Five-a-side football pitch operator Goals Soccer Centres yesterday said it is on course to grow its U.S. business after sales at its Los Angeles centre rose 13% to £1.12million in 2014.
California is one of the U.S.’s biggest soccer markets, and Goals said its LA venue has become one of the company’s top performers since opening five years ago.
Managing director Keith Rogers said Goals hopes to open its next U.S. centre later this year after agreeing “headline terms” for two sites.
The East Kilbride-based company posted statutory pre-tax profits £6.8million for 2014, down 29% year-on-year, while sales went up 3% to £34.7million.
Goals swelled its UK portfolio to 45 centres following the acquisition of its Newcastle facility in 2014 and the opening of a new site in Manchester last month.
It has two venues in Glasgow and one on the banks of the River Dee in Aberdeen.
In December Goals unveiled a new website to support smart devices and a new mobile app that has already been downloaded more than 20,000 times.
Goals’ chairman, Keith Edelman, said his company has confidence in the growth potential of the UK market due to “limited competitor activity” and “relatively high barriers to entry.”
It plans to open a new centre in Doncaster next month.
The value of its shares was down 1.93% on the London Stock Exchange as of 1pm yesterday.