SOUTH GATE — Goals Soccer Centers, a private, Scotland-based company, will open its first facility in the United States June 3, a $5.5 million, 3.5-acre complex in South Gate Park, 4900 Southern Ave.

The complex is at the northeast corner of the park, formerly leased to the Los Angeles Unified School District as a temporary site for Tweedy Elementary School until a new school was ready nearby.

It features 11 “five-a-side” soccer fields.

Five-a-side soccer, a fast-growing sport, is played on a much smaller field than traditional soccer. The 22-yard-by-33-yard “pitches” have walls that rebound the ball back into play rather than going out of bounds, a city representative said.

Goals currently operates more than 30 centers throughout the United Kingdom.
Under the agreement, the private company will lease the site from the city for $154,000 a year for a period of 25 years, plus two five-year extensions, said South Gate Parks and Recreation Director Paul Adams.

The game features tennis court-sized fields, and requires around five players on each team instead of the typical 11 on a normal-sized field, Goals representative Mario Flores said.

The center in South Gate will have leagues for men, women, kids, and the over-40 crowd, Flores said.

The 11 outdoor fields are lighted and have artificial turf for year-round play; plus a pavilion that will feature professionally-styled locker rooms, multi-function suites and a restaurant, Flores said.

“We are bringing a world-class soccer experience to the community,” said Les Allan, president of Goals Soccer Centers.

“From the locker rooms to the staff to the pristine fields, we are creating an environment that players have never experienced before, and that will have them coming back for more. This will not only be a place to play soccer, but a place to live soccer all year long.

“Our mission is to bring unique programming to Goals Soccer Centers to meet the varied needs of the Southern California soccer community,” Allan added.

“From the creation of five-a-side leagues to youth tournaments to clinics, and everything in between, players of all skill levels and ages will have a reason to visit our facility and play the game loved around the world.”

Goals Soccer Centers Inc. is a joint venture with majority shareholder, Goals Soccer Centres, PLC, of the UK.

The latter is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange, and also the premier five-a-side soccer provider in the United Kingdom.

Adams said the complex is scheduled for completion by the end of this month.

The city is not be putting any money forward for the construction or development of the Center. Goals will pay all construction costs, said Nellie Cobos, assistant to City Manager Ron Bates.

In addition, Goals will build a nine-station batting cage facility as part of the project. Once constructed, the city will purchase the batting cages from Goals at a fee much less than the cages would cost the city to build on their own, Adams said.

Adams said the size of the project calls for 56 parking spaces under city code. Of that amount, 48 can be provided on the leased site while the other eight can be shared with adjoining parking.

Goals will stripe the adjoining parking area, in effect creating 25 more spaces, Adams said.

City proposals call for the Scottish firm to staff the center from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with prime-time playing from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.

They city would get 25 hours of weekday prime time and 12 hours of weekend prime time for its programs, along with 40 hours of non-prime time, Adams said.