Sports World

Shirebrook is a town in the Bolsover district of north-east Derbyshire on the border with Nottinghamshire, England. At the 2001 UK Census it had a population of 9,291 , 10,412 . It is on the B6407, and close to the A632 road, between Mansfield and Bolsover. The town is served by Shirebrook railway... station. Shirebrook is a small market town with a market square surrounded by several shops. There is a large Co-operative food, 2 butchers, carpet shops, a photographers, 2 card shops, 4 cake shops, 3 Tattooists, 2 furniture shops, a baby shop, 2 pet shops, 3 cafes, 4 pubs, a lock smith, 1 solicitors, 2 DIY stores, multiple take-aways and 2 pharmacists. Shirebrook is home to many small local businesses. Much of the growth and prosperity of the town was built around coal mining. Shirebrook Colliery opened in 1896 and closed in 1993. Like many former 'pit towns' in the area this led to high unemployment and other social problems. The former site of the colliery is currently being redeveloped. The Kissingate Leisure Centre is on Park Road.
more

Sports Direct International plc is a British retailing group. Founded in 1982 by former county squash coach Mike Ashley, the company is now the UK's largest sporting retailer through a number of retail subsidiaries and sports equipment brands. Although now a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange, Ashley continues to hold around 71% of Sports Direct as of July 2010. The company is also a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. The... company was founded by Mike Ashley in 1982 as a single store in Maidenhead trading under the name of Mike Ashley Sports. During the 1980s Mike Ashley began opening Sport and Ski shops in and around London: by 1990, there were three registered and recorded outlets. The chain expanded quickly funded by private money and profit from the stores, and by the late 1990s Ashley had rebranded the chain Sports Soccer and opened over 100 stores across the United Kingdom. However, as a sole trader and not having to file accounts at Companies House, little was known about him even by rival retailers.
more