Dave Whelan

Whelan's record is unusual because it is not built on trophies he won as a player. It is built on what he funded. He took a lower-division club to the Premier League and kept it there for eight seasons, and he paid for the stadium that made it possible. In retail he built JJB Sports into a national chain from a single shop. For a man whose playing career ended at 23 with a broken leg, that is a remarkable second act.