They say that no one is interested in the story of a football club chairman - players and managers have so much more to tell us, apparently. But anyone who has followed Ipswich Town over the past 30 years will find this memoir by David Sheepshanks fascinating and inspiring. And his roles at the Football Association, Football Leagues and St George's Park are likely to appeal to a wider audience, too.

David Sheepshanks is a Suffolk man, a chairman of Ipswich Town Football Club for 14 years, he's also been a Deputy Lieutenant for 20 years and heavily involved in the Suffolk Foundation. He's lived in the county all his life, while still travelling widely, meeting some extraordinary people, and enjoying tremendous success in roles with the Football Association, the Football League and leading the project to build the England training centre St George's Park. It's an incredible life, and this is a tremendous record of all that he's experienced, the highs and the lows.

It all springs back to 1966 when, aged 14, David asked permission from his father to go and see Ipswich play for the first time. He was taken by the family's gamekeeper and other members of the farm staff.

Ipswich beat Leyton Orient 3-2 and, with that one game, David was hooked, following the club faithfully ever since. Bewitched by the spectacle of it all, he remembers seeing the directors' box from afar and vowing he'd sit in it one day. 

In fact, Sheepshanks was director and then chairman of the club from 1987 to 2009. 'We were one of the greatest teams in the land,' he says. 'In Europe nine years out of ten. And all the greats in football played at Portman Road at one time or another. We were so lucky, we were spoilt.'

Using his business expertise, through founding two companies (first frozen fish then mayonnaise), David was tasked with making Ipswich a more professional and commercial club. Every member of staff was valued for their contribution, whether on or off the pitch, they were considered a part of the team.

When it was finally time for him to leave, David continued a career in football using his people skills and management nous to work with the FA, the Football League and St George's Park, the England training ground, currently featuring prominently in BBC's drama 'Dear England', and from where the nation's hopes for success at this year's World Cup spring. 'I went on record saying that the new facility would mean England would win a major championship by 2026,' he says. The women have done it. Could this be the year for the men?

Announcing the news recently that he is currently receiving treatment for bowel cancer, David has a different challenge to face, while he continues to work in leadership coaching and drawing wisdom from the business books he loves to read.

At the launch of 'Man on a Mission at Aldeburgh Bookshop this weekend, he referred to something he'd read where happiness was said to be achieved through having three things in life - people to love, something to do and something to look forward to. 'I'm blessed because I've had loads of all three,' he said. 

This is a big book with three colour plate sections, and it's a great read - whether or not you're interested in football! What a life he's led.