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The following Wikipedia contributor has declared a personal or professional connection to the subject of this article. Relevant policies and guidelines may include conflict of interest, autobiography, and neutral point of view. 2A00:23C6:EC96:3C01:6D1A:D490:BD48:2708 (talk · contribs) This user has declared a connection.

Hello,

I am posting this request as someone affiliated with Powerleague and therefore disclosing a **conflict of interest (COI)** in accordance with Wikipedia’s guidelines. I am not editing the article directly but would like to suggest a revised version of the current page content to help improve its accuracy, tone, and citation support.

Below is a proposed draft that aims to:

- Present a neutral and encyclopedic summary of Powerleague’s history and operations. - Remove promotional language and comply with the Neutral Point of View policy. - Add reliable third-party sources for verification. - Update the article to reflect recent developments such as the 2025 acquisition and padel expansion.

Please note that all new claims have been referenced using independent sources wherever possible. I'd be very grateful if an uninvolved editor could review this and make any appropriate updates. If further edits or formatting are needed, I'm happy to assist from the Talk page.

Proposed revision:

== Powerleague == '''Powerleague''' is an operator of small-sided football centres, with 43 sites across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The company is headquartered in Fitzrovia, London. It also manages amateur sports leagues across the UK through its league operations arm, formerly known as Powerplay, which now operates under the Powerleague brand. These leagues span over 350 locations and include football and netball competitions. Powerleague has developed a proprietary artificial playing surface known as '''POWERPITCH™''', and introduced an updated version, '''POWERPITCHPLUS™''', in 2023.<ref name="powerpitchplus">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8AP7eegG-I Discover our brand new POWERPITCH™ exclusively at Powerleague!]</ref> === Origins === In 1987, Keith Rogers opened what is considered the world’s first commercial 5-a-side football centre in Paisley, under the brand name Pitz.<ref name="nutmeg">Bruce, Chris (2 May 2019). "The architect of 5-a-side". ''Nutmeg Magazine''. Retrieved 13 March 2024.</ref> Rogers expanded the business to 11 centres before it was acquired by private equity firm 3i, which subsequently rebranded the operation as Powerleague. === History === In 2002, after a period of decline, 3i invited Claude Littner, then Chief Executive of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., to take over executive leadership.<ref name="littner">"Claude Littner: 'I had my first and most successful business when I was eight years old'"</ref> A year later, Littner led a management buyout, leaving 3i with a minority stake. After listing on the Alternative Investment Market, Powerleague acquired the Soccerdome centres from JJB Sports in 2008.<ref name="scotsman">The Scotsman. [Archived article on JJB Soccerdome acquisition]</ref> The company was subsequently acquired by Patron Capital in December 2009.<ref name="patron">Hayman, Pete. "Patron completes Powerleague takeover". ''Leisure Opportunities''. Retrieved 5 April 2023.</ref> === 2018–present === In 2018, Patron Capital appointed a new executive team, including CEO Christian Rose, CFO Mike Evans, and John Gillespie, who has since become Chief Commercial and Customer Officer. Since then, the company has undertaken infrastructure upgrades across its centres, including pitch resurfacing, clubhouse renovations, and improvements to digital services.<ref name="propeltech">[https://propeltech.co.uk/projects/powerleague/ Powerleague | Digitally Transforming the Booking Journey]</ref> In June 2025, Powerleague was acquired by '''Broadsword Investment Management'''. The existing executive team remained in place under the new ownership. Broadsword announced plans to support Powerleague’s expansion strategy, including site development, pitch regeneration, and entry into new sports sectors such as padel.<ref name="peinsights">[https://pe-insights.com/broadsword-acquires-powerleague-to-fuel-uk-multi-sport-expansion/ Broadsword acquires Powerleague to fuel UK multi-sport expansion]</ref> === Padel Expansion === In 2024, Powerleague introduced padel courts at its Shoreditch and Birmingham locations. In 2025, the company announced a £14 million investment to establish 17 additional padel clubs across the UK.<ref name="padelpaper">[https://thepadelpaper.com/powerleague-padel-broadsword-takeover/ Powerleague plans padel expansion after Broadsword takeover]</ref> By 2026, the expansion is expected to result in 76 courts, with an estimated 200,000 annual users.<ref name="padelpaper" /> == References == <references />

Many thanks in advance for your time and consideration!

2A00:23C6:EC96:3C01:6D1A:D490:BD48:2708 (talk) 05:10, 6 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hey, you are evading your block (FYI @Newslinger). Once unblocked, you'll want to use the COI edit template as this adds your request to a queue for review. OXYLYPSE (talk) 06:48, 6 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hi there, are you the same editor who used the PowerleagueMarketing (talk · contribs) account? If so, please submit an unblock request at User talk:PowerleagueMarketing while logged in to that account, as editors are not allowed to continue editing Wikipedia while logged out (or with another account) to evade a block. Also, please note that posting LLM-generated comments in talk page discussions such as the one you posted here is highly discouraged, as we would prefer to see you express your original thoughts in your own words.

Having said that, the article is currently in such a poor state due to its heavy use of promotional language that implementing some of the changes in the LLM-generated rewrite may actually improve the article's policy compliance, so I am leaving the comment uncollapsed for another editor to verify and review. — Newslinger talk 18:23, 6 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]