Sports world due for a shake up in 2007

Mike Ashley who owns Sportsworld, the highly successful and profitable discount sports retailer, Lillywhites, Slazenger/Dunlop and Donnay racquets, scooped up 29% of Blacks Leisure Group plc recently. Quietly, before Christmas he also relieved August Equity Trust of Kangol the quirky globalised hatter favoured by the unsmiling Samuel L. Jackson. (Pic Kangol kool and Sportsworld staff) for a mere £12 Mn.

Puma are rumoured to have refused Sportsworld supplies and majors like Nike and Adidas are getting nervous that he could reverse into Blacks - he is also rumoured to have some major stakes in JJB and JD. (Lonsdale by Lord Patel here)

As the appettite for sportswear is matched by an eye for a bargain .... maybe ther's a bargain to be had.