Mike Ashley, the founder of Sports Direct, has admitted to orchestrating the secret filming of Peter Cowgill, the former chair of JD Sports, which ultimately led to Cowgill's downfall. The covert footage, recorded in 2021, captured Cowgill meeting with Barry Bown, the boss of Footasylum, in a car park. At the time, JD Sports was in the process of acquiring Footasylum, and the two companies were prohibited from sharing commercially sensitive information.
The Fallout from the Secret Recording
The video, which was later obtained by the Sunday Times, triggered a regulatory investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority. This led to fines totaling nearly £5 million and Cowgill's removal from his position at JD Sports. Ashley, a billionaire with a net worth exceeding £3 billion according to the Sunday Times rich list, did not deny his involvement. In an interview with the Financial Times, he stated, “I’m not hiding from the fact” that he wanted to topple Cowgill. He added, “He shouldn’t have been in the car park and maybe I shouldn’t have been in the bushes,” acknowledging that people in his employ had recorded the video.
Ashley's Justification
Ashley, known for his unorthodox approach to business, defended his actions by emphasizing his belief in fairness. “No one is perfect,” he told the FT. “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 also questioned Cowgill's judgment, saying, “He knew what I was going to do – so then why did he do it?”
Ashley stepped down as CEO of Frasers Group, the parent company of Sports Direct, in 2022 but retains a 73% stake in the business. The group, which he built from a single store in Maidenhead in 1982 with a £10,000 loan from his parents, now includes brands such as House of Fraser, Flannels, and Evans Cycles.
Cowgill, after the existence of the footage became public, suggested to the Sunday Times that it had been recorded on behalf of a “key competitor” and expressed concern over the lengths to which they had gone. JD Sports and Footasylum declined to comment on the matter.
