Company Background Information and the F.I.F.A. Approved Goals – Itsa Goal Portable Goals
John Wilson – Itsa Goal Post Ltd – Sheffield -The Inventor of Mini Soccer Goals
Before the introduction of plastic children’s portable football goals by our company, it was common to use “Jumpers for football goalposts’. When John Wilson decided to make the very first 12’x 6’ – 3.6m x 1.8m) Mini Soccer Goal from wood and pea netting in 1959 he did not realise that this would eventually change the way football would be played by future children around the world.
The first children’s 3.6m x 1.8m -12ft x 6ft pvc goals in carrying bags were manufactured by that same youngster in 1989. The portable goals were easy to assemble, lightweight yet strong, virtually impossible to knock over and light enough to carry around, a set of goals could now be packed in the boot of a car and taken to a pitch for fast, easy to set up matches or training for children.
The Itsa Goal Portable Goals were welcomed by the English Football Association, they were approved to launch small-sided games for children where the introduction of proportional goal posts and pitches allowed more touches of the football for everyone. This new proportional game introduced and encouraged girls to take up the game at a younger age which led to an explosion of girls and ladies football. An invitation to F.I.F.A. soon followed and our children’s goal post was subsequently approved by the world’s governing body The Federation de-International de-Football Association. – See the letter below from FI.F.A dated 1992.
A new manufacturing industry producing low-cost safer children’s football goalposts was created around this original innovative idea. They say imitation is the best form of flattery and although numerous copies of our concept have been made none have bettered those original football goals we made. The photograph below demostrates the first goal design performing at Wembley Stadium before the Coca Cola Cup Final.
The brand name we adopted is a tribute to the first legendary football commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme who said after the first ever televised BBC “Match of the Day” goal ( scored by Roger Hunt of Liverpool in 1964) “It’s a Goal” The company was formed in 1989 when the small sided game for children “Mini Soccer” was created and the first plastic goal in a bag was invented by our company. Many copies of the original concept of a goal post in a bag have been made but none surpass the speed of installation, the strength, the quality and the longevity of our football goals. You can see the original company logo at that time and how the company logo has changed to the present day.
The biggest brand in the world “Coca-Cola “chose our original plastic goals for a unique scheme directed at helping introduce young children to the small sided game. The promotion “The Big Red Bag” was a collaboration with the Football Association aimed at developing the game in schools and junior grass roots football. The equipment provided a complete football pitch in a bag that included two football goals, proportional smaller footballs, corner flags, pitch markers, and players coloured bibs. This low cost easy to use training aid helped increase the participation in childen’s football.
Read more about the creation of mini soccer goals CLICK HERE
Our portbale uPVC Goals can be purchased from our shop, click on one of the products below to find the best online prices. Below i have highlighed just a few of our most popular uPVC goals. Various goal post sizes are available. We also supply aluminium goals and steel goalposts.
GOALS AVAILABLE TODAY
Some of our most popular uPVC Goals available to buy today !
The original size 12’x6′ uPVC Goal – Click here
8’x6′ portable goals – Click here
Futsal 3m x 2m Goal – Click here
Youth Goal size 16’x7′ for 9v9 games and larger gardens – Click here
