Entrepreneur Graham Leslie CBE launches autobiography but insists: ‘It’s not all about me!’

“It’s not about me.” Entrepreneur and philanthropist Graham Leslie CBE had to chuckle at his own words.

Graham was speaking at the launch of his much-anticipated autobiography ‘Ahead of the Curve.’

If an autobiography isn’t about you, Graham, then who is it about?

The irony of his words weren’t lost on this dyslectic turned disruptor, a boy from a council estate with no qualifications who created a business which has saved the NHS at least £400 million a year, every year, since 1995.

Graham launched his book in the Terriers Together Stand at the John Smith’s Stadium. As Huddersfield Town chairman in the early 1990s he was the one with the vision and drive to design, build and deliver the first all-seater football and rugby stadium in Europe.

And, in the sunshine, the stadium – 30 years old this year – looked stunning with its recent paint job and new blue and white branding.

The banana trusses (the ‘curves’ – hence the book title!) are brilliant white again and gleamed as Graham spoke to an audience of friends, family, business associates and supporters.

“I was going to say ‘it’s not about me!’ – idiot,” he grinned. But we knew what he meant.

While the book IS all about him, of course – his upbringing, his business career, Huddersfield Town and the stadium – it’s also about Graham’s connections and the people he brings together and the people he has helped. Quietly. Under the radar.

 

 

Graham’s friends have supported the publication of the book and, typical of the man, all proceeds – every penny – will go to the charity Making Waves, which runs a centre for people with learning and physical disabilities in Slaithwaite.

The co-author of the book, freelance journalist Andy Hirst, is a trustee of Making Waves. Andy’s late son George loved going there.

When Graham heard about Andy’s passion for the charity, and paid a visit, there was never a doubt about where the proceeds of the book would go. Incredibly, the book had raised almost £5,000 even before it was published!

Graham was joined at the top table by former Town legends Andy Booth, Peter Jackson, Kieran O’Regan and Chris Hutchings.

The Waves choir sang a song, written by Graham during lockdown, called United Together. The song has been recorded by The Kingdom Choir in London at the famous Abbey Road Studios but has never been performed by anyone else. The world famous choir sang at Harry and Meghan’s wedding and King Charles’ Coronation. Graham has also written a festive song, Travelling Home For Christmas, which has been recorded by La Toya Jackson.

Graham was moved by the performance and admitted if he wasn’t in a roomful of people he’d have probably been in bits.

 

 

The John Smith’s Stadium opened in 1994 and a year later Graham’s company Galpharm blew the pharmaceutical industry apart when he opened up the medicines market to retailers, including the big supermarkets, which saw the cost of ibuprofen and paracetamol slashed.

That earthquake moment saved the NHS an ongoing fortune and cut the cost of tablets for everyone.

Graham eventually sold his company in 2008. He was awarded the CBE for services to entrepreneurialism in 2017. After that he devoted his career to helping others succeed, pointing out new, innovative and – many would say – ‘crazy’ – paths to business success.

Graham wasn’t about to give away the contents of the book but mused on the moments which had defined his success.

Watching in the audience was Dennis Corson who gave Graham a job as a pharmaceutical salesman in 1971.

If Dennis hadn’t taken a chance on Graham – and encouraged him to quit his job and set up his own business 10 years later – would Galpharm and the stadium have ever existed?

“He gave me a job,” said Graham. “If that hadn’t happened I wonder whether we would be here today.”

And if John Harman, then leader of Kirklees Council, hadn’t bought into Graham’s vision for the stadium would those iconic curves have never got off the drawing board?

 

 

Graham told a little story how, as a young man, he had stayed over in Runswick Bay and next morning thousands of starfish had been washed up on the beach.

A fisherman was throwing them back. Graham, saying nothing, joined in. A bloke walking his labrador was curious and asked the fisherman why he was doing it.

“Because they are going to die,” came the reply.

“But there’s thousands of them. How are you going to make a difference?”

The fisherman lobbed another back into the sea and said: “It’ll make a difference to that one.”

Whether that story is in the book (or even true) you’ll have to find out. I’m not about to spoil it.

Former Town player Kieran O’Regan told the audience a tale that (maybe) spoiled the ending of a book that teammate Phil Starbuck was reading.

Starbuck had been warming up on the pitch and returned to the dressing room and pulled a little book from his pocket and started reading.

John Kelly yelled over: “Phil, I’ve read that book. He dies in the end!”

Starbuck, of course, was a committed Christian and later became an ordained pastor. The little book was the Bible…

 

 

Town ambassador Andy Booth, who achieved his lifetime’s ambition to score in front of the Cowshed at the old Leeds Road ground, told how the John Smith’s Stadium had been his home for almost all of the 30 years.

He recalled how, as a young apprentice in the early 1990s, all the players gathered to look in awe at a glass-cased model of the John Smith’s Stadium, complete with ski slope.

Graham and stadium chief Paul Fletcher shared the vision.

“They looked at us and said: ‘This stadium will give you a job for life.’ We thought that meant we’d be professional footballers.

“But, no. They meant there would be loads of jobs in catering, groundstaff, the ski slope. So we weren’t going to make footballers but there’s plenty of jobs for you!”

Two years later the stadium was built. Boothy grinned. “But we’re still waiting for the ski slope…”

Last word goes to former Town player and manager Peter Jackson who never actually got to play at the new stadium – and still hasn’t quite forgiven then boss Neil Warnock for moving on an ageing defender!

Jacko summed up Graham best of all when he said: “Graham has an aura about him that he wants the best for people.”

Many will have personal experience to know that is true but Graham reckons this isn’t all about him. Sorry, Graham. This IS all about you. In fact, Graham Leslie CBE, this is your life (story).

Ahead of the Curve costs £10.99 and is available on Amazon or from the publisher Great Northern Books HERE.

There’s a great competition inside to win a bespoke painting of your choice by Royal artist Richard Gower, the only artist to have a painting accepted by the late Queen that hadn’t been commissioned.

If you want a copy of the book, buy it now. It’s bound to be a sell-out.