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| | | | 02/10/2015 | Telegraph, Ashley Armstrong and Ben Marlow - Sports Direct accused of intimidating founder of Direct Golf | | | | | Sports Direct and Direct Golf in legal battle | | | | | The Telegraph reports that Sports Direct has been accused of intimidating the founder of Direct Golf after Sports Direct changed the locks on Direct Golf’s offices without warning.
The allegations are part of an extraordinary battle for control of the business between Direct Golf's founder, John Andrew, and Mr Ashley.
Sports Direct bought a stake in the 20-store golfing specialist last year and provided $3.8m of investment, according to Mr Andrew.
In July, Direct Golf reported a 48.5% slide in pre-tax profits to £329,000 and said that sales had fallen by almost 13% to £20.8m. After consulting with advisers at restructuring firm Begbies Traynor, Mr Andrew filed a notice of administration in a court in Leeds on Thursday afternoon.
However, he alleges that overnight Sports Direct, of which Mr Ashley is deputy chairman, filed wind-up proceedings to 'gazump' Begbies Traynor’s appointment in favour of doing a pre-pack deal with its own firm of administrators.
Mr Andrew alleges that Sports Direct also removed him from Direct Golf’s as a director, without informing him.
Furthermore, Mr Andrew claims that while he was consulting with his lawyers in Manchester, Sports Direct had changed the locks on Direct Golf’s head offices in Milnsbridge, Huddersfield forcing 180 staff to leave the premises.
Mr Andrew said that Sports Direct’s actions were unfounded as he personally owned the building rather than Direct Golf. |
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