FEW quoted company chiefs graduated with a degree in sociology, but Sean Tracey, chief executive of the football operator Powerleague, is one of that rare breed.

Perhaps it was the study of human interaction which convinced him of the importance of motivational qualities and teambuilding, attributes which he says explain the low rate of turnover among his managers.

All but two of Powerleague's 26 site heads have been with the business for an average of more than four years. Some began their careers as receptionists.

Key staff, including five longserving area managers, were granted shares when the Paisleybased company completed a management buy-out from early investor 3i in December 2003. The same people were "reincentivised" this week upon the flotation of the business on the Alternative Investment Market.

Tracey says: "The quality of the staff at our branches is the key to the development of the business."

Born and bred in Largs, Tracey learnt the importance of the "personal touch" from two sources.

His first mentor was Fabbi Nardini, the larger-than-life boss of celebrated seaside institution Nardini's, at which Tracey earned 65p an hour serving in the cafe.

Tracey recalls: "Fabbi kept everybody motivated and had a great team spirit in the place. He was a great guy, sadly no longer with us, and you could learn from him."

The second influence was wellkent Glasgow theatre impresario Billy Differ, who used to run Glasgow's King's Theatre. Tracey worked at the King's as a student and it was there he met his wife Josephine.

He later went into theatre management after studying politics and sociology at Glasgow's Caledonian University.

"Billy was a fantastic manager, always front of house, talking to customers, and always accessible.

He gave me the opportunity to get management experience. I don't think the King's has been the same since he left."

Being the youngest of seven children might also be interpreted as a spur to entrepreneurship, as the "baby" of the family set out to prove himself. It seems to be a family trait, however. Brother Michael runs a successful headhunting firm.

After taking his degree, Tracey crossed to the east coast to work at Edinburgh's Lyceum Theatre.

He was tempted back by an advertisement for a general manager at Pits five-a-side centre in Glasgow, where he had played in his college days. "I just thought it would be a nice place to work, " he remembers. "I love football."

Tracey's ascent began as he won plaudits for improving the site's trading performance. He then went down south to "troubleshoot" for the then owner, Anchor International, at underperforming centres in Newcastle and Sheffield, before coming back to open a centre at Sighthill in Edinburgh.

When Powerleague was created in December 1999, Tracey became sales director first and then managing director.

Tracey plays five-a-side himself every Friday with a group he has known for 15 years. Unsurprisingly, he remains a fan as well as an employee: "I go to football but I prefer to play it. It's an ideal game for someone like me, it's a great stress-buster. You can have as competitive a game in your 30s as a bunch of 18 or 19-year-olds.

"One of the beauties of five-a-side is that it works on all sorts of different levels. It's also a lesser time commitment than the 11-a-side game."

Powerleague's growth ambitions appear virtually unlimited. The company has conditionally agreed to acquire four centres from VIDA, which should take the number of sites to 30 and pitches to 308.

The firm plans to develop at least 11 more sites over the next 36 months, and has a pipeline of 16.

In Scotland, a seventh site is under construction at Kilmarnock. Current priorities for the business include building on school sites - in exchange for letting pupils use the pitches during the day - and running more corporate tournaments.

Some 75,000 footballers tread the plastic sward every week, and eventually the Powerleague directors believe they could build a UK site portfolio 100-strong.

Continental Europe also beckons, with research from Germany and Holland suggesting latent demand.

Tracey adds that he is also alive to the potential of those southern European soccer hothouses, Italy and Spain.

Powerleague's sponsors, which include Nike, Honda, Barclays and Carlsberg, as well as Xbox, its principal sponsor, are particularly keen on overseas expansion.

Tracey says: "In (Europe) there is no network of developed five-a-side sites. We believe the demand is there but we'd prefer to look at a franchise partnership approach. We're very cautious in terms of capital spending. We've got contacts there and I think in time it will develop.

"We've had approaches from various parts of the world from people who have seen the Powerleague brand." In the UK at least, Tracey's biggest business bugbear is the much-criticised planning regime.

"Working with the planning authorities can certainly be problematic. I think it's an area that not only frustrates us but is also an issue for the housing industry. There doesn't seem to be any recognition of that issue in the Scottish Parliament and in the wider UK.

"After all, you're trying to create jobs and develop the business, but you are very much dictated to by a council process, and it can take a significant amount of time to see a site through from initial development to (realisation).

"I definitely think the whole thing could be speeded up. Even when a site is nowhere near residential property, for example, it still takes the same length of time to get through."

One obvious question remains for Scotland's football impresario - who do you support? Mindful, doubtless, of his constituency, Tracey is equivocal.

"I support a team from Glasgow, " he chuckles. "We'll leave it at that."

VIEWPOINT

Born: Largs, 37 years ago.

What did you want to be as a child:

Petrocelli, the TV lawyer. He always won his cases.

Best moment: Doing the float and completing the management buy-out in 2003 were highs.

Worst moment: When the business could have been sold four years ago and not being in control of that situation.

What car do you drive? BMW X5.