Cracked it

This memoir charts the rags-to-riches rise of the author from the workhouse to the "Sunday Times" Rich List. Born into poverty, Reynolds turned to crime and ended up in prison. He later moved into business and amassed an estimated #300 million fortune. In 1999, he bought Darlington Football Club.

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Failure is not a word in George Reynolds' vocabulary. From safe blower and bare-knuckle fighter to multi-millionaire and football manager, his autobiography charts his improbable rags-to-riches rise from the workhouse to the "Sunday Times" rich list, via gelignite, chipboard and football. Born into dire poverty in Sunderland's Dock Street East, Reynolds spent much of his youth in a workhouse orphanage. He quickly moved into a world of violence and crime, and was soon smuggling gelignite in the fridge of a Mr Softee ice cream van, and blowing safes. But after a four-year spell in prison he moved into business, amassing an estimated #300 million fortune through chipboard and kitchen worktops. In May 1999 Reynolds bought Darlington Football Club, clearing their #5.5 million debt with a single cheque. Now he vows to build a 25,000 seat stadium, freeze ticket prices and take the club all the way to the top in a matter of years.