GOALS Soccer Centres has underlined its faith in the potential of the five a side soccer market in the USA where its first centre is busier than the average UK facility at weekends.
The East Kilbride-based company's finance director, Bill Gow, said the company expects to open its second centre in the US this year after being very pleased with the success of the first facility, in Los Angeles.
Asked about the performance of the 11-pitch centre in LA, Mr Gow said: "Demand is very similar to the UK Monday through to Thursday evening when it's very busy with adult teams.
"In the US you have quite a high utilization rate at the weekend. Soccer's extremely popular in the US and lots of parents want to go and watch their kids playing soccer. It's quite busy with kids at the weekend. In the UK weekends tend to be slightly quieter."
Canaccord, which is broker to stock-market listed Goals, noted: " Interest in soccer
in the US continues to grow, helped by the US performance at the World Cup and the
imminent arrival of Steven Gerrard at LA Galaxy."
Mr Gow said the US centre operates quite like UK facilities in other respects.
In an update on trading in the year to December, Goals said the centre in Los Angeles is well established and trading strongly.
"Its ongoing success supports the decision to roll-out further centres in California," said Goals.
Mr Gow said the company has got a number of potential US sites under discussion.
He said the company, which operates three centres in Scotland and 41 in England, expects to open an average of two a year in the UK.
It will focus expansion activity in England because of the greater population density south of the border compared to Scotland.
Goals expects to open centres in Manchester and Doncaster this year.
The expected opening date for Manchester slipped to February from December because soft ground required more piling work. Doncaster is due to open in April.
In an update for investors Goals said Trading for the year to December was in line with market expectations with sales increasing by three per cent, to £34.5m, from £33.8m in 2013.
Mr Gow said sales increased across the UK.
The company said there was a modest fall in the overall gross profit margin it achieved because ancillary revenues, such as bar sales, increased faster than more profitable pitch hire revenues.
However, Mr Gow said rising bar sales were a sign of favourable economic conditions.
Goals said the operating margin after administration costs was maintained and in line with expectations.
The company said there had been a very good response to the launch of its mobile application, app, which is expected to reduce the number of cancelled bookings and help the company with marketing.
The app allows match organisers to liaise with players who can use it to pay their share of booking fees directly to Goals. It can link people who want a game with match organisers who are looking for players.
Around 10,000 customers have downloaded the app since it was launched in December.
Mr Gow said a good percentage of people who downloaded the app are using using it. Goals will provide a more detailed update on the progress of the App when it announces full year results in March.
The N+1 Singer brokerage cut its forecast for profit before tax in 2014 by £01.m to £10.7m.
Canaccord left its forecast for earnings per share unchanged at 14.5p on an adjusted, diluted basis.
Shares in Goals Soccer Centres closed down 6.5p at 216p.
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