But away from the Sunderland boardroom he occupied for 20 years Sir Bob has built successful businesses, established charitable foundations to support his beloved home region and led a life so interesting that he'd do it all again! This is his story - from the terraced and dust-choked streets of 1950's Consett where he left school with one 'o' level, took his first steps on the career ladder and then risked it all to start his own kitchen and bathroom business, through to boardroom battles at Roker Park and on to the building of the magnificent Stadium of Light and Wembley Stadium. He recounts interactions with a wide cast of characters ranging from Len Shackleton, Brian Clough, Lawrie McMenemy, Peter Reid, Niall Quinn and even a former Prime Minister for whom he had to act a human shield! It is a tale of a remarkable rise from a down-at-heel steel town. Of setbacks on and off pitch, and triumphs in boardrooms and stadiums around the country at a time when football was undergoing a revolution. His ambition, drive, and passion for the North East and his boyhood football club is evident throughout this book and his story is one that will inspire and entertain readers, whether they support Sunderland or not.
