The Mail is reporting today that Newcastle owner Mike Ashley had talks with the FA about Sports Direct replacing Vauxhall as England’s team sponsor for this summer’s World Cup in Russia.
Vauxhall’s deal with the FA is due to run out later this year.
The deal finally broke down, but with all the bad headlines about Mike Ashley’s company, you would think the FA wouldn’t think twice before rejecting the deal.
Mike Ashley – how did he and Sports Direct get close to a deal with FA?
Also, the fact that Mike Ashley has hardly been a good owner of Newcastle United would also have had some impact on the talks.
The story is a short one by Charles Sale, and he says the talks finally broke down for a number of reasons, two of which were as follows:
- Concerns from England shirt suppliers Nike about discount store Sports Direct dictating price policy
- The FA would prefer a blue-chip company for a partner and a less controversial figure than Ashley
The proposed deal is supposed to have gone into detail via what are described as lengthy talks, and the thing we don’t understand is why that was the case.
Both Sports Direct and Mike Ashley himself come with considerable baggage to ever be linked with England and the FA.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
5 comments so far
Essex Geordie Bill
Feb 20, 2018 at 2:14 PM
Comment #1For smart business man he seems to be totally lacking in how to accept or manage good deals.
The next Mike Williamson
Feb 20, 2018 at 2:17 PM
Comment #2superior man? are you joking? in what what way?
Essex Geordie Bill
Feb 20, 2018 at 2:21 PM
Comment #3TMW
Where did the superior comment come from, it’s not in Ed’s text and I’ve not said that.
And my smart comment is irony.
mactoon
Feb 20, 2018 at 4:00 PM
Comment #4Ashley’s reputation seems to have been Sports Direct’s undoing here. The FA are probably aware how SD under Ashley’s directorship has conducted itself not only with the scandalous free advertising at NUFC but also how they have a stranglehold on shop deal profit with us and previously Glasgow Rangers. The FA are too money orientated to allow that to happen. They have a new stadium to pay for 🙂
I wonder what Sports Direct International (as a company) think of this, do they think Ashley is culpable or do they agree with it all. It was them after all who promised to start paying for the advertising. Whatever happened to that?
lesh
Feb 21, 2018 at 1:16 AM
Comment #5The FA would’ve talked to Ashley’s lot as a matter of courtesy and being wary of how litigation happy he is. If the talks were ‘lengthy’ it’s probably because Ashley didn’t hear the FA telling him that he and his tacky business is not really the sort of association it wants.