Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
World
Jon Robinson

Soccer school set up by Manchester United and England icon that helped discover David Beckham collapses

The football coaching business set up by Manchester United and England legend Sir Bobby Charlton has entered liquidation.

Bobby Charlton Soccer & Sports Academy was set up by the World Cup winner in 1978 and was said to be the first of its kind. It staged football skills sessions around the country and is credited with helping to discover David Beckham.

Sir Bobby is no longer involved in the company.

READ MORE: Click here to sign up to the BusinessLive North West newsletter

And, a notice on The Gazette has now confirmed the company entered voluntary liquidation just before Christmas. Paul Weber, partner at advisory firm Leigh Adams, is overseeing the process.

Sir Bobby Charlton and David Beckham (Getty Images)

According to a document filed with Companies House, the business owed almost £40,000 to its creditors when it entered liquidation.

That includes just over £30,000 to Lloyds Bank, which had provided a Covid-19 Bounce Bank Loan, and almost £9,000 to the firm's sole director, Geraldine Shiels.

On LinkedIn, she is named as the company's managing director, a post she has held since September 2008.

The Manchester Evening News understands that the Covid-19 pandemic hit the company hard as most of its students were made up of young people who would travel to the UK from abroad to take part in its residential courses.

Sir Bobby Charlton first set up the company in 1978 (PA)

The company had been run by John Shiels as managing director from 1979 to 1999. He left to join Nike and is currently the chief executive of the Manchester United Foundation.

The Manchester Evening News has contacted Leigh Adams, Bobby Charlton Soccer & Sports Academy and Mr and Mrs Shiels for a comment.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.