Mike Ashley lay under tables to nap during boring meetings

Mike Ashley lay under tables to nap during boring meetings

Sports Direct billionaire Mike Ashley vomited in a pub fireplace at a company meeting after downing 12 pints of lager during a drinking competition with a colleague, a court has heard.

The Newcastle United owner allegedly held senior management meetings which turned into 'pub lock-ins' involving flowing alcohol, kebabs and drinking games, a judge heard. 

It is also alleged that he played Spoof - a popular drinking game where the loser buys a round of drinks - to decide who paid an investment bank's fees.

He would also lie under tables and 'take a nap' at meetings he found boring, a judge heard today. 

The allegations emerged at the High Court as investment banker Jeffrey Blue launched legal proceedings against t he tycoon, accusing him on reneging on a deal made while drinking at the Horse & Groom in Marylebone.  

Sports Direct billionaire Mike Ashley would lie under tables and 'take a nap' at meetings he found boring, Investment banker Jeffrey Blue told a court today

Mr Blue claims the billionaire, who started his sports business with a single shop in Maidenhead, promised to pay him £15 million if he used his expertise to increase Sports Direct's share price to £8 a share.

He says Mr Ashley paid only £1 million so has taken him to court to recoup the rest.   

According to his account of the meeting, attended by executives from Portuguese banking giant Espirito Santo, Mr Ashley told them: 'If he can get the stock to £8 per share why should I give a f*** how much I have to pay him, as I will have made so much money it doesn't matter'. 

Mr Ashley and his lawyers disputed the al legations and called the claims made by Mr Blue 'extremely vague'.   

In a written statement, Mr Blue told the judge how he had been a frequent visitor to Sports Direct's head office in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, and had attended several senior management meetings at the Green Dragon pub in Alfreton, Derbyshire.

He said these meetings had been 'like no other meeting' that he had ever attended in his career. 

Mr Blue said: It was effectively a 'pub lock-in' with alcohol continuing to be served well beyond closing hours and fish and chips or kebabs being provided throughout the evening.

'On one such evening, in front of his senior management team, Mr Ashley challenged a young Polish analyst in my team, Pawel Pawlowski, to a drinking competition.

'Mr Ashley and Pawel would drink pints of lager, with vodka "chasers" betwee n each pint and the first to leave the bar area for whatever reason was declared the loser.

'After approximately 12 pints and chasers Pawel apologised profusely and had to excuse himself.'

He added: 'Mr Ashley then vomited into the fireplace located in the centre of the bar, to huge applause from his senior management team.'   

Today marks the first day of the case at the High Court as Judge Mr Justice Leggatt has started anaylsing evidence this morning.  

In papers filed to the court by Mr Blue's lawyers, the former Merrill Lynch banker made further claims about the way Mr Ashley conducts business.

He said the billionaire would 'often conduct business, discussions and agreements' orally and 'while consuming alcohol'.

High Court battle: Mike Ashley (centre) faces claims he held boozy meetings and made business deals in the pub 

He alleged that the company's senior management meeting would be a boozy event held every Tuesday night.

Sports Direct bosses would meet at the Lion Hotel in Worksop, a short drive from Sport Direct's head office in Derbyshire, the claim says.  

The conferences 'typically commenced in the bar area at around 8pm with Mr Ashley drinking alcohol at the bar while in discussions with management'. 

Mr Blue alleges dinner would be served at around 10.30pm with the gathering concluding typically concluding between '1am and 3am'.

Mr Ashley strongly denies any agreement was made and has branded the claims 'extremely vague'. 

Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley and his wife Linda ahead of a hearing with MPs at Parliament last year during a row over working conditions

His defence notes that a 'considerable amount of alcohol was drunk in the pub' which led to 'banter' on various topics.

Mr Blue was paid a 'discretionary bonus' of £1m by Mr Ashley in May 2014 and claims he is still owed the outstanding £14m, though the Sports Direct founder denies this payment was a part of the alleged £15m Horse and Groom deal.

According to Mr Blue's legal team, Mr Ashley acknowledged the previous agreement, but claims he tried to change its terms allegedly saying: 'It won't surprise you to know I am going to renegotiate our deal.'

Mr Ashley suggested Mr Blue became finance director, which would entitle him to a potential share payout of £8.2million th e following year and a salary of £150,000. 

Last year the billionaire was caught trying to bug a private conversation between MPs by planting a camera near a tray of sandwiches at its warehouse.

Mr Ashley's business was accused of trying to spy on six members of the business select committee, who had made a surprise visit to its Derbyshire site in order to inspect working conditions. Sports Direct bosses later denied the bug was anything to do with them.

The inspection aimed to check whether the firm and its boss Mike Ashley had fixed the poor working practices laid bare in a damning report this summer.

But in a 'disgraceful' act, an employee was caught sneaking a camera and microphone into the meeting room where the MPs had gathered to discuss their findings.

When confronted with the device, Sports Direct staff claime d it must have already been in the room â€" with Mr Ashley even suggesting the MPs had planted it themselves, according to committee chairman Iain Wright. 

Anna Turley, MP for Redcar, who posted a picture of the device and the sandwiches on Twitter, said: 'I couldn't believe it. I watched her put the device on the floor and when she left I said 'b****y hell guys they are trying to record us'. It's not James Bond, more Austin Powers. They wanted to know what was discussed about our trip. I was just really shocked, it is really unprofessional.' 

A photo from Anna Turley's Twitter page shows the moment MPs realised there was a recording device under a stool and some sandwiches as they toured the Sports Direct headquarters

Blunder: In September last year Mr Ashley looked embarrassed as he took a giant wad of at least £1,000 in £50 notes from his pocket as he entered the warehouse where his staff were paid below the minimum wage

It was another blow for Mr Ashley, who had given a tour of the controversial warehouse in the September.

During the AGM before it he lost his temper when a union leader confronted him about working conditions.

His charm offensive faltered further after he took a giant wad of at least £1,000 in £50 notes from his pocket as he entered the warehouse where his staff were paid below the minimum wage.

Amid heated exchanges at the AGM, Mr Ashley clashed with members of Unite, including assistant general secretary Steve Turner, blaming the union for business's problems.

Sports Dire ct International founder Mike Ashley and his wife Linda arrive to attend a select committee hearing at Portcullis house in June.

He said: 'It's probably your fault that we're in this mess' and claimed that he had been unable to speak to Unite about the warehouse problems.

Mr Turner had enraged the Newcastle United owner after suggesting that Mr Ashley should be offering more guaranteed hours to staff.

During a tour of the company's Shirebrook warehouse, Mr Ashley said he did not 'knowingly' or 'deliberately' run the operation badly, adding that the firm's rapid growth and the sheer scale of the business had made it difficult to get it right.

The night before Mr Ashley also scrapped the company's ruthless 'six strikes and you're out policy' with staff penalised for taking a short break to drink water, going to the toilet or chatting to colleagues.

He has also promised to help the thousands of warehouse workers languishing on controversial 'zero hours' contracts and will have an employee representative on the board. 

 

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