Goals Soccer Centres reports US roll-out progress

Five-a-side football venue specialist Goals Soccer Centres has said its US expansion plans are gathering momentum.

Goals, which already operates one venue in Los Angeles, said construction on a second US centre was due to start in the second half of the year.

Legal preparation work to develop a further three US sites is under way.

East Kilbride-based Goals said a strong performance from its existing US venue had reinforced its confidence in its planned US roll-out.

Like-for-like sales at the Los Angeles venue increased by 20% over the six months to the end of June.

However, in a trading update, Goals reported that UK like-for-like sales fell by 2%. It blamed the fall on poor weather and "some softness in the casual market".

It added that trading strengthened during the second quarter, but not sufficiently to fully recover the shortfall recorded in the previous three months.

Overall group sales for the period were in line with last year at £17.1m.

'Very encouraged'

The group, which now operates 46 venues in the UK, opened new centres in Manchester and Doncaster in the first half of the year.

Construction is due to start on another UK centre in the second half of 2015.

Goals managing director Keith Rogers said: "Our UK performance, against some tough comparatives, has been slightly below our expectations.

"However, we are very encouraged by the ongoing strength in US trading which supports our development programme in the Los Angeles area."