The Profile: Mike Ashley

The Newcastle United owner and self-confessed ‘power drinker’ is banking on his latest sponsorship deal being just the tonic to revive the poor performance of the Irish arm of his Frasers Group

Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct is to sponsor Cork GAA to the tune of €2 million over five years. Illustration: Peter Hanan

In brief:

Name and role: Mike Ashley, chief executive of Frasers Group, formerly known as Sports Direct International

Age: 56

Appearance: portly, rumpled, exceedingly rich

Newsworthiness: his company is striking a sponsorship deal with Cork GAA

In depth:

In 2013 – or maybe 2014, memories are understandably a little hazy on the matter – Mike Ashley took the senior managers at his multibillion-pound company Sports Direct out for a lunch meeting.

The location was a ...