Snow stops play but group bounces back

The group, which has sites in Bradford, Leeds and Sheffield, also reported a post-World Cup bounce as sales grew in the period July.

Goals said World Cup-themed products and promotions drove a rise in bookings for children's parties and corporate events during the month-long competition – a trend which continued during July and August.

But the poor weather in January and February meant Goals' like-for-like sales were down three per cent in the six months to June 30. Each centre lost an average of 23 days of trading due to the snowfall. However, since the end of the World Cup, like-for-like sales are up three per cent.

The company, which operates 37 five-a-side football centres across the UK, reported a slight drop in half-year profits to 3.8m, but said that without the severe weather, pre-tax profits would have been up to 18 per cent, to 4.6m.

Keith Rogers, Goals managing director, said: "Goals has delivered a robust trading performance in spite of the abnormal weather and a challenging economic environment..

"While the UK consumer outlook remains uncertain, we are confident that results for the year to December 31 will show continued growth and will be within the range of current market expectations."

Goals plans to open another six centres in 2011, and has applied for planning permission to open in Hull. It said its pipeline of opportunities is enough for seven years' new openings, and it said the "subdued" property market is throwing up further opportunities.

As well as opening four centres during the first half of the year in the UK, the company also opened its first centre in the US, in Los Angeles, in June.