Portable Plastic Goals for children
Mr John Robert Wilson and the company Itsa Goal Posts Limited was the first company in the world to make safe lightweight plastic football goals for children in 1989. The first plastic goal was 12' wide by 6' high and was a proportionally sized goal intended for children. The goal was adopted by the Football Association and the new game was introduced by the F.A. called Mini soccer. This also led to a large increase in girls playing football.
Before the introduction of plastic children’s football goals by our company, it was “Jumpers for goal posts”. All who played in those games will remember the many squabbles that took place with every shot that was within inches of the jumper come goalpost. When a young lad decided to make the very first 12’x 6’ 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 12’x 6’ plastic goals in carrying bags were manufactured by that same youngster in 1989 and the rest is history. The portable PVC goals were easy to assemble, lightweight yet strong, virtually impossible to knock over and light enough to carry around.
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. The small sided 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 Goal was subsequently approved by the world’s governing body The Federation de-International de-Football Association.
A whole new manufacturing industry producing low-cost safer children’s goalposts has subsequently been 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 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.
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 kid’s football.
Click here to view the full range of Plastic goals manufactured by Itsa Goal
Itsa Goal Portable Goals before the Coca Cola Cup Final at Wembley demonstrating the new game of Mini Soccer 7v7 Games introduced by the Football Association.
Safer goal net fixings.
Traditionally steel football goal posts used steel net hooks. These were unsafe and caused many accidents and are now banned by The Football Association. With the introduction of lightweight children's goals the idea for safe arrowhead plastic net hooks was also created to attach nets to Itsa goal posts. These fixings made the ITSA Goal plastic and steel goals stand out from other copies of the concept. Click here to view and buy the safe plastic Arrow head net fixings
Many goal now seen in professional stadiums are made in aluminium with a recessed channels for nylon net fixings to twist and lock in place. Please click here to view