Powerleague has announced £14m investment to introduce padel to almost half of its small-sided football venues in the UK over the next two years.
Currently operating 43 football clubs and over 250 third party venues which offer netball and football, Powerleague has identified padel as a clear growth opportunity.
Having already opened padel clubs in Shoreditch and Birmingham, Powerleague is now creating 17 additional padel clubs across the country, totalling 76 courts by 2026. The business expects this to open up access to the sport to over 200,000 players every year.
The first of Powerleague’s new clubs will be in Manchester, opening in March. In a central location, the Manchester Nicholls Club will be its largest so far, with six canopied courts for all-year-round use, a bar and social space and a pay-and-play model.
Padel’s governing body, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), has recorded a growth in courts from 50 to 726 over the past four years with player numbers growing from an estimated 6,000 to 129,000. That number is expected to increase to 400,000 by the end of 2026.
The announcement by Powerleague, which welcomes over 8.5 million customers every year, comes as the business looks to become the biggest and best provider of small-sided sports leagues, with the most pitches, in the UK.
This year it has also moved to a single unified brand, bringing its Powerplay netball and football sites under the Powerleague banner. It also continues to invest in its football clubs, with regeneration of pitches and new sites in 2025.
Powerleague CEO, Christian Rose, commented: “Padel is a worldwide phenomenon. With around 25 million active players across over 100 countries it is demonstrating a 26% compound annual growth rate. Its 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.
“With our network of clubs in major urban areas we’re already well placed to help the development of padel in the UK by making it more accessible to a wider audience.
“The journey Powerleague has been on over the last five years has been significant, it means we’re now well-structured for what is to come.
“Behind all of our plans, however, is our belief in the power of sport and how by delivering world-class sporting experiences we can foster economic, social, and physical well-being within the communities we serve.
“As a result of this collective ambition, we have community use agreements in place across our clubs to encourage local residents to play and are proud to also support the growing participation by women and girls in sport. Whilst football remains at the heart of business, padel can play a crucial role in our achieving our long term ambitions. At Powerleague we see our growth as going hand in hand with a healthier, more inclusive society.”
