As Rangers count the cost of finally getting rid of Mike Ashley-related court drama at Ibrox, the controversial High St billionaire is giving Coventry City a headache of their own.
The Gers annual accounts revealed that the club likely paid around £6m to finally rid the club of Sports Direct and Mike Ashley court cases and influence.
Rangers’ current regime were locked in a series of high-profile court battles with the former Newcastle United owner with regards poorly weighted retail deals signed during the club’s rebuilding period.
But whilst Mike Ashley is no longer a person of interest or influence at Rangers, the retail drama continues at Ibrox with one of this regime’s latest deals also set to be hauled through the courts.
And whilst Rangers continue to battle on the retail front, Mike Ashley is also not done giving football clubs and their supporters headaches amid the latest news with Coventry City.
The Fraser’s Group chief has just served the Championship side a stadium eviction notice claiming that the Sky Blues have no right to continue using their own stadium.
Mike Ashley to evict Coventry City from stadium
Yes, as explained by BBC Sport, the Mike Ashley owned group have taken over at the Coventry Building Society Arena after buying its three former operating companies.
This comes after the demise of the Wasps rugby club, the former owners of the stadium who have entered administration, with the stadium’s operating companies snapped up by Fraser’s for £17m.
There’s been a long line of stadium disruption at the Ricoh Arena for Coventry, which the club has used for the most part since leaving Highfield Road in 2005.
Rent and ownership disputes have seen them play at the likes of Northampton’s Sixfields and Birmingham’s St Andrews in the past and now the club will need to find a new home ahead of the Championship season restarting.
Now, it’s certainly not for us to say, but there will be plenty of Rangers, Newcastle United and Coventry City fans asking quite why Mike Ashley bothers sticking his nose and money into football at all.
Because from the outside looking in – and even if fans are just speculating over Ashley’s motives – it certainly doesn’t appear to be for the love of the game, or the fans.
Meanwhile, Rangers face a Euro challenge for one reported Ibrox target.
