Ex-soccer star scores a winner in court case against rival St Michael's company

The former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City star, who also managed non-league Chorley, claimed victory in the Appeal Court after two companies he set up with his son won a three-year dispute with a neighbouring business over patents for timber frame homes.

The decision overturned an earlier court ruling which accused Flitcraft Ltd and Flitcraft Timberframe Ltd of St Michael’s near Garstang of ripping off patents belonging to SupaWall Ltd and Supahome by Maple Ltd, also of St Michael’s.

Flitcroft,47, has now announced he is seeking further legal action against his accusers.

“We are very pleased to win and succeed in the appeal,” he said after the verdict. “We will now be considering our legal options to pursue further claims against them.”

The complex legal dispute involved patents for timber frame housing which SupaWall and Supahome alleged had been copied by Flitcraft, run by the former footballer and his son Thomas, 22.

A court found against the Flitcrofts’ companies and Thomas was later given a suspended prison sentence for alleged contempt of court for failing to obey a judge’s ruling to destroy brochures and remove website material containing breaches of the patents.

But following the appeal victory Garry Flitcroft claimed the rivals’ conduct had been “solely designed to cause damage and to undermine the business.”