Mike Ashley, the founder of Sports Direct, has openly acknowledged his involvement in the covert surveillance that led to the downfall of Peter Cowgill, the former chairman of JD Sports. In a revealing interview with the Financial Times, Ashley admitted that individuals in his employment recorded footage of Cowgill meeting with Barry Bown, the chief executive of Footasylum, in a car park in 2021.
At the time, JD Sports was in the process of acquiring Footasylum, a trainer retailer, and the two companies were prohibited from sharing commercially sensitive information. The secret footage, which was subsequently obtained by the Sunday Times, triggered an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority. This ultimately resulted in fines totalling nearly £5 million and Cowgill's departure from JD Sports.
Ashley's Unapologetic Stance
Ashley did not shy away from his role in the affair, stating that he was not "hiding from the fact" that he wanted to topple Cowgill. He remarked to the Financial Times that Cowgill "shouldn't have been in the car park and maybe I shouldn't have been in the bushes," adding that associates in his employ had captured the video. "No one is perfect," Ashley said, while still maintaining that he believed Cowgill "knew what I was going to do – so then why did he do it?"
A Prominent and Unorthodox Figure
Mike Ashley is one of the most recognisable and unconventional figures on the UK high street. According to the Sunday Times rich list, his personal wealth exceeds £3 billion. Although he stepped down as chief executive of Frasers Group—formerly known as Sports Direct—in 2022, he retains a 73% stake in the company. The business, which he built from a single sports store in Maidenhead, England, in 1982 with a £10,000 loan from his parents, now encompasses House of Fraser, Flannels, Evans Cycles, and other brands.
Reactions and Implications
After the existence of the covert footage with Bown became public, Cowgill suggested to the Sunday Times that it had been recorded on behalf of a "key competitor" and expressed concern that they had been able "to go to those lengths." Ashley, however, defended his actions by framing them within his personal code of fairness. "I'm not Mary Poppins – when you get in a fight with me, I'll come back at you. But I'm not devil incarnate," he told the Financial Times.
JD Sports and Footasylum declined to comment on the matter. The episode highlights the intense rivalries and sometimes questionable tactics within the retail industry.
