[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

You will get nowhere near him!

My mum and dad spent many an hour in there. Now Mrs Brown i think is related to the family in some way. Cant quite remember how and my mum and dad are on hols so cant ask. Was only telling me some stories Friday night at the game.

i know.......ive spend many a night in there.........and NO QUEUEING FOR A DRINK

ARE YOU LISTENING STADIUM MANAGEMENT



maybe thats the solution to the bar problems .......waitress service

In their 'dainty' black 'n' white uniforms !!!!!!!!..................and Walkers Best Bitter..........happy days

[size=150Will it look like this?[/size

I'd imagine the title [iPlaying To Win[/i probably comes from the publishers. Knowing Whelan, his preferred choice would probably have been something like: [iThe Gospel According to David (or, how I created a footballing phenomenon, became the most beloved man in Wigan, and preserved the future of humanity - oh, and how it was genuinely acknowledged throughout that I've never been anything less than Wigan RL's no 1. fan)[/i.

I thought he used his compo to set up a stall on the market flogging loo roll and the like then set up the supermarket which was bought out by another firm ( Lennons or Morrisons?)

i dont remember the market stall....but didnt he BUY lennons and SELL it to morrisons.

in truth i couldnt really care less if im right or wrong, and i sure cant be arssed researching him.

I cannot stand the bloke I can`t even listen to him on the TV so last thing I will be doing is buying a book about him.I bet though he will make himself out to be a kind hearted bloke who puts people before himself

he sounds a true gent.....why are some of you not buying the grand masters book..dose he not have anything to do with the wigan rugby????

9 posts and all of them posted on the Wigan RL messageboard.

Aye...you could be right, i knew there was a market stall before the supermarket somewhere!

To be honest, there's no reason why a Latics fan would want to talk to or about any other RL club. In fact, many of them talk about Wigan more than they do the Wendyball.