GOAL.L Regulatory News (GOAL)

14 May 2012

Goals Soccer Centres plc

("Goals" or the "Company")

This announcement is not an announcement of a firm intention to make an offer under Rule 2.7 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Code"). There is no certainty that an offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which any offer might be made.

Further extension to deadline under Rule 2.6(c) of the Code

On 30 April 2012, the Company announced that, in accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the Code, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan must, by not later than 5.00 p.m. on 14 May 2012, either announce a firm intention to make an offer for the Company in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies. 

Under Rule 2.6(c) of the Code, at the request of the Board of Goals, the Panel has again consented to an extension of the deadline, by which Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan must either announce a firm intention to make an offer for the Company or announce that it does not intend to make an offer for the Company, to 5.00 p.m. on 11 June 2012. This extended deadline may only be further extended with the consent of the Panel in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code.

The Company remains in offer discussions with Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan which is currently reviewing information which has been made available to it, subject to strict terms of confidentiality, by the Company. The anticipated timetable for the completion of these discussions is consistent with the extended deadline.

There is no certainty that an offer will be made for the Company nor as to the terms on which any offer might be made.

A further announcement will be made as and when appropriate.

A copy of this announcement will be made available shortly on the Company's website www.goalsplc.co.uk in accordance with Rule 30.4 of the Code.

Enquiries

Canaccord Genuity Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority, is acting as adviser to Goals Soccer Centres plc in relation to the matters described in this announcement and is acting for no-one else in connection with the matters referred to herein and will not be responsible to anyone other than Goals Soccer Centres plc for providing the protections afforded to clients of Canaccord Genuity Limited nor for providing advice in connection with the contents of this announcement or any other matter referred to herein.

Disclosure requirements of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any paper offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any paper offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any paper offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any paper offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a paper offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any paper offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any paper offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any paper offeror, save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.

If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a paper offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3.

Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4).

Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.

The directors of Goals Soccer Centres plc accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement. To the best of their knowledge and belief (having taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained in this announcement for which they are responsible is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.