Powerleague, who run five-a-side football pitches across Europe, are replacing some of their offerings to make space for a trendy new sport sweeping the UK
Five-a-side football pitches are being given the boot and replaced with ‘yuppy’ padel courts.
Fresh off the back of some pitches being shut down by pooing seagulls, five-a-side now faces a new threat from the tennis-like sport which is soaring in popularity with celeb fans like David Beckham and rapper Stormzy. The number of padel courts has rocketed from 50 to 726 in the past four years, according to the Lawn Tennis Association.
Now Europe’s largest five-a-side provider Powerleague is looking to cash in on the surge – but it will come at a cost to amateur football players.
By 2026, the firm plans to run 76 padel courts, which will mean closing some pitches. Christian Rose, Powerleague’s chief executive, said: “Padel’s success is because it’s easy to learn, fun to play and hugely sociable, which is why it is such a great strategic fit for Powerleague.
“While football remains at the heart of business, padel can play a crucial role in achieving our long-term ambitions.”
Padel’s popularity began to rise in elite tennis clubs in fancy Spanish resorts like Marbella before quickly spreading to the UK. Padel clothing brand owner Joe Middleton, who runs Pulco Studios, said: “The average age is early 20s, post-graduation, moved down to Battersea or Clapham or the north London equivalent from university.
“Not necessarily professional but pretty well-educated and in a decent job.”
But comedian and padel superfan Jason Manford is “desperate” to “not let it become an elitist sport”. He is working with Powerleague to encourage underprivileged children to start playing.
Speaking at a Birmingham court, the Salford-born funnyman said it must not “become a sport that only people with money and time can play”.
Padel is a mix of squash and tennis and is usually played in doubles on a court three times smaller than a tennis court.