JJB Sports has announced a successful year in its annual report released yesterday, due in no small part to the opening of new health clubs.

A significant feature of the company's growth has been the addition of the Leisure Division to the company's armoury. This year has seen the opening of sites at Oldham, and Derby as well as the construction of a Soccerdome, soccer centres attached to JJB shops.

JJB chair, David Whelan, expressed his pleasure at progress to date: I am particularly excited about the design concept used at Oldham, where a first floor superstore, with escalator access is situated above the health club. I intend this to be the blueprint for the group's future health clubs.

Plans are to open an additional four health clubs this financial year, due to a successful start. The four existing sites have a full subscription of memberships at13,000.

New JJB chief executive, Duncan Sharpe, sees a bright future for the programme: I believe that the Leisure Division will further emphasise the JJB brand as the leader in the active sports market and will differentiate JJB from its main competitors. By incorporating a superstore within these sites, JJB can take advantage of synergies both in turnover and in overheads.