£2.2m investment to see 11 padel courts installed across Scotland
A football pitch operator has revealed plans to invest £2.2m in padel courts across Scotland.
Describing the game as the 'fasting growing' sport in the world, Powerleague confirmed the 11 courts will be installed at its Paisley, Portobello and Sighthill clubs.
The firm said the investment marks 'the largest' in padel infrastructure by any company in Scotland to date.
A Powerleague spokesperson added that the investment will bring the sport out of exclusive tennis clubs and open it up to thousands of new players. Powerleague The 11 courts will run from it's Paisley, Portobello and Sighthill clubs. Powerleague
The first site to open will be Paisley at the beginning of July, followed by Portobello later that month and Sighthill in October.
This Scottish expansion is part of a wider £14m UK-wide rollout, which will see Powerleague deliver 76 courts across its estate by 2026.
Christian Rose, CEO of Powerleague, said Padel is experiencing 'explosive' global growth, with over 25 million players across more than 100 countries and a compound annual growth rate of 26%. Powerleague Powerleague dubbed the game as the 'fasting growing' sport in the world. Powerleague
'Its rapid rise comes down to its simplicity, social nature, and sheer fun, making it a perfect match for Powerleague's dynamic, community-focused venues,' they said.
'We're committed to making the sport more accessible and saw a great opportunity to bring Padel to more locations across Scotland. We're excited to support the sport's growth and reach new communities.'
They added: 'Football will also be at the heart of Powerleague, but we're excited to expand our offer and introduce a new way for people to stay active, connect and have fun, all aligning with our ambitions to create a healthier, more inclusive society.'
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
Is 'bad attitude' useful? Fans on Cunha signing
We asked for your views on Matheus Cunha signing for Manchester are some of your comments:Nick: I'm happy with this. We're creating, but not scoring, so getting someone in who has experience scoring in the Premier League can only be a good I think it is a fantastic signing in this struggling Manchester United era. I see hope because he can play in so many positions in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3/3-4-2-1 and United need goals, that's all they Cunha has the skills but does he have the temperament for the most 'under the microscope' and 'under pressure' club currently in the world? I hope so but so much needs to change around him to get the best from him. Let's hope Amorim's plan gets the support from the boardroom. I'm still holding my At last; the right player, at the right price and at the right age. What could go wrong?Karl: Definitely a step in the right direction. His stats say he has everything we've been missing - awareness, speed, balance, a finishing edge and above all, confidence. Can't wait to see how he works alongside the likes of Amad, Fernandes and Yes, he's renowned for his 'bad attitude' but that's just because he wants to win, which is an attitude sadly lacking in quite a few of our current squad. I seem to recall a certain Mr Cantona was slated for his attitude when we signed him!
Daily Record
26 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Prolonged efforts to close Perth port compared to getting man on the moon
Perth and Kinross Council voted to stop operating Perth Harbour as a commercial port in February 2023 but it remains open Perth and Kinross Council's leader has compared the efforts to close Perth Harbour as a commercial port to sending astronauts to the moon. In February 2023 councillors voted to close Perth Harbour as a commercial port but - over two years later - the port remains open despite only two vessels having used it in 2024/25. On Wednesday, May 28 councillors voted for Perth and Kinross Council to remain statutory harbour authority and close it as a commercial port but allow leisure use of Perth Harbour. The chairman of Perth Harbour Board - which has now been discontinued - Bailie Chris Ahern voiced his dissent at the meeting of PKC's Economy of Infrastructure Committee where the decision was made. As the committee gave its approval, SNP council leader Grant Laing said: "Everyone can agree it's taken a lot of time but there were a lot of attempts to put someone on the moon for the first time. If you're doing something for the first time, there are going to be setbacks." Moving it for approval, convener and deputy leader Eric Drysdale said: "The closure of a commercial harbour is not an easy option for this council or any council to take, but we have to balance the merits of continuing to run a loss-making harbour that is a drain on this council's finances against the benefits that may ensue through regeneration for leisure, tourism and nature conservation. "Discussions with Transport Scotland have concluded that the best course would be for the council to retain the statutory harbour authority duty but cease the competent harbour authority duties which will mean excluding commercial vessels over 24m. If agreed this will go to public consultation and will be submitted to Scottish Ministers for approval in due course. "Can I also acknowledge the significant contributions made by the Harbour Board and its dedicated members over the past few years? Their efforts have been invaluable and I would like to extend the committee's thanks to them for their work." After councillors voted in February to close Perth Harbour as a commercial port, it was marketed for long-term lease. One bid was submitted which was withdrawn on September 8, 2023. On September 15, 2023, Perth and Kinross Council requested a meeting with Transport Scotland to progress the draft Harbour Revision Order (submitted in June 2023). A council timeline put before councillors said PKC officers were advised by Transport Scotland "they had not yet received legal advice and were unable to provide feedback" and added: "Several subsequent requests for a meeting made with the same result." In December 2023 Transport Scotland acknowledged formal submission of the application for Harbour Revision Order but requested more information, which was provided by PKC in January 2024. During the lengthy process it emerged it was the first time a statutory port authority had considered relinquishing its duties. Cllr Willie Robertson described the timeline of discussions between PKC and Transport Scotland - outlined in an appendix to the Perth and Kinross Council report - as "unbelievable" reading. The Kinross-shire Liberal Democrat councillor Willie Robertson questioned the "huge delays" and "the fact they continually have to be chased up to move this process forward". He added: "We can't allow Transport Scotland to cost this council more and more money that we don't need to spend." PKC's strategic lead for Economy, Development and Planning Serge Merone said the council was working with Transport Scotland on a "change of approach to help reduce any delays in the coming weeks to take that to a successful outcome". Cllr Robertson responded: "I don't think we can allow Transport Scotland's incompetence to go unmarked. For me, it's just not acceptable." He requested a letter be written to Scotland's Transport Minister outlining the issues. Convener Eric Drysdale said: "I do accept this has been a protracted process to date and lessons have to be learnt. I can assure you necessary steps will be taken." Council leader Grant Laing added: "The problem is this has never been done before to a commercial port so there was no framework to work with. There is no legal advice to work to. "I've been as frustrated as anyone but we had to make sure we were compliant with all legalities." He added: "At least there will be a framework now if any other port wants to close down. "It's groundbreaking to close the commercial port and I think the result is quite good that it gives us an opportunity to have more leisure in the harbour." Despite having "virtually no commercial traffic", PKC has had to continue commercial operations - during the long process - and comply with legislation and guidance, which has come at a cost. PKC reported a net expenditure of £208,000 as of March 31, 2024. The projected net expenditure as of March 31, 2025 is estimated at around £100,000 - depending on potential income from vessels - and includes the legal fees relating to the port closure. However, PKC sold the Fair Maid tugboat for £500,000 in 2023-24. The estimated annual cost for PKC to remain as statutory harbour authority for leisure use - rather than as a commercial port - is around £65,000. The costs include: rent and rates; a designated person to provide independent assurance of marine safety management; a qualified harbourmaster to ensure compliance with the Port Marine Safety Code: maintenance; oil spill cover; replacement and repair of personal protective equipment, and running a website. Conservative leader John Duff said: "This is a sorry tale. Two years and four months ago we voted to close Perth Harbour and two years and four months later - somewhat belatedly - we're advised this is a first in the UK and it's too hard for Transport Scotland to conclude this and perhaps we should consider a Harbour Revision Order instead. "Objections could still mean this could take six to 18 months before we can rid ourselves of only some of the responsibilities in terms of running the harbour." He added: "Transport Scotland have certainly not covered themselves in glory in relation to the way and speed in which they have dealt with our situation and the various requests for information." The delays, in part, appear to have arisen from health and safety concerns for the remaining small vessel users of the harbour and ensuring maintenance and safety requirements would be met. A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "We have recently received information regarding a proposed Harbour Revision Order for Perth Harbour. Our aim is to work closely with all prospective applicants to ensure any final application and subsequent order is robust, both legally and from a policy perspective. This involves increased scrutiny in the pre-application stage which helps support those objectives."
FF News
26 minutes ago
- FF News
Monzo Reports 8x Surge in Profits to £113.9 Million on the Back of Record Growth
Monzo, the UK's leading digital bank with more than 12 million customers, has today shared its financial results for the year ending March 31 2025. Monzo has again delivered record growth and sustainable profitability as it continues to see momentum accelerate. Recently crowned Best British Bank, the company attracted 2.4 million new customers in its last financial year and saw engagement and weekly active rates continue to increase further – with 67% of customer growth coming from word-of-mouth referrals. Revenues increased significantly across all areas – including lending, transactions and subscriptions – propelling Monzo's adjusted profit before tax to £113.9m, up from £13.9m. Customer deposits grew 48% to £16.6bn, with the number of weekly active users increasing 28% as Monzo added a record number of new products and features to help customers manage more of their financial lives. Average Revenues per User grew 16% for business customers and 15% for personal customers, underscoring the deeper relationships Monzo is building with its customer base. The financial year saw Monzo scale and invest with discipline as it made further strides on its ambition to become the one app customers turn to to manage their entire financial lives. The company welcomed a new generation of customers through its hugely successful Under 16s product, which saw a 180,000-strong waitlist in its first week alone, and launched Monzo Pension. Its new subscription plans – Monzo Perks, Extra and Max – were a huge success with almost 900,000 personal customers now paying for extra benefits. Monzo Business accelerated at pace on the back of the launch of Monzo Team, a product that serves more complex needs for larger small businesses. Together, these new products contributed to an increase in subscriptions income of 50% to £75.2m. The total number of business customers grew by 49% to reach 625,000, with Monzo Business making up 12% of total revenue. The company brought more game-changing savings features to the palms of customers' hands – with the 1p Saving Challenge, launched in January, attracting more than 1 million customers who have collectively saved around £30m so far. With 2.3 million people using Monzo's Instant Access Savings product, the company paid more than £250 million in interest to customers in the last financial year. Leveraging its in-house tech stack, Monzo continues to develop industry-first security tools for its customers. FY2025 saw the business launch a trio of unique security features including Known Locations and Trusted Contacts, to help prevent customers from falling victim to fraud. In addition, and led by its expert financial crime teams, Monzo's real-time fraud detection and prevention system is using AI to trigger a range of interventions. In FY2025 Monzo prevented 2.9 times the value of unauthorised fraud compared to the previous year. Engineers also pioneered Monzo Stand-In, a separate back-up banking infrastructure that ensures customers can continue to use important services in the rare event of an outage. In an industry where platform outages continue to cause mass disruption and worry for customers, Monzo invested in a solution for its customers, giving them the service they deserve from their bank. Monzo maintains a market-leading average Net Promoter Score of +70 – in an industry where the average is around 30 in the UK. The most recent YouGov Brand Index showed that Monzo is out-pacing the rest of the banking industry on metrics including consideration, recommendation, and satisfaction. Two months into the new financial year, Monzo continues to bring new products to customers with the launch of Contents Insurance and Undo Payments – another industry-first tool to help customers have more control over their money. Growth has continued to accelerate, with the company attracting more than 300,000 new customers in April alone – making it its biggest acquisition month yet. In May, Monzo was named Best British Bank, Best Banking App and Best Children's Financial Provider at the British Bank Awards – which is voted for by customers. Looking ahead, Monzo is accelerating its international ambitions. The business is continuing to build out its product offering in the US, and has established its European base with an office and a growing leadership team in Ireland. In the UK, product expansion continues at pace, with additional features across personal and business accounts soon to be announced. TS Anil, Group CEO of Monzo, said,:'Another year of raising the bar and driving scale, growth and profitability! 2.4 million customers chose Monzo, we launched more products than ever, increased customer engagement – and saw record growth for Monzo Business. By bringing the best of technology and banking together and remaining customer-obsessed, we're seeing accelerating growth and momentum and unprecedented customer love – with Monzo recently named Best British Bank. And the best part? We're still just getting started. '
