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Frasers Group PLC — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2014
Mar 11, 2014
4862_rns_2014-03-11_dd9ed666-5b29-4cb4-a66e-15170078cb6b.pdf
Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement
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THIS DOCUMENT AND THE ACCOMPANYING FORM OF PROXY ARE IMPORTANT AND REQUIRE YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt as to the action you should take, you are recommended to consult your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other professional adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 immediately if you are resident in the UK or, if you reside elsewhere, another appropriately authorised independent financial adviser.
If you sell or have sold or otherwise transferred Shares, please send this document together with the accompanying Form of Proxy as soon as possible to the purchaser or transferee or to the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected for transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
SPORTS DIRECT INTERNATIONAL PLC
(Incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 06035106)
Proposed implementation of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme
Notice of General Meeting to be held at 10 am on Friday, 4 April 2014
This document should be read as a whole. Your attention is drawn to the letter from the Chairman of Sports Direct International plc which is set out on pages 3 to 5 of this document and which contains a recommendation from the board of directors of Sports Direct International plc that you vote in favour of the resolution to be proposed at the General Meeting referred to below.
A notice of the General Meeting of Sports Direct International plc, to be held at Unit A, Brook Park East, Shirebrook, NG20 8RY at 10 am on Friday, 4 April 2014 is set out at the end of this document.
A Form of Proxy for use in connection with the resolution to be proposed at the General Meeting is enclosed with this document. Whether or not you intend to be at the General Meeting in person, you are requested to complete the Form of Proxy in accordance with the instructions printed on it, and return it as soon as possible, but in any event so as to be received by Computershare Investor Services PLC, by hand or by post, at The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZY by not later than 10 am on Wednesday, 2 April 2014.
Alternatively, you may wish to register your proxy vote electronically by visiting the website www.eproxyappointment.com and completing and submitting the relevant forms by no later than 10 am on Wednesday, 2 April 2014.
If you hold shares in CREST, you may appoint a proxy by completing and transmitting a CREST Proxy Instruction, so that it is received by no later than 10 am on Wednesday, 2 April 2014.
The appointment of a proxy will not prevent you from attending the General Meeting and voting in person if you so wish.
EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS
| Latest time and date for appointment of proxies (whether by receipt of a valid Form of Proxy, electronic appointment, or appointment via the |
|
|---|---|
| CREST system) | 10 am on 2 April 2014 |
| General Meeting |
10 am on 4 April 2014 |
| Grant of Proposed Option | As soon as possible after the General Meeting |
1. If any of the above times and/or dates change, the revised times and/or dates will be notified to Shareholders by announcement through the Regulatory Information Service of the London Stock Exchange.
2. All times shown in this document are London times.
Letter from the Chairman of Sports Direct International plc
Directors: Registered Office:
Dr Keith Hellawell (Non-Executive Chairman) Unit A Michael Ashley (Executive Deputy Chairman) Brook Park East David Forsey (Chief Executive) Shirebrook Simon Bentley (Senior Independent Non-Executive Director) NG20 8RY
David Singleton (Non-Executive Director) Charles McCreevy (Non-Executive Director) Claire Jenkins (Non-Executive Director)
10 March, 2014
Dear Shareholder,
General Meeting
This document contains a notice convening a General Meeting of Sports Direct International plc (Sports Direct or the Company) to be held at 10 am on Friday, 4 April 2014 (the General Meeting). The purpose of the General Meeting is to consider a resolution to approve, by ordinary resolution, a new share based remuneration arrangement — the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme.
Full details of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme are set out in the appendix to this letter. However, I would like to draw your attention to the following.
Introduction
In December 2011, the Board stated its intention to seek shareholder approval for a share incentive scheme for senior employees and executive directors in which Mike Ashley, the Company's Executive Deputy Chairman, would be eligible to participate. This reflected the Remuneration Committee and the Board's desire to remedy the fact that Mike Ashley has received no remuneration for his substantial contribution to the Company since its initial public offering in February 2007 and that he is not a participant in the 2011 Executive Bonus Share Scheme (under which awards have been made to other executive directors).
Although it was originally proposed to seek shareholder approval for such a scheme at the Company's annual general meeting in September 2012, the Company did not proceed with the resolution at that time, and Mike Ashley has continued to receive no remuneration from the Company — either by way of salary, bonus or other executive incentivisation. However, the Remuneration Committee and the Board remain convinced that Mike Ashley should be eligible to participate in incentivisation arrangements that reflect his contribution to the Company and that are fully aligned with the interests of shareholders. Since September 2012, the Company's market capitalisation has increased from less than £2 billion to approximately £5 billion. The Board believes that Mike Ashley is central to this value creation and that shareholders continue to benefit from his on-going commitment and involvement with the business.
The Remuneration Committee remains of the opinion that a share incentive scheme in which Mike Ashley (amongst others) is eligible to participate is an appropriate arrangement, and is consistent with the following key principles that underpin the Company's overall culture and remuneration philosophy:
- Performance based: The remuneration package for senior executives is highly performance-based, with the performance element paid in shares, which encourages the growth and long-term success of the Company. For the executive directors, basic salaries have been set at a level well below the lower quartile for a business of the size and complexity of the Company and have remained the same since 2002. Mike Ashley receives no remuneration (and has not done so since before Sports Direct listed on the London Stock Exchange). The Board believes that Mike Ashley's ongoing involvement has been critical to the Company's out-performance and that this should be recognised if the Company achieves the revised targets for FY 2014 and FY 2015.
- Long-term focus: To drive sustained business performance, instead of granting smaller awards on an annual basis, larger upfront awards are granted which only vest if significant and consistent growth is delivered year on year.
The Remuneration Committee strongly believes that this simple and transparent incentive framework is aligned with the Company's strategy for growth. It has driven historic out-performance of the targets set by the Remuneration Committee, supports the Company's long-term success and has clearly led to increased shareholder value. The Company's current executive and employee bonus share schemes have been acclaimed for their success in achieving out-performance over successive years. The Board believes that Sports Direct's remuneration arrangements are tailored to the culture and strategy of the Company, take account of the current and forecasted economic climate, and are already providing a strong platform for the long term success of the Company.
The culture of Sports Direct is that of 'one team' — therefore the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme is designed to ensure that the contribution of Mike Ashley is recognised in a manner which is consistent with the Company's remuneration policy for the wider executive and employee population. Furthermore, the Company's out-performance of historic targets has resulted in an increase in the EBITDA targets set under the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme when compared to the scheme that was proposed in 2012 and may be expected to increase targets set in relation to future executive and employee bonus share schemes.
Accordingly, the Board is recommending the implementation of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme. It is proposed that, if shareholders approve the implementation of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme, an initial grant of nil-cost options over eight million ordinary shares in the Company would be made to Mike Ashley. Subject to satisfaction of the performance targets, this award would vest in July 2018. Future awards under the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme may be made to executive directors and other senior employees, and by reference to performance targets that, in all cases, are at the discretion of the Remuneration Committee, provided that in any ten year period, the number of new ordinary shares in the Company that may be issued under the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme and the Company's other executive share schemes (but not including the Employee Bonus Share Scheme or any replacement of such scheme) may not exceed 5 per cent of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company from time to time.
Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme:
Following consultation with, and taking account of comments received from, independent shareholders, the Remuneration Committee has revised the terms of the 2012 proposals without losing the remuneration culture that has driven the success of the Company. A summary of the principal terms of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme is set out in the appendix to this letter.
The key differences to the scheme originally intended to be proposed to shareholders at the AGM in 2012 are set out below.
• Increase in EBITDA performance targets: The EBITDA performance conditions for FY 2014 and FY 2015 for the initial grant to Mike Ashley have been increased significantly from the original 2012 proposals.
| Financial Year | Previous EBITDA target | New proposed EBITDA target |
|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | £290 million | £330 million |
| FY2015 | £340 million | £410 million |
As set out below, the EBITDA targets are for organic growth. The impact of acquisitions and divestments would be excluded from the calculations to ensure that performance is being measured on a fair and consistent basis from year to year and to ensure that the level of out-performance required to receive the award remains broadly unchanged from when these targets were set.
• Limit on Dilution: Awards to executive directors and senior employees of the Company under the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme and the Company's other executive share schemes (but not including the Employee Bonus Share Scheme or any replacement of such scheme) are subject to an aggregate dilution limit in any ten year period of 5 per cent of the Company's issued ordinary share capital from time to time.
Action to be taken
Shareholders are encouraged to vote at the General Meeting, whether in person or by proxy. Instructions as to how to appoint a proxy can be found in the notes to the Notice of General Meeting at the back of this document. Appointment of a proxy will not prevent shareholders from attending the General Meeting, which will be held at Unit A, Brook Park East, Shirebrook, NG20 8RY at 10 am on Friday, 4 April 2014, if they so wish.
Consistent with best practice, the vote on the resolution will be held on a poll.
Recommendation
The directors (other than Mike Ashley, who has not participated in the decision by the Board to approve the proposals) believe that the implementation of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole and recommend shareholders to vote in favour of the resolution. The Company has also received a letter of intent from Odey Asset Management, its largest institutional shareholder, to vote in favour of implementation of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme at the General Meeting. With the exception of Mike Ashley, who will not vote on the resolution, the directors also intend to vote in favour of the resolution in respect of their own beneficial holdings.
Yours sincerely
Dr Keith Hellawell Chairman
APPENDIX
SUMMARY OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL EXECUTIVE BONUS SHARE SCHEME
The Company has previously stated its intention to seek Shareholder approval for a share incentive scheme in which Mike Ashley, the company's Executive Deputy Chairman, can participate. Mike Ashley receives no remuneration for his substantial contribution to the Company and is not a participant in the 2011 Executive Bonus Share Scheme. This is a situation which the Remuneration Committee and the Board wish to remedy. Accordingly, the implementation of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme is proposed.
The Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme is designed with flexibility to permit the grant of awards to executive directors and other senior employees including Mike Ashley.
The principal terms of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme are described below.
Eligibility
Any executive director or senior employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries will be eligible to participate in the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme. Those employees who do participate will be chosen at the discretion of the Board of directors or a duly authorised committee (the ''Committee'').
It is currently intended that an award under the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme will be granted to Mike Ashley as described below under the heading ''Proposed Option''. Participation for other executive directors and senior employees will be considered in due course.
Form of awards
An award under the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme will take the form of an option to acquire ordinary shares of 10p each of Sports Direct International plc (the ''Shares'') at no cost to the participant (an ''option'').
Performance Targets
The vesting of an option will be subject to the satisfaction of performance targets. The performance targets which will apply to the option proposed to be granted to Mike Ashley are described below under the heading ''Proposed Option''.
A performance target may be varied if one or more events occur which cause the Committee to consider that a varied performance target would be more appropriate. Any varied performance target would not be materially more or less difficult to satisfy.
Performance targets in relation to future grants will be set by the Board.
Proposed Option
Subject to the approval of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme, the Committee proposes to grant to Mike Ashley an option over eight million Shares which, subject to the satisfaction of the performance targets described below, will vest in July 2018.
The Option to be granted to Mike Ashley will only vest if the following performance targets are met.
a. Adjusted Underlying EBITDA targets
| Financial Year | Adjusted Underlying EBITDA |
|---|---|
| 2014 |
£330 million |
| 2015 |
£410 million |
For these purposes, ''Adjusted Underlying EBITDA'' means Underlying EBITDA as reported in the Company's published accounts for the relevant financial year after such adjustments as the Committee considers appropriate to ensure consistent calculation year to year and to ensure a fair comparison with previous years including but not limited to excluding the results of acquired business where the funding costs of acquisition do not fall within published group EBITDA.
b. Net debt ratio
The Company's net debt/EBITDA ratio must be 1.5x or less at the end of FY 2015.
Individual Limits
Consistent with the Executive Bonus Share Scheme approved by shareholders in 2010, the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme does not include a limit on the number or value of Shares over which an award may be granted to any participant.
Grant of Options
Options may be granted under the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme within the six week period following its approval by the Company's Shareholders.
Thereafter, options may only be granted within the six week period following the announcement of the Company's results for any period, any day on which a restriction on the grant of awards or options is lifted, or on any day on which the Committee determines that exceptional circumstances exist.
Terms of Awards
Options may be granted over newly issued Shares, treasury Shares or Shares purchased in the market. Options are not transferable (other than on death). No payment will be required for the grant of an option. Options will not form part of pensionable earnings.
Overall limits
In any ten year period, the number of new Shares which may be issued under the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme and the Company's other Executive Share schemes (but not the Employee Bonus Share Scheme, or any replacement such scheme) may not exceed 5 per cent of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company from time to time.
Vesting and Exercise
Options will normally vest on a date determined by the Committee which will be not normally be earlier than: (a) one month after the expiry of a period of three years from the announcement by the Company of its results for the latest period which relate to satisfaction of the performance targets; or (b) if the Committee so determines at the grant date, such other date falling not earlier than the date on which the extent to which the performance targets are satisfied is determined.
Options will then normally be exercisable until the tenth anniversary of the grant date.
The exercise of an option is subject to obtaining any necessary approvals or consents under the Company's share dealing policy and any other applicable laws or regulations (including pursuant to the UKLA's Model Code).
At any time before or after the point at which an option has been exercised but the underlying Shares have yet to be issued or transferred to the participant, the Committee may decide to pay a participant a cash amount equal to the value of the shares he would otherwise have received.
Any Shares that are to be issued or transferred to a participant in respect of an exercised option will be issued or transferred within 30 days of the date of exercise.
Cessation of Employment
An option will normally only vest if the participant remains employed by the group or continues to hold office with the group until the relevant vesting date. If a participant ceases to be employed by or to hold office with a group company before the performance target relating to an option has been declared satisfied, the option will lapse.
If a participant ceases to be employed by or to hold office with a group company after the performance target relating to an option has been declared satisfied but before the relevant vesting date the option will lapse unless the reason for cessation of employment is either:
(a) death of the participant in which case the full number of Shares under the relevant option will vest and the option will become exercisable for twelve months; or
(b) for any other reason that is determined by the Committee in its absolute discretion. In this case, an unvested option will vest to the extent (if any) permitted by the Committee in its absolute discretion, taking into account the period of time which has elapsed between the grant of that option and the date of leaving. To the extent it vests in these circumstances, an option may be exercised for a period of six months.
If a participant ceases to be an employee or officeholder by reason of summary dismissal, any option held by him will lapse whether or not it has vested.
If a participant ceases to be employed by or to hold office with a group company other than as a result of his summary dismissal, any vested option held by him will remain exercisable for six months.
Corporate Events
In the event of a change of control of the Company before the expiry of the latest relevant financial period for measuring satisfaction of the performance targets to which an option is subject, that option will lapse.
If a change of control occurs after expiry of the latest relevant financial period for measuring satisfaction of the performance targets to which an option is subject but before the vesting date relating to that option, that option will vest to the extent (if any) determined by the Committee that any performance target has been satisfied at the date of change of control and, unless the Remuneration Committee determines otherwise, taking into account the period of time which has elapsed between the grant date and the relevant event.
Adjustments
In the event of a variation of the Company's share capital or a demerger or special dividend which may, in the Committee's opinion, affect the current or future value of Shares, the number of Shares subject to an option and/or any performance target attached to options, may be adjusted.
Amendment and Termination
The Committee may amend the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme at any time, provided that prior approval of the Company in general meeting will be required for amendments to the advantage of participants relating to eligibility, limits, the basis for determining a participant's entitlement to, and the terms of, the Shares comprised in an option and the impact of any variation of capital.
However, any minor amendment to benefit administration, take into account legislative changes, or to obtain or maintain favourable tax treatment, exchange control or regulatory treatment may be made by the Committee without Shareholder approval.
The Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme will terminate on the tenth anniversary of its approval by Shareholders. The rights of existing participants will not be affected by any termination.
No amendment to the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme may be made to the material disadvantage of participants unless consent is sought from the affected participants and given by a simple majority of them.
Governing Law
The Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme will be governed by the laws of England and Wales and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING
SPORTS DIRECT INTERNATIONAL PLC
(the Company)
(Registered in England and Wales with company number 06035106)
Notice of General Meeting
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a General Meeting of the Company will be held at Unit A, Brook Park East, Shirebrook, NG20 8RY at 10 am on Friday, 4 April 2014, to consider and, if thought fit, pass the following resolution, which will be proposed as an ordinary resolution:
That the rules of the Sports Direct International plc Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme in the form produced to the General Meeting and initialled by the Chairman of the General Meeting for the purposes of identification (the ''Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme''), the principal terms of which are summarised in the appendix to the circular to shareholders dated 10 March, 2014, be and are hereby approved and the Directors be authorised to implement the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme and do all acts and things which they may, in their absolute discretion, consider necessary or expedient to give effect to the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme.
By Order of the Board
Company Secretary
Registered office: Unit A, Brook Park East Shirebrook, NG20 8RY
NOTES TO NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING
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- A member entitled to attend and vote at the General Meeting is entitled to appoint another person(s) (who need not be a member of the Company) to exercise all of any of his rights to attend, speak and vote at the General Meeting. A member can appoint more than one proxy in relation to the meeting, provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise the rights attaching to different shares held by him.
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- A proxy does not need to be a member of the Company but must attend the General Meeting in person to represent you. Your proxy could be the Chairman or another person who has agreed to attend to represent you, and must vote as you instruct. Details of how to appoint the Chairman or another person as your proxy using the proxy form are set out in the notes to the proxy form. Appointing a proxy does not preclude you from attending the General Meeting and voting in person. If you attend the meeting in person, your proxy appointment will automatically be terminated.
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- A Form of Proxy is provided with this notice and instructions for use are shown on the form. In order to be valid, a completed appointment of proxy must be returned to the Company by one of the following methods:
- 3.1 in hard copy form by post, by courier or by hand to Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZY; or
- 3.2 by completing it online at www.eproxyappointment.com by following the instructions on screen to submit it. You will need to identify yourself with your Shareholder Reference Number (SRN), PIN and Control Number, all of which are shown on the Proxy Form which accompanies this notice: or
- 3.3 in the case of CREST members, by utilising the CREST electronic proxy appointment service in accordance with the procedures set out below,
- and in each case must be received by the Company no later than 10 am on Wednesday, 2 April 2014 (being 48 hours before the time fixed for the General Meeting).
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- Please indicate with an ''X'' in the boxes provided on the Form of Proxy how you wish your proxy to vote on the resolution. The ''Vote Withheld'' option on the form is provided to enable you to abstain. However a ''Vote Withheld'' is not a vote in law and will not be counted in calculation of the proportion of votes ''For'' and ''Against'' the resolution.
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- To change your proxy instructions you may return a new proxy appointment using the methods set out above. Where you have appointed a proxy using the hard copy Form of Proxy and would like to change the instructions using another hard copy Form of Proxy, please contact Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZY. The deadline for receipt of proxy appointments also applies in relation to amended instructions. Any attempt to terminate or amend a proxy appointment received after the relevant deadline will be disregarded. Where two or more valid separate appointments of proxy are received in respect of the same share in respect of the same meeting, the one which is last sent shall be treated as replacing and revoking the other or others.
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- If conflicting proxies are sent or received at the same time in respect of (or deemed to be in respect of) an entire holding, none of them shall be treated as valid.
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- In the case of joint holders, where more than one of the joint holders purports to appoint a proxy, only the appointment submitted by the most senior holder will be accepted. Seniority is determined by the order in which the names of the joint holders appear in the Company's register of members in respect of the joint holdings (the first names being the most senior).
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- Where the aggregate number of shares in respect of which proxies are appointed exceeds a member's entire holding and it is not possible to determine the order in which they were sent or received (or they were all sent or received at the same time), the number of votes attributed to each proxy will be reduced pro rata.
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- Where the application of paragraph 8 above gives rise to fractions or shares, such fractions will be rounded down.
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- A copy of this notice has been sent for information only to persons who have been nominated by a member to enjoy information rights under section 146 of the Companies Act 2006 (a ''Nominated Person''). The rights to appoint a proxy cannot be exercised by a Nominated Person: they can only be exercised by the member. However, a Nominated Person may have a right under an agreement between him and the member who has nominated him to be appointed as a proxy for the meeting or to have someone else so appointed. If a Nominated Person does not have such a right or does not wish to exercise it, he may have a right under such an agreement to give instructions to the member as to the exercise of voting rights.
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- CREST members who wish to appoint a proxy or proxies by utilising the CREST electronic proxy appointment service may do so by utilising the procedures described in the CREST Manual. CREST Personal Members or other CREST sponsored members, and those CREST members who have appointed a voting service provider(s), should refer to their CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s), who will be able to take the appropriate action on their behalf.
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- In order for a proxy appointment made by means of CREST to be valid, the appropriate CREST message (a ''CREST Proxy Instruction'') must be properly authenticated in accordance with Euroclear UK & Ireland's specifications and must contain the information required for such instructions, as described in the CREST Manual. The message, regardless of whether it constitutes the appointment of a proxy or an amendment to the instruction given to a previously appointed proxy, must, in order to be valid, be transmitted so as to be received by the issuer's agent (ID 3RA50) by the latest time(s) for receipt of proxy appointments specified in paragraph 3 above. For this purpose, the time of receipt will be taken to be the time (as determined by the timestamp applied to the message by the CREST Applications Host) from which the issuer's agent is able to retrieve the message by enquiry to CREST in the manner prescribed by CREST. After this time any change of instructions in proxies appointed through CREST should be communicated to the appointee through other means.
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- The Company may treat as invalid a CREST Proxy Instruction in the circumstances set out in Regulation 35(5)(a) of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001.
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- CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers should note that Euroclear UK & Ireland does not make available special procedures in CREST for any particular messages. Normal system timings and limitations will therefore apply in relation to the input of CREST Proxy Instructions. It is the responsibility of the CREST member concerned to take (or, if the CREST member is a CREST personal member or sponsored member or has appointed a voting service provider(s), to procure that his CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s) take(s)) such action as shall be necessary to ensure that a message is transmitted by means of the CREST system by any particular time. In this connection, CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers are referred, in particular, to those sections of the CREST Manual concerning practical limitations of the CREST system and timings.
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- Only those shareholders registered in the Register of Member of the Company at the close of business on Wednesday, 2 April 2014 (or, if the meeting is adjourned, on the date which is two days before the time of the adjourned meeting) shall be entitled to attend and vote at the General Meeting or adjourned meeting in respect of the number of shares registered in their respective names at that time. Changes to the Register of Member after that time will be disregarded in determining the rights of any person to attend or vote at the General Meeting or adjourned meeting.
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- Any corporation which is a member can appoint one or more corporate representatives who may exercise on its behalf all of its powers as a member provided that they do not do so in relation to the same shares. In accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 (as amended by the Companies (Shareholders' Rights) Regulations 2009), each such representative may exercise (on behalf of the corporation) the same powers as the corporation could exercise if it were an individual member of the Company, provided that they do not so in relation to the same shares. It is therefore no longer necessary to nominate a designated corporate representative.
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- Except as provided above, members who have general queries about the General Meeting should contact the Company at Unit A, Brook Park East, Shirebrook NG20 8RY or Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZY (no other methods of communication will be accepted).
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- As at Friday, 7 March 2014 (being the latest practicable time before the publication of this Notice), the Company's issued share capital consisted of 640,602,369 Shares. The Company holds 42,137,508 Shares in treasury and is not permitted to exercise voting rights in respect of those Shares. Therefore the total voting rights in the Company were 598,464,861.
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- Any member attending the meeting has the right to ask questions. The Company must cause to be answered any such question relating to the business being dealt with at the General Meeting but no such answer need be given if:
- 19.1 to do so would interfere unduly with the preparation for the General Meeting or involve the disclosure of confidential information;
- 19.2 the answer had already been given on a website in the form of an answer to a question; or
- 19.3 it is undesirable in the interests of the Company or the good order of the General Meeting that the question be answered.
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- A copy of this notice, and other information required by section 311A of the Companies Act 2006, can be found at www.sportsdirectplc.com.
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- The following documents are available for inspection at the registered office of the Company and at the offices of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP at 65 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1HS during normal business hours on each weekday (public holidays excluded) and for 15 minutes prior to and during the General Meeting:
- 21.1 copies of the executive directors' service contracts with the Company;
- 21.2 copies of letters of appointment of non-executive directors;
- 21.3 the proposed rules of the Supplemental Executive Bonus Share Scheme; and
- 21.4 a copy of the Articles of Association of the Company.
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- Consistent with best practice, the vote on the resolution will be held on a poll.