Sports Direct accuses Goals Soccer Centres of not 'truly' engaging in bid process

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Sports Direct International accused Goals Soccer Centres of not allowing it full access to its forensic accounting reports while it was mulling a takeover bid for the small-sized football club company.

Sports Direct confirmed this week that it did not intend to make an offer for Goals.

The company said it had noted pressure reports in which a spokesman for Goals said it had provides Sports Direct will all of the information it had requested.

'Sports Direct believes that, contrary to these reports, Goals and its board did not truly engage with an offer process; access and co-operation was limited and fitful,' Sports Direct claimed.

'In particular, key information including access to forensic accounting reports as well as the ability to engage with the main lender was provided to Sports Direct extremely late in the process and Goals' board was not then willing - or able - to agree to an extension of time for consideration of the potential offer.'

Sports Direct said it continued to believe that Goals should be fully investigated, by both AIM regulators and an independently-appointed third party over accounting errors discovered in its books.