Goals Soccer Centres Share Price (GOAL)

Share Name	Share Symbol	Market	Type	Share ISIN	Share Description
Goals Soccer Centres	LSE:GOAL	London	Ordinary Share	GB00B0486M37	ORD 0.25P

	Price Change	% Change	Share Price	Bid Price	Offer Price	High Price	Low Price	Open Price	Shares Traded	Last Trade
	-0.50p	-0.47%	105.50p	104.00p	107.00p	105.50p	105.50p	105.50p	14,432	08:00:00

Industry Sector	Turnover (m)	Profit (m)	EPS - Basic	PE Ratio	Market Cap (m)
Travel & Leisure	33.5	3.7	4.1	25.7	79.35

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Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL) Latest News

Goals Soccer Centres News

Date	Time	Source	Headline
07/8/2017	07:00	UKREG	Goals Soccer Centres PLC Holding(s) in Company
25/7/2017	10:50	ALNC	Goals Soccer Centres Forms Partnership With Manchester City FC For US
25/7/2017	07:27	ALNCF	Alliance News Flash Headline
25/7/2017	07:01	UKREG	Goals Soccer Centres PLC Trading Update
25/7/2017	07:01	UKREG	Goals Soccer Centres PLC Joint Venture
09/5/2017	14:45	UKREG	Goals Soccer Centres PLC Result of AGM
09/5/2017	11:20	ALNC	Goals Soccer Centres Grows Sales As Plan For 2017 Remains On Track
09/5/2017	07:00	UKREG	Goals Soccer Centres PLC AGM Statement
24/4/2017	15:00	UKREG	Goals Soccer Centres PLC Notice of AGM & Posting of Annual Report
24/4/2017	08:54	ALNC	Goals Soccer Centres Confirms Talks About Possible Powerleague Tie-Up

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Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL) Discussions and Chat

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Date	Time	Title	Posts
07/8/2017	19:31	GOAL - looks set to double from here	477
16/1/2014	10:20	GOALS SOCCER CENTRE	-
22/8/2012	15:00	* Goals Soccer Centres *	22
23/7/2012	10:08	Goals Soccer Centres	266
05/4/2006	17:34	Fancy a 5 bagger by next May ?	4

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Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL) Most Recent Trades

Trade Time	Trade Price	Trade Size	Trade Value	Trade Type
2017-08-16 08:35:56	104.90	9,936	10,422.86	OK
2017-08-16 07:58:52	104.90	3,896	4,086.90	O
2017-08-16 07:00:36	104.90	600	629.40	O

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Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL) Top Chat Posts

Date	Subject
16/8/2017 09:20	Goals Soccer Centres Daily Update: Goals Soccer Centres is listed in the Travel & Leisure sector of the London Stock Exchange with ticker GOAL. The last closing price for Goals Soccer Centres was 106p. Goals Soccer Centres has a 4 week average price of 99p and a 12 week average price of 99p. The 1 year high share price is 114p while the 1 year low share price is currently 91.50p. There are currently 75,215,060 shares in issue and the average daily traded volume is 85,960 shares. The market capitalisation of Goals Soccer Centres is £79,351,888.30. Read Full Thread Reply
14/3/2016 19:09	eastbourne1982: Like most businesses I guess competition will occur at some point, the question is how long the grant funded rivals will be grant funded given all the cuts that will need to take place, also how much are these really biting into the Goal Soccer model, UK LFL sales were down 6 - 7%, could this be due to weather etc, I don't know, US sales were up around 8% and that is where the future appears to lie, the update wasn't all negative imho and in the end the share price didn't dip too much so much of it appears to be in the price. Read Full Thread Follow Reply
14/3/2016 11:24	eastbourne1982: Strip out the asset write down and dropping the dividend are the results really horrid, look at the share price graph, this was all expected and could be viewed as the ups and downs of a business, the share price was double the figure a year ago, anyone who bought then is clearly in the brown stuff however anyone who bought then clearly didn't do much research as the business was way overvalued. Read Full Thread Follow Reply
25/8/2012 20:34	malc999: This is from The Independent published 23.08.2012:- The match to take over Goals Soccer Centre, which had already dragged into extra time, yesterday ended in a shock defeat for the £73m bidder. To the surprise of analysts, shareholders in the company which operates 43, five-a-side football centres in the UK as well as one in the US failed to back an offer from Canadian pension fund the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Goals' board had agreed to the approach from Ontario in July, but with it requiring 75 per cent of independent shareholders voting at yesterday's meeting to back the move, only 71.4 per cent did. The 80 shareholders mainly institutions who did vote between them hold 30.5m shares, just over 60 per cent of the total number of shares in issue. With the £73.1m offer worth 144p-a-share, shares in Aim-listed Goals slumped 20 per cent, or 29p, to 115.5p. The decision prompted surprise among analysts, with those at the broker Panmure Gordon saying they "cannot remember a similar instance where shareholders have voted down a firm bid with no alternative offer and the obvious immediate share price downside". The bid process has been running since early April with four extensions granted by the Takeover Panel. Goals' rival, Powerleague owner Patron, did look at making a bid for the company, but dropped out earlier this month. "Obviously we are disappointed that we have not struck a deal", said Goals' managing director Keith Rog-ers, who holds an 8 per cent stake in the company. "However, to have a significant percentage of shareholders believing that our company is worth considerably more is testament to the great business we have built. "We are totally focused on our stated strategy to continue to build on the considerable success that has already been achieved," he added. The match to take over Goals Soccer Centre, which had already dragged into extra time, yesterday ended in a shock defeat for the £73m bidder. To the surprise of analysts, shareholders in the company which operates 43, five-a-side football centres in the UK as well as one in the US failed to back an offer from Canadian pension fund the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Goals' board had agreed to the approach from Ontario in July, but with it requiring 75 per cent of independent shareholders voting at yesterday's meeting to back the move, only 71.4 per cent did. The 80 shareholders mainly institutions who did vote between them hold 30.5m shares, just over 60 per cent of the total number of shares in issue. With the £73.1m offer worth 144p-a-share, shares in Aim-listed Goals slumped 20 per cent, or 29p, to 115.5p. The decision prompted surprise among analysts, with those at the broker Panmure Gordon saying they "cannot remember a similar instance where shareholders have voted down a firm bid with no alternative offer and the obvious immediate share price downside". The bid process has been running since early April with four extensions granted by the Takeover Panel. Goals' rival, Powerleague owner Patron, did look at making a bid for the company, but dropped out earlier this month. "Obviously we are disappointed that we have not struck a deal", said Goals' managing director Keith Rog-ers, who holds an 8 per cent stake in the company. "However, to have a significant percentage of shareholders believing that our company is worth considerably more is testament to the great business we have built. "We are totally focused on our stated strategy to continue to build on the considerable success that has already been achieved," he added. ....and this is from the The Herald published on the same date:- Around £14m was wiped off the market capitalisation of the five-a-side football business yesterday after the 144 pence per share offer from the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) was rejected. A total of 61 independent shareholders, controlling more than 21.7 million shares, approved the deal giving it 71.4% support, which was just short of the 75% threshold required. Panmure Gordon analyst Simon French said: "We cannot remember a similar instance where shareholders voted down a firm bid with no alternative offer and the obvious immediate share price down side." Goals management, including chief executive Keith Rogers, had recommended the deal while significant shareholders, such as Henderson Global Investors and Aviva Investors Global Services, had indicated their support. If the deal was approved, Mr Rogers would have seen his basic pay increase 47% from £160,690 to £235,690, with other executives also in line for pay rises. The management stood to net around £9.3m from the sale of their shares. However, they had agreed to use £6m of the potential proceeds to invest in the equity of the company formed for the purpose of the bid, called Goliath Bidco, with the remaining £3.3m being paid in cash. Goals operates 43 centres in the UK and one in Los Angeles in the United States. Further North American sites were understood to be one option being considered for growth. Yesterday, East Kilbride-based Goals confirmed it was not in discussions with any other party regarding a takeover. Patron Capital, which owns small-sided football operator Powerleague, has previously expressed an interest in Goals. Under takeover rules OTTP, one of Canada's largest pension funds, would need special permission to make a further bid for Goals within the next 12 months. A spokesman for Goals suggested those voting against the deal may have felt the company was worth more. The share price peaked at more than 440p in 2007 but plunged to less than 90p near the end of 2011. Sir Rodney Walker, non-executive chairman of Goals, said the management would "continue to focus on delivering the Group's strategy of delivering a best-in-class 5-a-side football experience to customers in the UK and beyond". The shares were down 29p at 115.5p, giving the company a market capitalisation of around £56m. Read Full Thread Follow Reply
21/10/2011 15:29	pugugly: Predictions are for an ultra cold winter - UK stocks of road salt at highest levels - "Based on the natural factors that I have covered and in terms of how I calculate solar activity into my forecasts, it would be adequate to suggest prolonged periods of well below average temperatures and widespread heavy snowfall throughout this winter. This will result in the fourth bad winter in succession for the UK, and will prove to be the worst of them all. I now fully expect records to be broken, with the Highlands of Scotland being once again particularly hard hit. It is therefore vital to start preparing now in terms of high energy bills, and raised awareness amongst the elderly and most vulnerable people. James Madden (UK Long Range Forecaster) See http://www.exactaweather.com/uploads/ukwword1.pdf for full detailed report. If JM is correct then we could see prolonged closures of GOAL sites with a significant fall off in revenue - One might say that the GOAL Share price might go into "deep freeze" especially given the level of debt that "seabas" has highlighted above. Read Full Thread Follow Reply
26/7/2011 05:12	malc999: Yes windass that has been true, it appears that cash flow and debt have been used to finance both expansion and the dividends, particularly during the last couple of years with the cold weather resulting in a loss of income. However the company's expansion plans have been cut back from 6 to 4 new openings for the current financial year, presumably with the intention of paying down debt as the company appeared to have reached its debt limits at the last Y/E, and IMHO actually breached one of its debt covenants. However GOALS is a great business and cash generative so it looks like the banks were happy for the business to continue trading as long as GOALS cut their debt levels, hence the reduction in number of openings. Should this winter pass without any extreme weather conditions resulting in temporary closure of sites then IMHO we may well see some share price appreciation over the next 12 months thanks to the company meeting forecasts and a reduction in debt levels. I still rate goals very highly long-term (10 years from now) thanks to the combination of increase in the number of sites, significant reduction in debt levels, and the US expansion, and over the next 10 years wouldnt be surprised if GOALS turned out to be a 10-bagger, however equally I wouldnt be surprised if the share price struggles to get over the 2 pound mark for the next couple of years as the company needs to win back some confidence from investors. Read Full Thread Follow Reply
14/9/2010 15:06	digitalinvestor: Share price reacting well to a good set of results. This company has been undervalued for quite some time. Seems to be a load of BUY notes out from various brokers/newspapers. Read Full Thread Follow Reply
01/7/2010 23:23	gazza24: Cannot see any negative news in the pre close update statement so surprised to see the share price fall as it has done. Profit marginally up from last year and with the new opening plans and success of their launch in LA, all looks extremely positive for the future. Good to see one of the directors (Graham Wilson) buying 30,000 shares today at 140p. Suggests that this is undoubtedly undervalued................ Read Full Thread Follow Reply
03/7/2009 12:36	paved: Goals Soccer Centres trading in line, rollout programme on track http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/6474/goals-soccer-centres-trading-in-line-rollout-programme-on-track-6474.html Goals Soccer Centres PLC (AIM: GOAL) said it continues to trade in line with its expectations, despite the severe snow during early February 2009 which reduced sales and profits by approximately £300,000 in the six months ended June 30 2009. In a trading update, the outdoor 5-a-side soccer centres in the UK said its rollout programme continues to plan with the Coventry centre added in the half year ended 30 June 2009, Liverpool and Reading under construction and the Portsmouth centre about to commence construction. The company raised £11 million from existing shareholders in the first half to accelerate the opening programme and provide financial flexibility. It said the pipeline of sites continues to strengthen and it remains confident that a minimum of six centres will be added during 2010, two of which, Eltham and Gillette Corner in London, will begin construction in the third quarter of 2009. The money from the placing together with internally generated cash and the existing five year committed bank facility will fully fund the rollout of at least six centres each year from 2010. The company's core football product has remained resilient. Bar spend is showing early signs of improvement following the decline in the second half of 2008. Other ancillary income - children's birthday parties and corporate events - continues to be slightly impacted by the downturn. "Our new centres have continued to experience a slower rate of initial growth than in previous years resulting in maturity in both sales and profitability taking a few months longer to achieve," the group said. Several brokers issued notes in the wake of the trading statement, pleased with the progress the company is making and saying they remain buyers of the stock. Brewin Dolphin said it remains a long-term supporter of the Goals story, maintaining its 'Add' stance and leaving its target price unchanged at 225 pence. "Having followed Goals closely since its IPO in 2004, we are of the firm belief that the management team has got the business model pretty well refined," the broker said. KBC Peel Hunt reiterated its 'buy' recommendation and 230 pence target price, as trading and openings are on course for its expectations, confirming the strength and potential of the company concept. With the benefit of the £11 million placing, earnings growth should accelerate to 20 percent in 2010 from the 16 percent it is forecasting for the current year and "we expect further share price progress." Another buyer of the stock is Altium Securities which kept its 220p target, saying: "We feel this statement should provide confidence that Goals' strategy remains on track. We are not changing forecasts or target price today." Joining in the chorus of praise, Numis Securities said Goals Soccer has delivered a pre-close update which is in line with Numis' and market expectations. It is retaining its forecasts and its 'buy' stance and has put a 276p target on the stock. "Goals Soccer is an attractive business with strong growth prospects," Numis added. Read Full Thread Follow Reply
10/7/2008 08:53	digitalinvestor: Recent reaearch note from Panmure Gordon below (Dated May 2008), talk about a GREAT story!!! GOALS SOCCER CENTRES Strong growth prospects BUY PANMURE GORDON (UK) LIMITED Goals Soccer Centres has performed well since its flotation on AIM in 2004, generating strong LFL sales growth. A clear strategy and resilience during previous economic downturns should help the company continue to grow over the medium term. We initiate coverage with a Buy recommendation and a target price of 350p. ! Strong growth. Following average LFL sales growth of 8% over the past four years, we believe our forecast of annual LFL sales growth of 5% going forward is achievable in a defensive market with only one major competitor. We believe that organic expansion should add a further 17–22% to the top line per annum over the next three years, while operational gearing should ensure margin expansion. ! Good prospects. We believe that the market for 5-a-side football should be recession resilient. This is due mainly to the low spend per head and the fact that it is a team sport. In addition, Goals has the industry’s most experienced management team and consistent business model. ! Initiating coverage with a Buy recommendation. Goals is trading at a substantial premium to its main competitor, Powerleague. However, its operating ratios and returns are far superior and we believe Goals is better placed to grasp the market opportunity. Market growth, greater customer penetration, strong EPS growth and a rising return on capital should drive further share price outperformance. Price 289p Price Target 350p Market Cap £121m INVESTMENT CASE Strong, consistent performance illustrates the substantial progress Goals Soccer Centres has made since flotation. We expect EPS growth of 120.3% over the next three years, believing the company will leverage its position as the UK’s leader in 5-a-side football centres. ! Strong market position. Goals is a clear leader in the 5-a-side football centres market. It has quality sites in a defensive market, with only one major competitor. ! Recession resilience. We believe that 5-a-side football should be relatively unaffected in a consumer downturn, because of the low spend per head and that – as a team sport – there is peer pressure to participate. These factors should support Goals and help to combat the indirect competition posed by other leisure activities (eg 11-a-side football), health clubs and gyms. ! The management team has solid experience, having been in the business since 5-a-side football progressed from being played in community sports halls. Managing director Keith Rogers co-founded Anchor International, which opened the first 5-a-side football centre in 1987. He oversaw the growth to 11 centres, before selling the company to 3i. Together with finance director Bill Gow, he completed the MBI of Goals in 2000 and its flotation in 2004. ! International opportunities. Now embedded in the UK and with a good pipeline, the company is looking at opportunities in the US and South Africa. Potential risks are minimised as South Africa would be a master franchise requiring no capital commitment from Goals. The US opportunity would be a JV (60% Goals, 40% local partner) and one trial site is likely to be developed first. ! Quality of sites. This is indicated by the income generation and profitability of the units, which we believe is largely determined by management as well as the site’s size, location and standards. Goals has a consistent and robust business model. It aims to spend £2.1m building each new site and an average of £30k on pitch maintenance per unit per annum. Goals spends £20k to update a pitch surface, while Powerleague (its main competitor) spends £15k. Finally, Goals spends an average of £20k per unit on repairs and renewals each year; Powerleague spends £14.5k. Given the superior profitability, overall Goals appears to have sites of a higher quality than Powerleague. Goals is achieving higher returns from its capital expenditure, as evidenced by its ROIC of 12.1% versus Powerleague’s 10.4%. ! Pipeline. Goals’ pipeline is a robust 40 sites, compared with the 28 sites currently in operation. It believes that there is scope for 150–200 football centres in the UK, of which it expects to take half. ! Valuation. We forecast annual LFL sales growth of 5% going forward and consistent organic growth. This leads to EPS growth of 120.3% between 2007A and 2010E. Supported by a DCF valuation of 364p, we initiate coverage with a Buy recommendation and a 350p target price. CATALYSTS ! Continued robust sales performance. ! Overseas expansion in the medium term. ! Potential for upgrades after September’s interim results. Recession resilience Experienced management team Quality of sites Goals Soccer Centres • Investment Case • Catalysts • Risks 5 June 2008 3 RISKS Goals Soccer Centres faces minimal regulatory risk. This, as well as strong demand, should enable the company to grow even in a consumer downturn in our opinion. We believe there is limited supply risk, as this is a niche industry with two dominant operators. CONSUMER DOWNTURN There is a risk of a further consumer downturn. If this occurs, UK households could be prone to trading down and reducing discretionary expenditure. This may be expected to have a negative impact on Goals, but we doubt the company would be as affected as the rest of the consumer sector. Management confirmed that the industry was not adversely impacted during the last recession, but this is only anecdotal evidence, and Goals claims that the low spend per head (£5.50) and the fact that it is a team sport and an habitual activity make it resilient. COMPETITION Goals competes with other 5-a-side football centres and leagues such as Powerleague (with 43 centres compared to Goals’ 28), the privately owned Sports and Leisure Group (seven centres), as well as leagues in non 5-a-side football centres (eg sports halls). However, we believe Goals’ superior product should allow it to remain a winner. Goals competes with other sports and leisure activities (eg 11-a-side football), leisure centres and gyms. However, 5-a-side is the fastest growing form of football according to the FA (source Goals/BRMB on behalf of the FA) and people can visit gyms and play 5-a-side football also. In fact, participating in one sport/fitness activity could even encourage people to participate in several. PIPELINE It is not always straightforward to maintain a robust site pipeline due to the physical nature of the sites. Gaining planning permission can be a lengthy process, and the sites take five months to build. Goals has a specific business model and the types of sites it is looking for may be less easy to find. The centres need to pay back within four years and achieve average annual EBITDA of £500k (the initial capital outlay averages £2.1m), which requires 225 games to be played a week. To generate this level of activity, the centres must: 1) have at least ten pitches; and 2) be within a 12–15-minute drive of a town/city with a population of 150,000+. The sites require space for car parking, although school sites often benefit from the fact that parking exists already. Goals has 40 sites in its pipeline at various stages, so, if six sites were opened each year, it would have 6–7 years of openings. Therefore, although its criteria may be difficult to meet, it appears as though it can deliver on the organic growth promised. Goals believes that there are 150–200 sites available for development in the UK, of which it hopes to eventually have 50%. WEATHER As all sites are outdoors, there is a risk that business could be badly affected by poor weather. Teams could switch to centres with indoor pitches or not play at all. However, teams tend to be locked in to a league or a block booking. According to management, history shows that players are rarely deterred by bad weather. Also, indoor sites often become uncomfortably hot in the summer unless they have air conditioning. 5-a-side is the fastest growing form of football according to the FA Robust business model Bad weather is not a deterrent to play Goals Soccer Centres • Investment Case • Catalysts • Risks 5 June 2008 4 OUR CENTRAL CASE Goals Soccer Centres is a profitable business that we believe should continue to generate strong returns and growth over the long term. Expansion should provide a robust platform to extend its competitive advantage and market share. PORTFOLIO Goals has 28 high-quality units, with an average of 11 pitches – ranging from eight to 18 – using the latest pitch surfaces. They are used mainly for 5-a-side football, but there are 7-a-side football pitches too. The sites are located around the country from Glasgow to Plymouth, Bristol to Dartford. The company has been listed on AIM since 2004, and management has solid industry experience. The company’s strategy is clear, focusing on the ‘Next Generation’ concept, which includes the following: ! Unrivalled locations; ! Unmatched quality and facilities; ! Exceptional service; ! All sites to be FA accredited; ! Using the latest technology; and ! Being a strong, exciting brand to reflect the passion of football. Achieving these objectives should ensure customer satisfaction and its becoming the operator of choice. ECONOMIC RATIONALE On average, Goals’ leasehold sites pay back within 4–5 years. There is only one freehold site, and it is highly unlikely that any new sites will be freehold. MARKET SUPPLY We believe that supply in the 5-a-side football market is relatively undeveloped, with high barriers to entry. There are two main areas of supply: 1) purpose-built 5-a-side football centres. Goals’ main competitor is Powerleague, which has 43 centres and is also quoted on AIM. The only other larger multiple operator is Sports and Leisure Group, a private company with seven sites; and 2) leisure centres and individual events companies organising 5-a-side football leagues in non-purpose-built sites such as sports halls. Goals also faces competition from non 5-a-side football competitors. In a tough economic environment, consumers could choose to participate in other activities, including 11-a-side football, or attend gyms/health clubs. MARKET DEMAND 5-a-side has strong competitive advantage over other fitness activities 5-a-side is the fastest growing type of football (source Goals/BRMB on behalf of the FA) and is outperforming 11-a-side. There is demand from people who want to play regularly for fun, without the commitment or skill required for the full version of the game. Also, 5-a-side can be organised more easily than 11-aside, for which players generally need to belong to a club. Furthermore, 11-a-side is played more often at the weekends and requires greater time commitment than 5-a-side (90 versus 40 minutes), which can be played more easily during the week – especially when family commitments might take priority at the weekend. Clear, focused strategy Superior returns Undeveloped market Goals Soccer Centres • Our Central Case 5 June 2008 6 Visiting gyms and health clubs can be a more solitary, less sociable activity. 5-aside football attracts people who want to play more from a social point of view with friends/colleagues/team-mates as well as those who want to keep fit. There are some people who are averse to joining gyms/health clubs and so may prefer this type of activity. Gyms and health clubs normally require fixed-term contracts, upfront membership fees and monthly subscriptions. However, in 5-a-side football, players in a league or block-booked session are generally committed to a maximum of three months. They can also play on a casual basis. This may encourage people to choose this form of exercise over the gym, especially if they are concerned about the economic climate and tightening household budgets. With 5-a-side football centre games, players pay for a session only if they attend. A gym monthly subscription of £50 is more expensive than playing 5-a-side football once a week. It may be cheaper per session if someone goes several times a week, but in total on a monthly basis it can be more expensive. Playing 5- a-side football may be viewed as better value. Finally, as the business models for 11-a-side football or health clubs are very different from that for 5-a-side football, they may not be competing for the same business. Participating in other sports/fitness activities could encourage people to play 5-a-side football as well. Purpose-built versus non-purpose-built 5-a-side facilities Purpose-built football centres are much more suitable for playing 5-a-side and clearly superior to playing on non-purpose-built pitches in leisure centres. For instance, there are separate pitches as opposed to sections of sports halls, so it is easier to play. All of Goals’ football centres are affiliated to the FA. This is not always the case with non-purpose-built centres, so Goals is more likely to be the operator of choice in our view. As purpose-built football centres become more widespread, it is likely to become more of the norm to use them as opposed to non-purpose-built pitches. Goals’ 5-a-side versus other purpose-built 5-a-side football centres People who play in Goals’ football centres are predominantly: 1) males aged 17– 40; and 2) the under 16s during the school holidays and at children’s parties. This is likely to be the same as at Powerleague. 5-a-side football – an alternative to other sports and fitness activities Goals has well-maintained units and the policy is to refurbish them every seven years, whereas Powerleague refurbishes every ten years. Goals’ centres are built to create a suitable environment for customers, including children and women. There are lounges with plasma screens and most have children’s party rooms. Goals and Powerleague have different business models. Goals has a set criteria for sites and plans to open sites within a 12–15-minute drive of towns/cities with a population of at least 150,000. Powerleague appears to be more flexible on location; however, given its inferior returns, we do not regard this as a positive. Goals tends to invest more in the initial build and general upkeep. It spends on average £2.1m on new sites, £20k per pitch when they are replaced every seven years, and £20k on repairs and maintenance per annum. Powerleague’s figures are £1.6m, £15k and £14.5k, respectively. Goals’ level of investment is likely to be a major factor behind its superior profits. RESILIENCE TO DOWNTURN We believe that Goals should prove to be resilient in a downturn/recession. We forecast LFL sales growth of 5% per annum: volume 1.5–2%-points and price 3–3.5%-points. We do not expect a weakening of booking levels, for the following reasons: ! The average spend per head per game (pitch only) is a low £5.50, and this is usually a weekly spend. We believe this is unlikely to impact household disposable income hugely compared to health club subscriptions, for example. Participation is therefore likely to be considered affordable, making cash flow relatively predictable. ! There is peer pressure to play football, as in all team sports. Players are committed because they do not want to let their team-mates down by dropping out, as the rest of the team might not be able to play if they do not find replacements. ! Playing 5-a-side football in a downturn could be a cheaper social event than visiting the pub – playing 5-a-side football and having a drink afterwards in the centre could be cheaper than a whole night out drinking in a pub with friends. SUPPLY Pipeline Goals’ football centres are typically good-quality sites on land owned by schools or local authorities, and they are sometimes on restricted sites such as Greenbelt or Metro land. The points to consider here are: ! Local authority or school sites are normally cheaper than commercial sites. For instance, the five JJB Soccer Dome sites acquired by Powerleague cost £17.4m, or an average of £3.48m. The average build cost is lower for both Goals (£2.1m) and Powerleague (£1.6m), and the majority are likely to be non-commercial sites. Note that outdoor sites are normally cheaper than indoor sites. ! Goals’ average rent and rates are £50k and £20k per unit per annum, respectively. Compare this to Powerleague’s £30k and £20k before the Soccerdome acquisition and £66k and £38k after it. ! Of Goals’ sites, going forward, the company believes that 50% are likely to be in schools, 25% on local authority land, and 25% private. Although schools and local authority locations can be less expensive than commercial land, acquiring them can take longer. It can take up to two years to receive planning permission and then there is the approximate 5-month build time. Goals, however, has a strong site pipeline (40 units), and so is well placed for strong organic growth over the next three years in our view. Well-maintained units Relative immunity to downturn Goals Soccer Centres • Our Central Case 5 June 2008 8 PRICING According to management, prices have increased just ahead of inflation over the past few years. Overall, in 2007A football represented 75% of a football centre’s income, the bar 18% and other 7%. All areas saw YOY growth. Goals’ average spend per head per game is £5.50, while Powerleague’s is £5.00. However, the higher price does not appear to deter customers. REGULATION There is low regulatory risk. However, these points are worth considering: Local authorities and schools support activities promoting fitness and combating obesity. Therefore, businesses linked to such areas should be looked upon more favourably. We believe Goals is the highest-quality operator in terms of sites, management and reputation. Schools, for example, do not make their decisions for commercial reasons, but because they want a sports centre – with a solid reputation – on their land. The smoking ban has had a limited impact on Goals, while Powerleague states the opposite. Powerleague saw LFL non-pitch sales decline by 8% in H1 (July– December 2007) and said that much of this was a result of the smoking ban. Goals does not split out non-pitch sales, but its full-year LFL sales uplift for 2007 was 7% compared to Powerleague’s H1 2008 figure of 2%. IMPROVING QUALITY AND PACE OF EARNINGS Goals plans to open six sites in each of 2008 and 2009, and seven in 2010. This is supported by its pipeline and compares with five openings in 2006 and four in 2007. Achieving this target should enhance sales and earnings substantially given the 4–5-year payback and high operational gearing. Goals continues to launch initiatives to fill spare capacity during less busy times, including coaching sessions, attracting shift workers who do not work during the day, and using the pitches for other activities such as rugby. Goals is continually developing its information systems. This helps it to manage enquiries, reservations, member details and the plasma screens showing, for example, league game scores. ACCOUNTABILITY Strong management Chief executive Keith Rogers was there at the birth of the industry. In 1987 he jointly established Anchor International, which operated 5-a-side football centres. He sold it to private equity group 3i 12 years later. 3i also acquired a rival operation, Powerplay; the two were merged to form Powerleague, which is now Goals’ main competitor. Mr Rogers left to lead a management buy-in at a much smaller business. With financial backing, he acquired the company that would form Goals, repeated his success and floated it on AIM in December 2004. That was six months before Powerleague was floated. We believe Goals’ management is robust, highly experienced, and has the drive, skill and knowledge to take the business forward to become a global brand and the operator of choice. KPIs The KPIs are: 1) the number of games played; 2) secondary sales; and 3) the quality of the facilities and service. As part of this, the number of games each site needs to have each week to achieve a 4–5-year payback is analysed. Goals’ target is 225, but it does not announce how it is doing on this metric. Solid site pipeline Promoting health and fitness Limited impact of the smoking ban Opportunities to create value Goals Soccer Centres • Analysis of Forecasts 5 June 2008 9 ANALYSIS OF FORECASTS Goals has a strong organic growth programme and has consistently grown LFL sales and margins. LFL sales growth ranged from 7% to 9% between 2004 and 2007; we forecast 5% per annum for the next three years. KEY REVENUE DRIVERS ! Pitch occupancy. Pitch sales make up 75% of revenues. Management understands that it is important to drive high levels of pitch occupancy during peak times and is considering methods to drive off-peak occupancy too, eg children’s coaching, targeting shift workers during the day, and other activities. ! LFL sales. We forecast annual LFL sales growth of 5% for the next three years. Growth ranged from 7% to 9% between 2004 and 2007. Our 5% forecast might prove conservative, but we feel that it is prudent to assume a lower figure given the current economic climate. Of the 5%, we expect 3–3.5%-points to relate to price and 1.5–2%-points to volume. ! Pricing. Increases occur after the summer holidays (coinciding with the new football season) and management is confident that any price increases should not impact volume as they are built in to customers’ expectations. Management believes that it has strong brand loyalty, particularly in areas where it is well established, such as Birmingham. We believe this strong brand loyalty and LFL sales growth is underpinned by management’s focus on investment in its facilities, service and location. Source Company, Panmure Gordon ! Organic growth. We forecast six new units in each of 2008 and 2009, and seven in 2010. ! Overseas expansion. Goals is looking to expand in the US and South Africa. This is not included in our forecasts. REVENUES AND YEAR-END UNITS MARGINS Due to the operational gearing effect of organic growth on a relatively fixed cost base, we expect margins to improve from 42% in 2007A to 44% in 2008E, 44.7% in 2009E and 46.0% in 2010E. Wages. Management operates very high controls over these costs, with each department in each branch having a weekly budget that can be exceeded only with authorisation. All pay rates are controlled by head office. Rent. The majority of sites are leasehold and the terms of the leases are reviewed in line with RPI every five years. Central costs. These are c£1.5m per annum and we forecast them to increase by 5% each year. There are also additional costs of £100k that are likely to be required for new sites each year. This should cover the costs for additional regional managers and administration. PROFITABILITY AND DIVIDEND We forecast EPS to rise from 11.2p in 2007A to 14.9p in 2008E, growing overall by 120.3% from 2007A to 2010E. The policy is to grow dividends in line with EPS. We believe that the dividend cover of 7.8x in 2007A is likely to be maintained. CASH FLOW Strong organic growth can be self-financed with robust profits combined with focused capital expenditure. This means that we expect net debt to rise from £33.8m in 2008E to £38.3m in 2010E. Capital expenditure is approximately £2.1m per new site, which we forecast to rise by 2% annually. An average of £30k per unit is spent on maintenance each year, which we also expect to rise by 5% annually. We have also allowed £200k per annum for systems development. BALANCE SHEET The company has a revolving credit facility of £40m, which should enable it to continue its current planned expansion. With Goals being almost self-financing, we believe it has sufficient financial headroom to support planned expansion. VALUATION Goals operates in a defensive market that should prove robust in a consumer downturn. Its operating ratios are superior to Powerleague’s because of better quality sites; this leads us to believe that Goals has a strong competitive position that justifies its premium rating. Our Buy recommendation assumes that this rating at least holds over the medium term. P/E Our 350p target price equates to a 2008E P/E of 20.1x and EV/EBITDA of 12.2x. We believe the premium to Powerleague is justified for the following reasons: ! Forecast earnings growth of 120.3% over the next three years; ! A defensive market and only one major competitor; ! Superior product generating higher margins and returns; ! Defensive qualities; and ! A strong organic pipeline. FREE CASH FLOW We forecast that the free cash flow yield after maintenance capital increases from 4.8% in 2007A to 11.3% in 2010E. This is driven mainly by our expectation of strong sales growth and continual profitability. DCF Our 350p price target is supported by our DCF valuation of 364p, which is based on a WACC of 7.4% and terminal growth of 1.0%. Sensitivity analysis Terminal growth 0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 7.0% 342 397 473 WACC 7.4% 316 364 430 8.0% 278 315 366 8.5% 252 284 325 Source Panmure Gordon PEER GROUP VALUATION We are Buyers of Goals and prefer it to Powerleague. Goals has clear strategy, and good quality sites, including location, size and investment. The key points are: ! We forecast 2008E average sales per unit of £0.9m for Goals and £0.7m for Powerleague. We forecast EBITDA per unit of £0.47m and £0.25m, respectively. ! Goals’ average sales per pitch are superior to Powerleague’s; for 2008E we forecast £81k and £63k, respectively. Premium valuation High growth Goals Soccer Centres • Valuation 5 June 2008 13 ! Goals’ LFL performance has overtaken that of Powerleague, and we expect this to continue. ! Goals’ P/E of 20.1x (for 2008E) is forecast to reduce to 12.1x (for 2010E), while Powerleague’s moves from 16.5x to 11.2x in the same period. In our opinion, this illustrates Goals’ longer-term value. The same trend is seen with EV/EBITDA. This, combined with the points discussed earlier, makes Goals Soccer Centres a more attractive investment in our opinion. CONCLUSION Taking a long-term view, we initiate coverage with a Buy recommendation and a 350p target price. Due to Goals’ long-term growth prospects and potential for forecast upgrades, we expect the shares to at least hold their rating over the medium term, during which time the company should generate significant growth. Valuations and returns compared 2008E 2009E 2010E EBITDA (m) Goals 13.0 16.4 20.6 Powerleague 9.6 12.1 13.2 EPS (p) Goals 14.9 19.3 24.8 Powerleague 4.1 5.3 6.1 EV/ EBITDA (x) Goals 12.2 9.8 8.0 Powerleague 9.7 7.4 6.7 EV/ EBITDAR (x) Goals 12.5 10.3 8.6 Powerleague 10.4 8.6 8.0 P/E (x) Goals 20.1 15.5 12.1 Powerleague 16.5 12.9 11.2 Dividend yield (%) Goals (%) 0.7 0.9 1.1 Powerleague (%) 1.8 2.0 2.2 Sales per unit (£000) Goals 909 932 955 Powerleague 707 757 764 EBITDA per unit (£000) Goals 465 483 508 Powerleague 250 276 281 EBITDA margin (%) Goals (%) 51.2 51.9 53.1 Powerleague (%) 35.4 36.4 36.8 EBIT margin (%) Goals (%) 44.0 44.7 46.0 Powerleague (%) 25.4 26.4 26.8 ROIC (%) Goals (%) 13.0 13.6 14.5 Powerleague (%) 9.0 9.6 10.2 Gearing (%) Goals (%) 111.6 91.7 77.7 Powerleague (%) 170.2 135.5 115.8 Fixed charge cover (cash) (x) Goals 5 5 5 Powerleague 3 3 3 Source Panmure Gordon Goals Soccer Centres • The Numbers 5 June 2008 15 Read Full Thread Follow Reply
28/5/2008 11:55	simonhollingsworth: Nice article Fives alive and kicking as demand remains for people wanting to play the shorter game version regularly Netting the profits By Peter Sharkey Published: 28/05/2008 SWEET SUCCESS: Five-a-side company operators are proving an exception to economic downturn More Pictures As economic gloom deepens, food prices defy inflation figures and fuel protesters take to the roads to prevent the imposition of a further tax, anyone searching for good economic news may feel they have embarked on a forlorn journey. Hope is at hand as there is one area of the sport business which is ticking along and doing rather well. Any company posting a 42% increase in pre-tax profit and a 58% rise in its dividend payment is bound to attract attention, but the business responsible is not involved in oil production, nor is it the beneficiary of another lucrative long-term government hand-out. Goals Soccer Centres, the smaller of the UK's two main five-a-side operators, the other is Powerleague, recently reported another set of sparkling results which prompted stockbrokers KBC Peel Hunt to say: "Trading remains strong. That is consistent with management experience from the early 1990s when five-a-side showed itself to be recession-proof." Perhaps that should be virtually recession proof as Goals' share price has fallen slightly since its results were announced, although it has nonetheless trebled in the space of three and a half years. Powerleague continues to expand. It recently paid JJB Sports £17.5million for a collection of five five-a-side centres deemed to be surplus to the sportswear retailer's requirements. Across the country, there are an estimated six million regular five-a-side players who use a core of 80 centres to embark on their weekly hobby. Five-a-side is comparatively cheap on average, an hour's run-out costs less than £5, considerably less than gym membership. Both Goals and Powerleague are quoted on the stock market and they are among a diminishing number of businesses which appear most immune to economic downturn. According to Goals' chief executive Keith Rogers, there is a constant demand from people wanting to play regularly. Most no longer have the time required for football's 11-a-side version, nor do they want the longer-term commitment of a gym subscription. "We cater for serious amateurs at one end and for recreational players at the other," he said. Rogers first recognised five-a-side's appeal in 1987 when he and a business partner established a company called Anchor International. As the pair developed a successful operation, 3i, the private equity firm, was gaining a five-a-side toehold by acquiring Powerplay. In 1999, Rogers collected £28million by selling Anchor International to 3i, which then merged the two to form Powerleague. The new operation floated on the stock market in May 2005. Rogers had become involved in a much smaller outfit via a management buy-in assisted by HBOS and another private equity operation, Dunedin Capital, he eventually acquired the business which would become Goals. The company's blueprint has proved enormously successful. It selects locations where at least 150,000 people live within a 12-15 minute car journey, whereas Powerleague adapts a more flexible approach and is often prepared to position itself in smaller towns. For both companies, sites generally cost between £700,000 and £2.5million to develop before they can begin generating money. Of the two, Goals' business model has proved the more resilient. It has a current market value of £122million after increasing operating profits from £1.6million in 2003 to £8.4million last year. Powerleague's performance, by contrast, has been less spectacular. Earlier this week, its share price stood at 67p, an increase of just 12p since it floated, although it has been beyond 110p. Powerleague is currently worth around £54million after its most recent results showed profits of £6million. Stephen Broadhurst of sports management com-pany Apex believes there is enormous scope for five-a-side to make additional progress: "Potentially, there are around 250 five-a-side sites in the UK," he said. "There is plenty of spare market capacity which would allow either Goals or Powerleague to expand. "Of course, there is also scope for a newcomer to enter the market as the cost of entry is not prohibitively expensive. "Provided average playing costs hover around a fiver, the game's popularity will continue to rise because it's affordable sport. "From a business perspective, peer pressure is another important factor. "As team-mates tend to either work together or in close proximity to each other, no-one wants to be the guy who dips out of handing over his £5 for the weekly game. This is hugely significant in making five-a-side resistant to economic downturn." Planning restrictions have proved an enormous headache. This has led to both Goals and Powerleague, together with virtually every other operator, approaching schools with plans to open new sites on school land. Such flexibility has proved popular with many, but not all schools. It works with the operator building a new centre and paying the school a nominal rent. By day, the school's pupils may use the centre free of charge because five-a-side centres are at their busiest immediately after work and at weekends. Representatives from Goals and Powerleague are busy approaching schools with their plans, eager to expand their centre numbers before saturation point is reached. Both companies have plans to expand overseas. Goals has already announced proposals for new centres in South Africa and will open a pilot site in Los Angeles later this year. Meanwhile Powerleague is exploring the possibility of franchising its operation across continental Europe. Despite understandable concerns about Britain's uncertain near-term economic outlook, the five-a-side business is proving remarkably resistant. Given the UK market's additional capacity, such enterprises should continue to flourish, at least while unemployment remains in check. Read Full Thread Follow Reply

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