Own goal as soccer centre seeks buyer after scandal

GOALS Soccer Centres has put itself up for sale after becoming engulfed in an accounting scandal.

The five-a-side football operator, in which Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct is a major investor, has appointed accountant Deloitte to find a buyer.

Ashley is likely to make a grab, having already bought a 19pc stake through Sports Direct.

Shares in Goals were suspended earlier this year following the discovery of an accounting blunder which has left it owing £12m in unpaid tax. It is set to be delisted from the AIM junior stock market and will miss a September 30 deadline for publishing its full-year accounts.

The company is investigating former chief executive Keith Rogers and ex-finance boss Bill Gow. The Financial Conduct Authority is also said to be looking into the issue.

Accountants at BDo are understood to have alleged that Gow emailed Rogers asking him to ‘work your usual magic’ to create fake invoices. Gow has also been accused of deleting old emails to clear records, while it is claimed the pair manipulated numbers to avoid VAT payments and breached banking rules with its lender, Bank of Scotland.

Goals dates to 1987 and was taken over by Rogers and Gow in a management buyout in 2000. Rogers left in 2017, with Gow jumping ship to Scots teacake maker Tunnock’s, founded by his wife’s family.

Rogers has denied the claims but Gow is yet to comment.

News of the sale came as shareholder advisory firm ISS urged Sports Direct investors to vote against the re-election of Ashley as a director, ahead of its general meeting on September 11.

The recommendation comes after investor advisory groups Pirc and Glass lewis also voiced concerns about him.

Ashley, 54, has taken umbrage with bosses at Goals over the accounting scandal and has tried and failed to oust directors from the board.

Sports Direct declined to comment.