Sports World International up for flotation

According to the Telegraph, Sports World International has been valued at up to £2.5bn ahead of a possible flotation on the London stock market. Owner Mike Ashley is to decide early next year whether to press ahead with an initial public offering of the company, which includes the Sports World and Lillywhites retail operations, as well as a raft of UK and European brands Ashley turned on industry rivals in 2000, handing the Office of Fair Trading evidence of meetings held by sports retailers to fix the price of football shirts.

Ashley holds a 30 per cent stake in Blacks and is thought to hold stakes in JJB and JD. One way of achieving a listing would be for Sports World to back into Blacks. Last month leading sportswear brands voiced concerns that a bid for Blacks Leisure would lead to their brands being devalued. The Telegraph subsequently published that German sportswear giant Puma refused to supply Sportsworld with its products, and others in the industry are considering following suit.