Five-a-side football: joint venture between City Football Group and Goals, in the US and Canada

City Football Group (CFG) has established a joint venture with Goals Soccer Centers PLC (Goals), the leading five-a-side football company, for the opening of five-a-side football complexes in the United States and Canada, announced the parent group of Manchester City FC (Premier League) on 25/07/2017. All operations of Goals in North America, including the two existing sites in California (South Gate and Ponoma, Los Angeles County), were transferred to the newly created joint venture.

The sites will be co-branded City Football and Goals, through a new identity "which will be revealed later in the year," said CFG on 25/07/2017. Goals has a total of 48 five-a-side football complexes.

"The joint venture will be permitted to use the brands which CFG owns, including Manchester City, to drive its North American marketing activity where appropriate. The joint venture will also be able to engage in targeted promotional initiatives across CFG's fan networks," said Goals on 25/07/2017.

• "CFG is providing $16m of initial committed expansion capital which combined with cash flow from the joint…