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Mike Ashley (businessman)
Michael James Wallace Ashley (born 9 September 1964) is a British billionaire retail entrepreneur focused in the sporting goods market, and the chief executive of Frasers Group Plc (formerly Sports Direct International). He entered the department store industry following the acquisition of House of Fraser post-administration in 2018. He was formerly the owner of Newcastle United football club, having bought it for £135 million in 2007 until selling the club in October 2021. According to The ''Sunday Times Rich List'' in 2021, Ashley is the 61st richest person in the UK with an estimated net worth of £2.718 billion. In August 2021 Ashley announced that he intended to step down as CEO of Frasers Group PLC in May 2022, but remain a Director of the main Board. Since Sports Direct International Plc went public, and his purchase of Newcastle United where he took to sitting in the stands with fans, Ashley took on a more public and accessible persona. However, after the depar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield. Walsall is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Walsall. It was transferred from Staffordshire to the newly created West Midlands County in 1974. At the 2011 census, the town's built-up area had a population of 67,594, with the wider borough having a List of English districts by population, population of 269,323. Neighbouring settlements in the borough include Darlaston, Brownhills, Pelsall, Willenhall, Bloxwich and Aldridge. History Early settlement The name Walsall is derived from "Walhaz, Walh halh", meaning "valley of the Welsh", referring to the Celtic Britons, British who first lived in the area. However, it is believed that a manor was held here by William Fitz-An ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lillywhites
Lillywhites is a sports retailer based at Piccadilly Circus, London, United Kingdom. It is a division of Frasers Group. History In the 19th century, several members of the Lillywhite family were leading cricketers; another, Fred Lillywhite, organised the first overseas tour by an England team to North America in 1859. In 1866, the Lillywhite "No. 5" football was chosen for a London v. Sheffield challenge match organised by The Football Association; the same model in the early years of the FA Cup and was the ancestor of the International Football Association Board's modern ball specifications. In 1886, the Ivy League chose the Lillywhite "No. J" as the standard for American college footballs. The shop has been based at its current location of 25 Regent St. on Piccadilly Circus since 1925, catering to the London market with specialist departments for croquet and real tennis. In 1930, Messrs Lillywhite Ltd. supplied pilot Amy Johnson with her flying kit. Lillywhites' policy wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blacks Leisure Group
Blacks Outdoor Retail Ltd. is a British retailer, headquartered in Bury, Greater Manchester, England which owns the British outdoor retailers Blacks, Millets and Ultimate Outdoors. Blacks is the largest outdoor retailer in the UK with stores nationwide. The company entered administration in 2012 and is now owned by JD Sports Fashion plc. JD made a cash offer of £20 million for the majority of the retailer's 300 UK stores and said it will retain the majority of Blacks' 3,500 staff. Since the acquisition by JD Sports, Blacks head offices have been relocated to JD's head offices in Bury. History In 1931, Blacks of Greenock published the first ''Good Companions'' catalogue. In the Second World War, Blacks made tents for the Army and Navy and made fenders for boats on D-Day. During the early part of the war, the workshops in Greenock were destroyed by a parachute mine on 8 May 1941. They had a number of retail stores throughout the UK selling and renting camping equipment, cl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Umbro
Umbro is an English sports equipment manufacturer founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, Cheshire and based in Manchester. They specialise in football and rugby sportswear featuring their ''Double Diamond'' logo. Umbro products are marketed in over 100 countries.Umbro at Iconix Brand website . Retrieved 11 February 2013 The business was started by brothers Harold and Wallace Humphreys. The name is a of ''um'', from Humphreys, and ''bro'' from brothers. Since 2012, the marque is a subsidiary of American brand management company . < ...
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Lonsdale (clothing)
Lonsdale is a British sports equipment, textile and footwear brand focused on boxing and mixed martial arts established in London in 1960. Former boxer Bernard Hart started the brand as a boxing equipment company, but it eventually branched out into clothing as well. The company is named after Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, who in 1891 set up the first organised boxing matches with gloves, following the deaths of three boxers in bare-knuckle fights. the Lonsdale brand is owned and operated by Sports Direct owner the Frasers Group (formerly "Sports Direct International"). Products commercialised by Lonsdale include gloves, shorts, headguards, shin guards, hand wraps, jockstraps, punching bags, sneakers and boxing boots. The clothing line is composed of t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, leggings, shorts and underwear. History In 1959, former professional welterweight boxer Bernard Hart was granted permission to use the Lonsdale name by James Lowther, 7th Earl of Lonsdale. In 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kangol
Kangol is a British clothing company famous for its headwear. The name Kangol reflects the original materials for production, the K coming from the word 'silK' (a recent attribution to 'Knitting' is incorrect), the ANG from 'ANGora', and the OL from 'woOL'. Although no Kangol hat has ever actually been manufactured in Australia, the Kangaroo logo was adopted by Kangol in 1983 because Americans commonly asked where they could get "the Kangaroo hat". Early history Founded in 1938 by a Polish Jew, Jacques Spreiregen, Kangol produced hats for workers, golfers, and especially soldiers. Spreiregen, born Jacob Henryk Spreiregen in Warsaw in 1893, emigrated with his family to Paris in 1906. He then moved to London in 1914, where he worked as an importer and seller of various products that included wool, woollen goods, and berets. He served in the British Army in World War I, joining the Labour Corps to drive ambulances, and obtained British nationality in 1920. In 1938 he was join ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karrimor
Karrimor is a British brand of backpacks, outdoor and sports equipment, and clothing. The company was founded as the Karrimor Bag Company in 1946. Financial difficulties beginning in the late 1990s led to the company entering receivership in March 2003, after which the trademark was acquired by Sports Direct and is now used for various budget outdoor and running products. History Original company Early history Karrimor was founded and based in Lancashire, England, following World War II, with the company moving early on from Rawtenstall shop premises to nearby Clayton-le-Moors. Its history began in 1943, when Waterfoot bicycle shop owner Charles Parsons (1910–?) went blind from an accident that had occurred in 1939. Under war and post-war conditions, he was also unable to obtain saddlebag and pannier stock for sale, but was still able to buy local raw fabric. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dunlop Slazenger
Dunlop Slazenger was a sports equipment manufacturing company formed by now-defunct BTR plc by consolidating the various sports brands acquired as part their take-over of Dunlop Holdings in 1985. The company is most recognised for its involvement in golf, tennis, squash and badminton through the Dunlop Sport, Slazenger, Maxfli and Carlton Sports brands. Overview In 1996 the company was sold in a management buyout backed by private equity firm Cinven. This arrangement did not have a successful existence, and Dunlop Slazenger soon found itself being run by the banks, led by The Royal Bank of Scotland. Under the banks management, TaylorMade-adidas Golf took up their option to purchase the Maxfli golf brand in 2004, following a previous licensing arrangement, and the rights to Slazenger Golf in North America were sold to the Slazenger Golf Products Company. The remainder of Dunlop Slazenger was eventually sold to Sports Direct for £40 million in 2004. Since then Dunlop, Slazenger ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Donnay Sports
Donnay Sports is a sports equipment brand currently owned by Frasers Group. The company was founded in 1910 by Emile Donnay and was based in Couvin, Belgium. Donnay manufactured wooden tennis rackets from 1934, and by the 1970s was the largest manufacturer of tennis rackets in the world. However, the company failed to adapt to the new market for graphite rackets, and entered administration in 1988. After a succession of owners, the brand was eventually sold to Sports Direct International, who continue to license the use of the brand worldwide. Nowadays Donnay commercialises tennis rackets, strings and bags. Donnay rackets were used professionally in Europe by Björn Borg from 1975 until his retirement in 1983. Other professionals included Andre Agassi, Rod Laver and Greg Rusedski. History The company was founded in 1910 by Emile Donnay (1885–1972) as a wooden tool handle manufacturing co-operative with six employees. Emile Donnay had little education and a modest background. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matalan
Matalan is a British fashion and homeware retailer based in Knowsley, Merseyside. It was established by John Hargreaves in 1985, and is still owned by the Hargreaves family. , the company employed over 13,000, and had 230 stores in the United Kingdom, together with franchise stores in the Middle East. History John Hargreaves opened the first Matalan store in 1985 at Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancashire. There were fifty stores by 1995, and in 1997, the company moved its headquarters from Preston to Skelmersdale, also in Lancashire. The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1998, but taken private again by the Hargreaves family in October 2006. During 2009, John Hargreaves sought to sell off Matalan, but by February 2010, had failed to find buyers willing to meet the £1.5 billion price. Jason Hargreaves was appointed managing director in July 2013. The headquarters moved to a purpose built site at Knowsley, Merseyside in 2014. The company won approval for th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Hargreaves (businessman)
John Hargreaves (born January 1944) is a Monaco-based British businessman, the founder and chairman of the UK out-of-town discount clothing and homeware chain Matalan. Career John Hargreaves was born in January 1944 in Everton, Liverpool, Everton, the son of a docks labourer, one of eight children who all shared one bedroom in a Liverpool terrace house. Hargreaves left school at 14, went into the retail business when he was 16, and opened the first Matalan store in Preston, Lancashire, Preston in 1985. Matalan has over 200 stores in the UK, and employs over 16,000 people. He resigned as chairman of Matalan in November 2007, less than a year after taking the company private. His daughter Maxine purchased British womenswear retailer Fenn Wright Manson for an undisclosed sum on 28 March 2012. According to The ''Sunday Times Rich List'' in 2019 his net worth was estimated at £600 million. Personal life Hargreaves married aged 19, and has three children, Jason, Jamey, and Maxine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
JJB Sports
JJB Sports plc was a British sports retailer. On 24 September 2012, shares in JJB Sports were suspended, and the firm called in administrators. On 1 October 2012, it was announced that Sports Direct had purchased part of the business, including 20 stores, the brand, and its website for £28.3 million. Corporate history The original JJB sportshop was founded in the beginning of the 1900s. It was expanded and incorporated in 1971, when ex footballer and supermarket chain operator Dave Whelan acquired a single sports shop in Wigan, and immediately opened a second sports goods outlet in his supermarket in Sutton, St Helens. The original JJB sports store was established by John Jarvis Broughton in the beginning of the 1900s, and later was purchased by John Joseph Bradburn. As these initials were all the same, the business was known locally as JJB’s. When Whelan bought the store from Bradburn, he kept the JJB name. During the beginning of the 1990s, the store portfolio gre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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