Entrepreneur Prof Graham Leslie CBE is signing copies of his autobiography – sold in aid of charity – at Waterstones in Huddersfield on Saturday (August 17).

Graham was the inspiration behind the John Smith’s Stadium and founded one of the UK’s most successful pharmaceutical companies, Galpharm International Ltd.

His autobiography called Ahead Of The Curve – a nod to the stadium’s distinctive banana trusses – has just been published with all proceeds going to a Slaithwaite charity and it’s already raised more than £7,000.

Waterstones book shop in Kingsgate will host the book signing this Saturday and Graham will be there from 11.30am to 1pm, ahead of Town’s home game against Stevenage.

Known as The Disruptor, Graham is the person responsible for making everyday medicines such as paracetamol and ibuprofen inexpensive and easily available in supermarkets and corner shops.

By massively reducing the costs of medicines he has saved the NHS more than £400m a year ever since.

Graham said: “I left school with no recognised qualifications after an academic life blighted by dyslexia.

“But I was so lucky I had strong values instilled in me by such wonderful parents who had endured poverty, trauma and hardship and those qualities gave me the confidence, determination and never-say-die spirit to persevere no matter what odds were stacked against me.”

 

 

That was the certainly the case when Graham first revealed plans for the new stadium and was laughed at by many but Andy Hobson, chief executive of West Yorkshire-based marketing agency Fantastic Media, revealed that Graham spent time talking to him as a student about the plans before the stadium was built and Fantastic Media went on to sponsor one of its stands.

Andy said: “I was a teenager who knew very little and had absolutely nothing to bring to the scheme in terms of expertise or investment but Graham talked so excitedly about his vision and plans.

“That’s Graham who has a genuine, honest enthusiasm to treat everyone the same and the welcoming way he treated me that day has always stuck with me.

“The stadium was so futuristic it was unbelievable. Don’t forget, Huddersfield Town was stuck in the old third division and not doing that well so had no right to think it could build a new stadium, yet alone one that would lead the way for several other sports stadium and, ultimately, the new Wembley.

“Imagine a team in the current League One doing that now. They’d probably be laughed at but Graham’s incredible enthusiasm and determination that the Town stadium should not be the usual, boring boxlike design meant he got this highly ambitious project off the ground and up and running.

“At that time Town was only getting around 5,000 fans through the turnstiles every week. After the new stadium opened that jumped to 11,000.

“It was a massive statement for the club and the town and Graham had that unshakeable confidence to put it on the map. He thought differently and he thought big. He believed that if you build it the supporters will come. And they did.”

 

In his book Graham reveals the perilous state of Huddersfield Town’s finances at the time, how close the club came to plunging into administration and why Leeds Road had to be demolished and replaced.

Graham, who received the CBE in 2017 from the late Queen for services to entrepreneurship and philanthropy, has constantly been a disruptor, often thinking and doing things differently to everyone else.

He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Huddersfield and later became Resident Professor of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship there.

Graham is a natural philanthropist so all proceeds from the book are going to the Huddersfield charity Making Waves which supports the Slaithwaite-based Waves day care centre for people aged 18 and over with learning and/or physical difficulties from across the town and beyond. It’s one of the most innovative day care centres in the UK.

He chose it because Huddersfield journalist Andy Hirst has helped Graham to write the book and his late son, George, attended Waves for many years.

People who buy the book have the chance to enter a competition and the winner will be able to commission a piece of artwork by Royal artist Richard Gower.

The book is available at Waterstones or to buy it online go to https://www.gnbooks.co.uk/product/ahead-of-the-curve/

 

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