After a week in which much of the country cowered from the heat, five-a-side football operator Goals Soccer Centres yesterday told investors that snow has cost it some profits.

After a week in which much of the country cowered from the heat, five-a-side football operator Goals Soccer Centres yesterday told investors that snow has cost it some profits.

The company said in a trading update it continues to trade in line with expectations despite severe snow in February which cut its sales and sliced around £300,000 off profits over the period.

Finance director Bill Gow told The Herald that the company was largely weather-resistant and would not benefit from the heat wave that his hit much of the UK over the past few days: "Warm weather is neither here nor there. What impacts our business is if people cannot get to us."

The East Kilbride-based company told investors that its £5.50 a game format was holding up despite the consumer spending slowdown: "Our 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."

It said that newer centres are expanding slower than in the past.

The company raised £11m from shareholders in a share placing last month to fund an increased rate of expansion.

It said it added one centre in Coventry during the period and has another two in Liverpool and Reading under construction with work about to begin on another in Portsmouth. "Our pipeline of sites continues to strengthen and the board remains confident that a minimum of six centres will be added during 2010," the company added.

Goals confirmed the proceeds of the placing together with cash generated by the company and its existing banking facilities will allow it to open at least six centres a year from 2010.

Its shares climbed 2.5p to 204p.