CHRISTOPHER Mills, the activist investor who has become the largest shareholder in Goals Soccer Centres, agrees with the five-a-side football operator's current strategy, chief executive Keith Rogers has insisted.

Meanwhile, the East Kilbride-based company, which came close to be taken over last year, said it will announce a new chairman to replace sports industry stalwart Sir Rodney Walker by the end of the month after its previous preference pulled out.

Funds run by Mr Mills's firm Harwood Capital took a 8.6% stake in Goals several weeks ago.

Mr Rogers and Mr Mills have already met.

Mr Rogers confirmed: "He is supportive of the current strategy."

Mr Mills did not respond to a request for comment.

At other companies it has invested in, Harwood Capital has pressed for strategic or board change.

Goals is currently in a building hiatus as it seeks to increase profits from its 43 sites and reduce debt.

Mr Rogers told the meeting: "Our competitors are not really doing anything in the market right now either.

"When the time is appropriate we will roll out more centres."

Last summer its board agreed a takeover by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, but failed to garner sufficient support from investors. Patron Capital, the private equity firm that took rival Powerleague private in 2009, also looked at Goals.

Speaking after the company's annual shareholder meeting in London, Sir Rodney, former chairman of the UK Sports Council, said Goals had hoped to announce his replacement for the £56,000-a- year role in November but their favoured candidate withdrew.

It has subsequently interviewed three more potential chairmen.

"I am very confident we would have an announcement before the end of May," Sir Rodney said.

Sir Rodney is to become honorary president of Goals and act as an adviser.

Goals's debt fell to £48.75m as of April 29 from £50.2m at the end of December and banker Bank of Scotland is content with Goals' strategy, Sir Rodney said.

"The company has traded in line with the board's expectations in the period since we announced our results for the financial year ended December 31, 2012, and we remain confident of Goals' continued progress in 2013 and beyond," Sir Rodney told the meeting.

Mr Mills founded London-based Harwood in 2011, as a successor to JO Hambro Capital Management, which he co-founded in 1993.

JO Hambro Capital was the one-time backer of troubled Lanarkshire engineering stalwart Motherwell Bridge.