Leisure Transactions 2011
Date
Vendor
Purchaser
Deal
January
Paul Dumbell and Brian Green
of KPMG, joint administrators of
Simpson Leisure Limited
Will Banks
Acquisition of the Old Hall Health Club & Spa near Knutsford, Cheshire
for an undisclosed sum.
January Various
The Gym
Acquisition of three new sites in Leeds, Bristol and Kingston upon Thames
by the low-cost fitness operator.
January
Jane Moriarty, David Costley-Wood
and Rob Croxen of KPMG, joint
administrators of Pontins
Britannia Hotel Group
Acquisition of the Pontin’s holiday park operator and its five holiday
parks in North Wales, Somerset; Suffolk, Merseyside and West Sussex.
February Compagnie des Alpes
H.I.G. Capital France
Acquisition of seven European leisure attractions, including the
Pleasurewood Hills amusement park near Lowestoft in Suffolk.
February
O'Hara's, the administrators of
Wakefield Trinity Rugby League
Football Club Limited
Spirit of 1873 Ltd,
a group backed
by Yorkshire
businessman Andrew
Glover
Acquisition of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats (Wakefield Trinity RLFC).
February
Bennett Verby LLP, liquidator of
Blackpool Bowl
Garland Leisure
Acquisition of the Blackpool Bowl ten-pin bowling venue.
February Private operators
Garland Leisure
Acquisition of tenpin bowling venues in Aldershot and Wolverhampton –
one of which was acquired from private operators whilst the other was
secured on a 25-year lease.
March
Begbies Traynor, administrators of
Cougar Leisure
The G-A-Y Group
Acquisition of the 650-capacity Spirit nightclub in Manchester’s Canal
Street.
April
Virgin Active
easyGym
Acquisition of two sites in Slough and Wood Green.
April
Bannatyne Group
Fitness4Less
Acquisition of a site in Cheltenham by low-cost health club operator.
April
Railtrack
Fitness4Less
Acquisition of a health club site in Southwark, London.
April
Newbury Leisure
Garland Leisure
Acquisition of Lakeside Superbowl – a tenpin bowling venue in Stirchley,
Birmingham.
May
Sir David Murray
Wavetower
Acquisition of more than 85 per cent of Glasgow Rangers Football
Club for £1. Wavetower was to make £5m available for investment in
the playing squad and also pledged to provide funding towards the
infrastructure of the stadium.
May
Begbies Traynor, administrators of
Cougar Leisure
Windmill Properties
Acquisition of the leasehold Brannigans bar in Blackpool for ongoing bar/
nightclub use.
May
Begbies Traynor, administrators of
Cougar Leisure
Activ Leisure
Acquisition of the leasehold former Mood nightclub in
Newcastle upon Tyne.
36
Business Outlook
2012
