Powerleague
Powerleague (known as Lucozade Powerleague for sponsorship reasons) is an operator of small sided football artificial pitches with 45 football centres in the UK and Ireland and based in Paisley, Scotland.
In 1987 Keith Rogers opened the world’s first 5-a-side football centre in Paisley under the brand name of Pitz, which was rebranded Powerleague upon its sale to 3i in 1999. Rogers went on to run Goals Soccer Centres.
In 2002, having invested £350M and with the business still making losses, 3i approached Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Chief Executive Claude Littner to take over the executive role.[1] In 2003, Littner lead a management buyout of the firm, leaving 3i with a minority stake. Having listed on the Alternative Investment Market, in 2008 Powerleague took over the Soccerdome centres from JJB Sports in a £17.4M deal.[2]
In October 2009, the company agreed to go private again, through a £42M Venture capital purchase by Patron Sports Leisure, an existing 29% shareholder and subsidiary of Patron Capital.[3][4] In 2012 there were plans for Powerleague to take over Goals, but these were abandoned.[5]
In 2013 Powerleague's revenues were £29.7 million.[6]
References
- ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/fameandfortune/11775289/Claude-Littner-I-had-my-first-and-most-successful-business-when-I-was-eight-years-old.html
- ↑ The Scotsman, http://www.scotsman.com/business/football-operator-powers-ahead-with-163-17-4m-jjb-soccerdome-deal-1-1156867
- ↑ http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/article-1217648/Powerleague-backs-42million-takeover.html
- ↑ The Journal, http://www.thejournal.co.uk/business/business-news/football-operator-powerleague-agrees-takeover-4470667
- ↑ BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-19177294
- ↑ Daily Record, http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/business/company-results-forecasts/losses-narrow-five-a-side-football-centre-4434878