Goals scoring despite the dip

GOALS Soccer Centres, the Scottish operator of five-a-side football pitches, said it was avoiding any consumer spending downturn.

The company, which has said it is actively seeking its first site in Edinburgh, maintains it is confident about delivering an "excellent result" in the current calendar year.

It is also confident that it will add a minimum of six new centres before the end of the year, on top of the three venues which are currently under construction. In a trading update, the East Kilbride-based firm said: "We have not seen any indication of softening demand for our 'next generation' offering.

"We believe that our low admission price and the high loyalty associated with team sports indicates our business is resilient to any wider consumer spending downturn."