Powerleague reveals £14m padel plans
£14 million Powerleague padel plans
Powerleague has announced £14 million padel investment plans to introduce what’s fast becoming the world’s favourite sport to almost half of its clubs across the country.
The plans, due to be delivered over the next two years, will see 76 new courts open by 2026, with Powerleague aiming to make padel accessible to a massive 200,000 players each year.
The investment will catapult the ‘small-sided football’ specialist into one of the UK’s leading padel providers. Game4Padel and David Lloyd currently vie for top spot, both having more than 20 padel venues. However, Game4Padel – backed by a number of high-profile sports people including Andy Murray, Virgil van Dijk and most recently Marcus Tavernier – has plans to build up to 300 new courts over the next five years.
In announcing the news, Powerleague described padel as a ‘clear growth opportunity’ and CEO Christian Rose commented that while football remained at the heart of the business, padel could play a ‘crucial role’ in achieving its long term ambitions.
With our network of clubs in major urban areas we’re already well placed to help the development of padel by making it more accessible to a wider audience.
- Christian Rose, Powerleague CEO
The organisation currently operates 43 clubs offering football and more than 250 third party netball and football venues. It has already dipped its toe into the burgeoning padel sector, opening three-court padel facilities in Birmingham and Shoreditch, London. Six covered courts are opening shortly at its Manchester Nicholls site.
Powerleague CEO, Christian Rose, said: “Padel is a worldwide phenomenon. With around 25 million active players across more than 100 countries, it is demonstrating a 26% compound annual growth rate. Its success is because it’s easy to learn, fun to play and hugely sociable which is why it is such a great strategic fit for Powerleague.
“With our network of clubs in major urban areas we’re already well placed to help the development of padel in the UK by making it more accessible to a wider audience. The journey Powerleague has been on over the last five years has been significant, it means we’re now well-structured for what is to come.
“Behind all of our plans however is our belief in the power of sport and how by delivering world-class sporting experiences we can foster economic, social, and physical well-being within the communities we serve. As a result of this collective ambition, we have community use agreements in place across our clubs to encourage local residents to play and are proud to also support the growing participation by women and girls in sport. Whilst football remains at the heart of business, padel can play a crucial role in our achieving our long term ambitions. At Powerleague we see our growth as going hand in hand with a healthier, more inclusive society,” added Rose.
The investment announcement will be of particular interest to those familiar with the former Powerleague site in Pride Park, Derby. We Are Padel (a Ledap company) took on the site lease in early 2022, turfing football from the indoor centre and replacing it with 11 padel courts – at that time the biggest padel centre in the UK.
Growth plans
Powerleague, which welcomes more than 8.5 million customers every year, is aiming to become the ‘biggest and best’ provider of small-sided sports leagues, with the most pitches, in the UK. It has moved to a single unified brand, bringing its Powerplay netball and football sites under the Powerleague banner to give customers access to a wider range of locations and sports. It also continues to invest in its football clubs, with regeneration of pitches and new sites at the forefront of the 2025 strategic plan.
In addition, the business is continuing to seek growth in its network of third party venues at schools and leisure facilities across the country. 🎾
