Goals Soccer Centres Has Asked The Serious Fraud Office To Investigate What It Believes Is Accounting Fraud

Nicola Sharp of business crime solicitors Rahman Ravelli believes problems could have been averted if the accounting had been subject to closer scrutiny years earlier.

Goals Soccer Centres has called in the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to examine what it believes is accounting fraud that has forced it off the London stock market.

The chain of five-a-side football centres gave the SFO a dossier of evidence which it says details "improper behaviour on the part of a small number of individuals historically within the company".

This action by the Goals board came a matter of days after the company saw its shares delisted because it could not produce an accurate picture of its finances. A VAT liability of at least £12M emerged earlier this year and led to the accountancy firm BDO producing a report alleging that Goals' former chief executive and chief financial officer colluded to produce fictitious invoices.

Last month, Goals warned that the amount of VAT owing could be much higher than originally forecasted. It said it may have overstated its profits by up to £40M in the last 10 years.

The crisis has led to Goals collapsing into administration and being bought by a new company backed by Inflexion Private Equity and another...