Goals to go public

Goals Soccer Centres is seeking to float on the London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in a move which would value the company at around £25m.

Goals, which operates 11 five-a-side football centres across the UK, attracts around 30,000 users each week and is expected to join the AIM in December.

The company has added six centres to its portfolio since its management buy-in in 2000 and reported a turnover of £6.2m for the nine-month period ending 30 September 2004.

Keith Rogers, managing director, said: “We believe Goals is the premier operator in a fast-growing market with a proven rollout concept and an experienced management team.

“We are excited by the potential of the business; our 11 current sites are well located and we have an excellent pipeline of planned openings in 2005 and beyond.”

A Goals centre is typically around three acres in size and comprises between nine and 14 floodlit five-a-side courts, modern changing facilities and a licensed lounge.