory for Sevco to highlight the Ashley judgement (giving him either cash or a business deal) in their upcoming accounts?
    Or are businesses able to “hide ” things like this?
    If as Phil suggests its somewhere in the region of £18 million…. How the hell do you hide that?

    Reply
  2. That is interesting.
    If RIFC was potentially liable to SDI for c.£18M, then Big MIke was in a rather strong negotiating position to do a deal. SDI had RIFC by the short & curlies!

    SDI could have imposed a super longterm, incredibly onerous retail deal, [and anything else?], on the Blue Room.
    It will all come out in the wash via the RIFC Accounts this year and next.

    Bisgrove could have a humongous black hole in the commercial revenues this financial year! 🙂

    Reply

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