[iThe JJB founder is preparing to launch an autobiography Playing To Win which claims to be “a combination of sporting memoir and business blueprint from one of football's most outspoken chairmen and the British High Street's most successful entrepreneurs”.



The publishers are also promising the sort of clash that ended Whelan's footballing career on the turf of Wembley — a tackle which prompted him to go into business with JJB and subsequently extend his business interests to taking control of Wigan Athletic FC.



Playing To Win, says Aurum Press which publishes the book next month, has Whelan “tackling head-on his long-standing rivalry with Sports Direct and Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley”.



Whelan is known as an outspoken character who rarely pulls his punches.

[/i



[urlhttp://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-business/article-23723706-details/JJB+Sports+Ashley+row+spills+over+into+meeting/article.do[/url





Should make a good read I reckon. I wonder if he'll do a signing session in Waterstones

He is doing a signing session sometime soon, it was on the blackboard behind the counter the other day.

Dave Whelan didn't found JJB.

Seriously?

yes he did.



he bought the company called JJ bradburn or JJ broughton......and shortened it to JJB.



it was in market street and he bought it with the money he got from selling WHELANS SUPERMARKET ( near old park hotel) to Morrisons.

which he had bought with his compen money from his footy injury.



thats most of what i know about him, and its quite enough, so i wont be buying the book.

Yeah, I couldnt quite believe my eyes either

It was already called JJB was it not? Whelan just kept the name when he bought it.

nope.......he bought the shop when it had the full title IIRC

I'm going to go the book signing and stinkpalm the knob.

here we go



The sportshop chain was founded in 1971, when ex-footballer David Whelan acquired a single sports shop in Wigan. The original store was established by JJ Broughton in the early 1900s and later was purchased by JJ Bradburn. As these initials were all the same the business was known locally as JJB's. When Whelan bought the store from Bradburn, he kept the JJB name



the shop was locally known as JJbs for easiest, but it was officially called JJ Bradburn.

he bought it as that , then made it officially JJB.



ps. why are we spending time discussing the p!llock anyway???????/

Now that was a proper pub with Waitress service



Mrs Brown was legend

correctomundo