RANGERS’ long-running feud with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley appears to finally be OVER as the Ibrox side eye a new retail partner away from Sports Direct.
Steven Gerrard’s side have been mired in a series of costly legal rows with Sports Direct-chief Ashley for seven years in a row over claims to the club’s merchandising rights.
Mike Ashley is in talks with Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Group about the sale of NewcastleCredit: PA:Press Association
But that arrangement comes to an end at the end of this season and the club’s commercial and marketing director James Bisgrove is confident that the club are at the start of a new era.
Rangers are to renovate the megastore at the club’s stadium – which had previously been under Sports Direct’s stewardship – and are set to announce details of their new kit supplier “imminently”.
There is speculation that will be Liverpool-based sports retailers Castore, who have supplied Andy Murray’s kit for the last 12 months and are keen to break into the football sector.
Bisgrove said: “The club is incredibly excited to introduce its new kit & retail partner to Rangers supporters world-wide imminently.
“This represents a clean slate and marks the start of a new era in the club’s commercial retail operations.
This represents a clean slate and marks the start of a new era in the club’s commercial retail operations.
Rangers commercial and marketing director
“The partnership will be a significant step forward in Rangers’ recent history.”
While Rangers terminated a merchandise agreement with Sports Direct last year, the firm should have been given the chance to compete with new offers.
With the coronavirus crisis decimating the retail sector, Ashley is now on the verge of selling Newcastle for around £300million to a group led by Amanda Staveley.
The Gers won the latest round of a legal fight with Sports Direct over the terms of an injunction in January.
A company in the Sports Direct Group, SDI Retail Services, had complained about Rangers being in breach of obligations under deals relating to replica kit.
But a judge confirmed the Light Blues were entitled to be paid around £2.8million in outstanding cash owed by kit supplier Hummel and their brand partner Elite.
Ashley, a former Rangers shareholder, struck a deal with a previous board that saw his company take in around 93p from every £1 made from the sale of strips and merchandise.
That deal led to some fans boycotting Sports Direct stores and their sale of Rangers kit.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
