They say that 60 seconds is a long time in football, try telling that to David Gold.

They say that 60 seconds is a long time in football, try telling that to David Gold. When Stan Laziridis rolled the ball agonisingly across the Preston North End goalmouth, his club, Birmingham City, were just one minute away from a Play-Off Final against Bolton Wanderers and the very real chance of going to the Premiership. What happened next will probably appear on BBCI’s Question of Sport programme in the years to come, but for the likable Eastender it could, and time will ultimately dictate this, become one of is biggest regrets.

“I can still remember it so vividly, the sheer exuberance of nearly scoring and wrapping up our place at the Millennium Stadium, to a long ball downfield and a tap in from Mark Rankine,” shrugged David.
As any football fan will recall, Birmingham City eventually lost on penalties and once again that dream of premiership football was consigned to the now growing pile entitled “Goals for Next Year’.

This is just one of the many events to have illuminated the colourful career of David Gold, Chairman of Gold Group International and the 82nd richest man in the UK, at the last time of counting that is.

It is fair to say, however, that life hasn’t always been golf courses in the back garden, multi-million pound transfer deals and brushing shoulders with celebrities. Quite the reverse, because for everything he has achieved, and that could be anything from building his first wall at the age of 15 to securing the survival of Birmingham City Football Club, David has had to work extremely hard for it. A philosophy he learned at a very tender age.

“Growing up in the East End of London as part of single parent family was not the easiest introduction into life,” he explained. “Times were tough and money was very scarce, which meant that everything we got we had to work tirelessly for… there were no hand-outs, it was as simple as that. In fact, both myself and my brother Ralph regularly got up at the crack of dawn to help out on our mom’s stall, selling buttons to anyone who would buy them.”

David continued: “Looking back, this was a crucial grounding for myself and taught me ethics that I still use today when overseeing the running of the Gold Group International. Principles such as commitment, loyalty, dedication and a sense of appreciation, and by that I mean the ability to cherish things that are important to you.”
“I can still remember it so vividly, the sheer exuberance of nearly scoring and wrapping up our place at the Millennium Stadium, to a long ball downfield and a tap in from Mark Rankine,” shrugged David.
As any football fan will recall, Birmingham City eventually lost on penalties and once again that dream of premiership football was consigned to the now growing pile entitled “Goals for Next Year’.

This is just one of the many events to have illuminated the colourful career of David Gold, Chairman of Gold Group International and the 82nd richest man in the UK, at the last time of counting that is.

It is fair to say, however, that life hasn’t always been golf courses in the back garden, multi-million pound transfer deals and brushing shoulders with celebrities. Quite the reverse, because for everything he has achieved, and that could be anything from building his first wall at the age of 15 to securing the survival of Birmingham City Football Club, David has had to work extremely hard for it. A philosophy he learned at a very tender age.

“Growing up in the East End of London as part of single parent family was not the easiest introduction into life,” he explained. “Times were tough and money was very scarce, which meant that everything we got we had to work tirelessly for… there were no hand-outs, it was as simple as that. In fact, both myself and my brother Ralph regularly got up at the crack of dawn to help out on our mom’s stall, selling buttons to anyone who would buy them.”

David continued: “Looking back, this was a crucial grounding for myself and taught me ethics that I still use today when overseeing the running of the Gold Group International. Principles such as commitment, loyalty, dedication and a sense of appreciation, and by that I mean the ability to cherish things that are important to you.”

“Growing up in the East End of London as part of single parent family was not the easiest introduction into life,”

One such example is the close brotherly bond that he shares with Ralph, a bond that has seen them both become multi­millionaires in their own right and led to David’s first experience of owning his own business.
“The closest I got to an education was nearly sitting one O Level exam, a fact that I now regret when I am struggling to string together an after dinner speech or a simple letter. That was just how it happened, and, by the age of 15, I was on my way to becoming a qualified bricklayer.

“To be honest that was never going to be my vocation in life, I’m not cut out for cold weather and climbing ladders,” he admitted with a smile. “Just as my training was coming to an end, my brother approached me with a business venture that focused on buying a bookshop in Charing Cross. Apparently, the guy he used to sell books to couldn’t pay his bills, so we decided to buy the business from him and slowly began to turn the deficits into profits.”
The first sign of the now legendary ‘Golden’ Touch.
“I’d like to say yes, but I will have to quote Lady Luck as the initial reason for our success. I’ll explain; I was working a normal day from nine o’clock in the morning to six in the evening and getting nowhere. One night Ralph, who I usually met after work, called me to say he’d be late due to a puncture in his van. With nothing to do, I left the shop open and couldn’t believe my eyes when the takings for that three hour period came to more than the last three days put together.”

There we have it, from a small bookshop outside of a busy London Underground Station to Chairman of the Gold Group lnternational(comprising the famous Ann Summers and Knickerbox brands), Gold Aviation and co-owner of BCFC. Quite an impressive CV you may think, an opinion that will no doubt be reinforced by the Sunday Times’ Rich List, where David’s £370m fortune leaves him in 82nd position.

With all of his many achievements and successes, you would think that the self-made entrepreneur would be a tad excessive in self praise. The reality is somewhat different, with David as down-to-earth a millionaire as you will find. When I asked him about the success of his diverse business interests, he was quick to place the spotlight on the abilities of his colleagues. “It’s all about surrounding yourself with people who you believe in and trust. As you pointed out, the nature of my business is indeed varied, so it would be impossible for me to successfully run both Gold Air International, the luxury private charter jet business and the Sport Group of Newspapers. Each one requires specialist day-to-day skills that only an expert in that field can give it.” It also pays dividends to learn about vital information like financial documents.

“It’s all about surrounding yourself with people who you believe in and trust

Failure is a seven letter word that David Gold refuses to acknowledge even exists, it’s simply not a part of his vocabulary. And who can blame him, with a thriving group of businesses, two highly talented daughters in Jacqueline and Vanessa (Chief Executive and Buying Director for Ann Summers respectively) and his very own golf course. What is there left to achieve? Anyone who knows David well, will quickly quote promotion to the Premiership for his beloved Birmingham City, a football club he co-owns with business partners Ralph and David Sullivan, as the one big achievement left in the melting plot. After narrowly missing out on automatic promotion in the last three seasons, and the subsequent heart-break of Play-Off Semi Final defeats, you would forgive its Chairman for feeling a sense of despair.
“I know a lot of people will look at the last three years and think that we have failed, but I prefer to look at how far we have come both as a team and as a club.”

David was referring to the perilous position the trio found Birmingham City in when they took the reigns in 1993. Languishing near the bottom of the table, a Stadium that was crumbling fast and a non-existent commercial department – hardly, an enchanting proposition. “We are all big, big football fans so when the opportunity arose to save one of the game’s true sleeping giants we had no hesitation in putting a package together. Its history and tradition were major drivers, but the main attraction focused on the sheer potential that the club possessed – it is, and always will be, a city of passionate football supporters and we knew we could develop this into a successful team.”

And true to their Words, the trio have re­established Birmingham City as a major footballing force and St Andrews into a ground fit for the top flight. The ‘Blues’, as they are affectionately known by their followers, have also enjoyed a couple of decent cup runs along the way.

Failure is a seven letter word that David Gold refuses to acknowledge even exists

“Apart from a short stay in the second division – a relegation that I felt we needed to cleanse the soul so to speak – I feel we have been largely successful and are now only one step away from the ‘Promised Land’. We have also enjoyed a number of exciting cup runs, which have culminated in us lifting the Auto Windscreens Cup in front of 50,000 Blues fans at Wembley and last season’s Worthington Cup Final.”

David quickly continued: “The latter was a very special day for everyone involved with the club, as it proved to a worldwide audience that we could perform with the big boys. Although, we again lost on those dreaded penalties, expert opinion suggested we more than matched Liverpool, which bodes well for the future.”

Off the pitch, Birmingham City is in a much healthier position that it was ten years ago, thanks chiefly to the endeavours of its much publicised Chief Executive… Karen Brady. What was seen as a controversial decision at the time, has turned into yet another Gold masterstroke. “It wasn’t a case of smashing the perceived stereotype of a male dominated industry,” admitted David. “Karen had worked for us at the Sport Newspaper Group for three years and had shown outstanding flair for business and commercial ssues. I knew that I could trust her to come in and re-shape the fortunes of Birmingham and in the last decade she has secured some memorable deals for the club.”

I could sense that David was edging closer and closer to his mobile, suggesting another important call was due. With this in mind I left him with the Killer Question to ponder; ‘Would he Swap the success of his International Business Group for Birmingham playing in the Premiership? “To quote a classic Meatloaf song, I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that. Seriously, the football team is more than equipped in its own right to make it to the Premiership and, once we are there, who knows… the title perhaps.” An optimist to the very end, but I for one wouldn’t bet against David Gold achieving his elusive dream at long last.

“Growing up in the East End of London as part of single parent family was not the easiest introduction into life,”

One such example is the close brotherly bond that he shares with Ralph, a bond that has seen them both become multi­millionaires in their own right and led to David’s first experience of owning his own business.
“The closest I got to an education was nearly sitting one O Level exam, a fact that I now regret when I am struggling to string together an after dinner speech or a simple letter. That was just how it happened, and, by the age of 15, I was on my way to becoming a qualified bricklayer.

“To be honest that was never going to be my vocation in life, I’m not cut out for cold weather and climbing ladders,” he admitted with a smile. “Just as my training was coming to an end, my brother approached me with a business venture that focused on buying a bookshop in Charing Cross. Apparently, the guy he used to sell books to couldn’t pay his bills, so we decided to buy the business from him and slowly began to turn the deficits into profits.”
The first sign of the now legendary ‘Golden’ Touch.
“I’d like to say yes, but I will have to quote Lady Luck as the initial reason for our success. I’ll explain; I was working a normal day from nine o’clock in the morning to six in the evening and getting nowhere. One night Ralph, who I usually met after work, called me to say he’d be late due to a puncture in his van. With nothing to do, I left the shop open and couldn’t believe my eyes when the takings for that three hour period came to more than the last three days put together.”

There we have it, from a small bookshop outside of a busy London Underground Station to Chairman of the Gold Group lnternational(comprising the famous Ann Summers and Knickerbox brands), Gold Aviation and co-owner of BCFC. Quite an impressive CV you may think, an opinion that will no doubt be reinforced by the Sunday Times’ Rich List, where David’s £370m fortune leaves him in 82nd position.

With all of his many achievements and successes, you would think that the self-made entrepreneur would be a tad excessive in self praise. The reality is somewhat different, with David as down-to-earth a millionaire as you will find. When I asked him about the success of his diverse business interests, he was quick to place the spotlight on the abilities of his colleagues. “It’s all about surrounding yourself with people who you believe in and trust. As you pointed out, the nature of my business is indeed varied, so it would be impossible for me to successfully run both Gold Air International, the luxury private charter jet business and the Sport Group of Newspapers. Each one requires specialist day-to-day skills that only an expert in that field can give it.”

“It’s all about surrounding yourself with people who you believe in and trust”

Failure is a seven letter word that David Gold refuses to acknowledge even exists, it’s simply not a part of his vocabulary. And who can blame him, with a thriving group of businesses, two highly talented daughters in Jacqueline and Vanessa (Chief Executive and Buying Director for Ann Summers respectively) and his very own golf course. What is there left to achieve? Anyone who knows David well, will quickly quote promotion to the Premiership for his beloved Birmingham City, a football club he co-owns with business partners Ralph and David Sullivan, as the one big achievement left in the melting plot. After narrowly missing out on automatic promotion in the last three seasons, and the subsequent heart-break of Play-Off Semi Final defeats, you would forgive its Chairman for feeling a sense of despair.
“I know a lot of people will look at the last three years and think that we have failed, but I prefer to look at how far we have come both as a team and as a club.”

David was referring to the perilous position the trio found Birmingham City in when they took the reigns in 1993. Languishing near the bottom of the table, a Stadium that was crumbling fast and a non-existent commercial department – hardly, an enchanting proposition. “We are all big, big football fans so when the opportunity arose to save one of the game’s true sleeping giants we had no hesitation in putting a package together. Its history and tradition were major drivers, but the main attraction focused on the sheer potential that the club possessed – it is, and always will be, a city of passionate football supporters and we knew we could develop this into a successful team.”

And true to their Words, the trio have re­established Birmingham City as a major footballing force and St Andrews into a ground fit for the top flight. The ‘Blues’, as they are affectionately known by their followers, have also enjoyed a couple of decent cup runs along the way.

“Apart from a short stay in the second division – a relegation that I felt we needed to cleanse the soul so to speak – I feel we have been largely successful and are now only one step away from the ‘Promised Land’. We have also enjoyed a number of exciting cup runs, which have culminated in us lifting the Auto Windscreens Cup in front of 50,000 Blues fans at Wembley and last season’s Worthington Cup Final.”

Failure is a seven letter word that David Gold refuses to acknowledge even exists

David quickly continued: “The latter was a very special day for everyone involved with the club, as it proved to a worldwide audience that we could perform with the big boys. Although, we again lost on those dreaded penalties, expert opinion suggested we more than matched Liverpool, which bodes well for the future.”

Off the pitch, Birmingham City is in a much healthier position that it was ten years ago, thanks chiefly to the endeavours of its much publicised Chief Executive… Karen Brady. What was seen as a controversial decision at the time, has turned into yet another Gold masterstroke. “It wasn’t a case of smashing the perceived stereotype of a male dominated industry,” admitted David. “Karen had worked for us at the Sport Newspaper Group for three years and had shown outstanding flair for business and commercial ssues. I knew that I could trust her to come in and re-shape the fortunes of Birmingham and in the last decade she has secured some memorable deals for the club.”

I could sense that David was edging closer and closer to his mobile, suggesting another important call was due. With this in mind I left him with the Killer Question to ponder; ‘Would he Swap the success of his International Business Group for Birmingham playing in the Premiership? “To quote a classic Meatloaf song, I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that. Seriously, the football team is more than equipped in its own right to make it to the Premiership and, once we are there, who knows… the title perhaps.” An optimist to the very end, but I for one wouldn’t bet against David Gold achieving his elusive dream at long last.