Family firm makes Champions League final goalposts

A family business has provided the goalposts for one of sport's biggest competitions.

Harrod Sport, based in Lowestoft, Suffolk, manufactured the goals for Saturday's Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris St-Germain.

The match is being held at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary.

Kevin Utton, director of sport sales and marketing, said being part of a major event was "a good conversation piece" and something he "bored" his friends with.

The firm supplied hockey equipment for the 2024 Olympics in Paris and has also catered for a range of other prestigious events including football's World Cup and Euros, the Rugby World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.

It also provided goals for this year's Women's Champions League final in Oslo, Norway and the Europa League final in Istanbul, Turkey.

Alongside goals, the business makes corner posts, nets, team shelters and sin-bins.

Utton said the business had about 120 employees and had been operating since 1954.

He said typically sporting organisations would want to bring in new products, like goalposts installed for major events like a final, despite aluminium goalposts being made to last about 20 years.

Another factor to consider was video assistant referee decision-making (VAR). Utton said there was a bit of "paranoia" to make sure all the equipment was compliant.

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