Mike Ashley takes Newcastle to the match officials following a row over the club’s new kit

MIKE ASHLEY is taking Newcastle United, the club he used to own, to the league regulator in a major, bitter row over football shirts.

Newcastle United recently switched its kit supplier from Castore to Adidas and, as part of the deal, has agreed exclusivity to only sell football shirts through the club’s store and arch-rivals JD Sports.

The Sports Direct magnate has now filed a claim with the Competition Appeals Tribunal.

Sports Direct alleges in its claim that: “The club has abused its dominant position in the market for the wholesale supply of Newcastle United replica kits in the United Kingdom [in breach of competition law] by refusing to supply Sports Direct with the Club’s replica kit for the 2024/25 season and by granting JD Sports, another British sports retailer, exclusive rights as a third party seller of the Club’s replica kit’.

A source close to Ashley claimed that “football fans will ultimately suffer from higher prices”.

It is understood Sports Direct still sold 50,000 Newcastle United shirts despite outrage from Magpies fans over its ownership.

Ashley owned Newcastle between 2007 and 2021.

The 59-year-old became an unpopular figure in the Toon and was eventually sold to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.

The £300m deal saw the Saudi Public Investment Fund take 80 per cent of the shares, while billionaire Reuben brothers and financier Amanda Staveley each got 10 per cent.

Ashley made a profit of £195 million from the sale of the club, his Mash Holdings accounts show.

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Ashley previously blew the whistle on price fixing on football shirts in 2004, involving his arch-rivals Dave Whelan and JJB Sports.

Two years after Ashley left, Newcastle qualified for the Champions League for the first time in twenty years.

However, they dropped out of the competition in the group stage.