Giles media firm nets €328,000 profit

He shoots — he scores. New figures show that the media firm owned by Irish soccer legend and RTÉ pundit John Giles enjoyed a bumper year last more than doubling accumulated profits to €328,367.

The former Leeds star and Irish soccer manager only established Dublin- based Quoteford Ltd in late August 2010, to exploit image rights, provide marketing services and to carry on all other activities related to these businesses.

The figures for the end of Dec 31, 2012, show that the firm’s cash pile more than doubled, going from €152,258 to €380,731.

The firm’s profits during the period increased by €206,270, from €122,097 to €328,367.

Giles also writes a newspaper column; is a regular contributor to Newstalk and provides analysis to RTÉ’s coverage of the Champions League.

The figures returned to the Companies Office show the firm had shareholder funds of €328,467 in the 12 months at the end of Dec 31, 2012.

Separate figures show soccer punditry is a lucrative business. Niall Quinn’s media firm recorded profits last year of €555,000, while ITV football presenter Adrian Chiles’s media firm enjoyed a 53% rise in profits last year to £3.94m (€4.7m).

Giles — now aged 73 — won two First Division League Championships (now known as the Premier League) with Leeds along with two PFA player of the year awards in 1974 and 1976.

Much of Giles’s time is now taken up with promoting the non-profit organisation called the John Giles Foundation.

The foundation was established from the proceeds of Giles’s published autobiography A Football Man in 2010.

The aim of the foundation is to use football to improve quality of life and build community spirit

Speaking on the work of the foundation, Giles said: “I grew up, like many of us did, playing on the street... I never dreamt of where it would take me, or realised what a difference the sport was making to our community. Today it’s a different story, with different rules, and now more than ever people at risk need our support.”