Goals chairman buys £150k of shares

THE chairman of five-a-side operator Goals Soccer Centres, Sir Rodney Walker, yesterday spent £150,000 on shares to increase his holding for the second time in a week.

Walker, who used to head the UK Sports Council, bought 120,001 shares at 125p.

Last week he was one of several directors at the East Kilbride company who had bought a combined 200,000 worth of shares after the firm issued a profit warning due to the impact of the weather.

Goals said that trading had been in line with market expectations "prior to the latest extraordinary snowfalls across the UK".

The heavy snow is expected to reduce profits before tax by 700,000 for the year to 31 December with analysts now expecting the company to make a profit of 8.6m.