Theo Paphitis The Boss is Back

-Do we love our shop?

-ALL: Yes!

Theo Paphitis has made millions from turning around struggling companies.

But running a football club

proved to be one of his toughest business challenges.

12 years ago, Paphitis was chairman of Millwall,

a club that was fighting for survival.

THEY SHOUT

To find out more about the challenges facing Millwall,

Paphitis took part in the BBC series Back to the Floor.

You've got a cack range of beers, a cack range of pies!

Over the course of one demanding week, the cameras followed Paphitis

as he discovered the ugly truth behind the beautiful game.

-They've ripped the pipe out.

-They just took the pipes out?

-They just ripped them out.

-Bastards!

Now, Paphitis is heading back to the Lions' Den

to find out how the business has changed

and what it's like today on the football frontline.

If you're going to run businesses, fix businesses,

which is something I do,

you really need to know what happens at the sharp end.

Theo Paphitis is one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs.

He's made millions from turning around retailers like Ryman, the stationers,

and La Senza, the lingerie chain.

Shopkeeping, retail, that's me. That's what I love doing.

Because it's the coalface. It's dealing with people.

It's really what it's all about.

Today, Paphitis is about to unveil his latest retail venture,

a new lingerie store in Newcastle.

The important thing is to make sure when we open in a shopping centre, people know we're here.

There's no better way than actually coming in your own store,

and talking to the public.

For Paphitis, today isn't just about boosting sales.

It's also an opportunity to find out more about his business.

The shop floor is what it's all about.

I spend time in my stores, I listen to customers, I listen to the staff.

Because if I've got a problem, I know who's got the answer.

And it isn't the consultant.

It's likely to be the customer

or my shop staff.

They will have the answer to my problem.

Alls I've got to do is listen.

Beautiful! Three, two, one.

-Do we love our shop?

-ALL: Yes.

Paphitis is pulling in the punters and keeping the tills ringing.

But having the boss around is keeping the staff on their toes.

You can't do one kiss.

He doesn't miss a trick. He is very close to the detail.

That's his job. That's how he's got where he is now.

It's not going to look good in a photograph!

But that's what he's there to do and I don't mind that.

Sure enough, Paphitis spots a problem outside the store.

They finished this last night.

They damaged 20 of the tiles when they were doing it.

So they had to replace all these tiles they put down last night.

-Did they? Oh, right.

-All the entire length.

-They had spare tiles?

-They got them from the centre.

The storefront looks great, apart from a few minor issues,

which I spotted and unlikely that the customer is going to spot.

But that's not the point. We know it's there and it will be put right.

Because, as I keep telling you, retail is detail.

Despite the glitch, the boss has enjoyed his day on the shop floor.

-There you go.

-Good shop.

-I'm glad you like it.

I can honestly tell you, even after all these years,

I get so excited about opening stores, um...

and meeting people. And actually serving them.

It's one of the biggest buzzes.

I say to people, if there's something that really rocks your boat,

and for me, it's retail, do it.

And the likelihood is if you're passionate about it, you'll be good at it.

Paphitis may get a kick out of selling smalls,

but outside business, one of his biggest loves is football.

As a kid, I lived in Manchester, as a six-year-old kid.

I used to go to reserve games at Old Trafford.

And then I moved to the Oval and then Peckham.

So natural progression, obviously,

was to start following the local team, which was...? Millwall.

Millwall is a tough Docklands club

with a reputation for hooliganism among some of its fans.

If Millwall sneezed, it was an earthquake.

Everybody wrote about it.

All the back pages were full.

When it happens anywhere else, it gets maybe half a column inch.

And that was the problem.

But in 1997, the club was facing an even bigger challenge.

Saddled with huge debts, the club entered administration.

Local boy made good Paphitis was asked to help save the day.

We needed to raise three or four million quid.

That would be enough to get Millwall out of administration

and back on a sensible footing.

That sort of money is colossal.

Undaunted, the turnaround king took on the challenge

of transforming Millwall's fortunes.

After rescuing the club from administration,

Paphitis became chairman.

The first time I walked through those gates, and through those doors,

I really felt this energy

that I've come somewhere, I've arrived somewhere

and there's a job to be done. And I couldn't wait.

To find out more about the club and its problems,

he took part in the BBC documentary series Back to the Floor.

It was a chance to see the business stripped bare.

Until we get out of this division, we've got to accept we'll make losses,

or we can sell our players, can't we?

-We certainly can't.

-You see? See?

-If I said I was going to sell the players, you'd kill me.

-That's right.

Going Back to the Floor was also an opportunity to change the club's negative image.

Millwall had constantly been misunderstood.

And doing the programme, for me,

was about telling the world what a great club

and great people actually are here.

12 years after the programme was filmed,

Paphitis is going to relive the experience

of swapping the boardroom for the shop floor.

CHEERING

It's a goal! It's a goal!

Who got it?

People have got to understand,

irrespective of whether you're an accountant

a solicitor, a bank manager,

when you go to a football match, it's about passion.

And that's what football is.

When Paphitis took part in the Back to the Floor documentary,

he had been chairman of Millwall for three years.

Now, those little girls are now hormonal teenagers.

'I've never failed in any business I've gone into.'

Football clubs are nothing like any other business.

You really are gambling all the time.

You need people to come in.

The more people who come in, the more you make.

But you've got to give them the product.

To get the product, you've got to spend money. That's the gamble.

I did let my heart rule my head.

The club was days, if not hours, from extinction.

And that was something that was within my power to stop.

How realistic that was at the time,

I'm not sure I know now.

But that's where we were.

Paphitis inherited debts of £10 million when he took over Millwall.

Which meant he had to run a very tight ship.

How do I look?

A home game against Bury gave him his first opportunity

-to see Millwall from the ground level.

-Buon giorno!

The boss' first job was working with Sharon,

trying to sell food to the fans.

What have you got for me today?

We have got you inside the kiosk, serving our away supporters.

Is this the only kiosk that's open?

Yeah. We're the only one that does the away supporters.

So, you're going to have to handle 350 people from this kiosk?

-Yeah.

-In 15 minutes at half-time?

-Yeah.

He learned that the kiosk staff were often verbally abused by the fans.

Sharon used to be able to radio for help.

But her walkie-talkie was taken away to save money.

So she had to rely on the phone.

When I first started working here, we had radio contacts.

Now, if something goes wrong, i.e. when we played Man City,

I was trying to dial Police Control and they were engaged.

Because everyone else was dialling them because there was a problem.

-Absolutely!

-Isn't that amazing!

-Absolutely.

So that really didn't help at the time.

I'm not worried about anybody else, I'm thinking about me and my staff.

-But you'd feel a lot safer if you had a radio?

-Yeah.

After his week on the shop floor,

he made sure that walkie-talkies were reinstated at the kiosk.

Today, the former boss is going back to the floor of the Lions' Den

to find out how the club has changed.

Do you know, I was never terrified about doing this

because as a kid, I used to work in a Wimpy bar.

So this was probably the only job I was looking forward to

because I knew I could do it.

But look at it. It only seems like yesterday.

I've got to be honest, I did get some home truths from Sharon.

And I didn't expect those.

And had to take them on board because it's OK me saying

this, that and the other,

But at the end of the day, it's the staff

that have got to put up with some of those issues.

And it's not right. It can't be.

Because this is a club and a club means it's about everybody.

And for me, the first thing I thought I needed to do

was to make sure that their working environment was safe,

and a happy one.

After helping out with food sales,

his next task was in the dressing rooms, helping out kitman Putty.

TV: 'Nobody can make money in the Second Division,

'not if you've got aspirations and ambitions.'

Until we get out of this division, we've got to accept we'll make losses,

or we can sell our players, can't we?

-We certainly can't.

-You see? See?

-If I said I was going to sell the players, you'd kill me.

-That's right.

More than my life's worth to sell the players.

With losses of £2 million a year,

Paphitis was on the lookout for savings.

-Putty?

-Yeah?

-What's this?

-What's what?

-What are these?

Sloggis, briefs.

-Briefs that the pros use.

-We pay for them?

We pay for them. Well, you pay for them. Rather.

What do I do for a living?

-You own an underwear company.

-Sell lingerie.

-Lingerie. Women's.

Sell lingerie. Women's.

Lots of Sloggis. Lots of Sloggis.

Well, I wouldn't know about that being women, would I?

You might wear them yourself.

Are you going to get some women's underwear for the players?

No, no. I'm sure Triumph would be honoured

to supply the Millwall football team

with a year's supply of Sloggis, if I ask them nicely.

On the basis they're one of my business partners, I'm sure it's not an issue.

-We'd be honoured to accept them.

-Well, consider the deal done.

We actually did do that deal and a couple of others that did save money.

But, after seeing some of the players play,

I could have been quite tempted to put them in the female versions.

After helping in the dressing rooms,

Paphitis moved on to the executive boxes.

So that's 24 Fosters, one ice, that's it? Bucket at the ready.

-Can you stop clanking your ice bucket?

-Right.

Are you all right?

Cos that's what we have to do.

I know. I've seen you. I've seen you.

For many clubs, VIP clients are a vital source of revenue.

Executive boxes can cost as much as £50,000 a year.

THEY SHOUT

Paphitis was looking after VIPs

paying as little as £250 per game for a box.

Two doners and a shish.

He weren't even listening! Look! Eh?

The man in charge of the boxes was Michael.

The boxes, I think, are a little bit too good

for some of the clientele you get in there.

You have to look at them and think,

you know, should it be them in the boxes?

But that's not for me to ask those questions.

Millwall fans are probably some of the most passionate.

Although, I've met many fans from many clubs over the years

and they will argue they are far more passionate.

But when you go to a football match, that's what it's about.

It's a little bit tribal, it's competitive,

and that's why you go.

Downstairs in the kiosk, there was even less choice of alcohol.

Paphitis was serving the away fans.

£4.20, please, love.

Millwall had catered for 500 Bury fans, but only 200 turned up.

At 2-0 down, some of them had lost their appetite.

We haven't done well on burgers at all today.

Hot dogs.

And burgers.

-What's going to happen to those?

-Goes in a black bag. Rubbish.

-What a total waste.

-Absolutely.

-That's just my drawer.

-There's those drawers there.

So this has been a disaster area.

This kiosk today has been unprofitable.

We'll have lost money on it.

It's unfortunate, but the food sales depend on their mood sometimes.

-Are you allowed to take the food home?

-No.

-Why not?

It was a rule. These are all rules from when I very first began.

-Would you like to take the food home?

-Yeah! I don't see why not.

It should be offered to the staff.

Because at the end of the day, so much gets wasted, anyway,

so if we are allowed to take it home, that's less waste.

I would have no objections or problems with that.

There's no reason why you can't take the food home.

Starting today, if you want to take that home,

-you can take whatever's left, you can take home.

-Thank you.

I came up with this idea about the staff taking the food home.

And I remember putting the proposal up and everyone going, "No!"

Reason?

If they reheat it and something goes wrong,

or they give it to somebody and something goes wrong, we're liable.

And, of course, not that our staff would even think about it,

if there was the odd unscrupulous one

that might just overcook and get that gross margin down,

then that wouldn't be very good for the club.

On day two of his week on the shop floor,

Paphitis was asked to help clear up after the game.

The stadium was maintained by just two employees, Colin and Cess.

And they were dealing with a major problem.

-This was Saturday?

-Yes.

Blimey!

They've ripped the pipe out at the top there, the visiting supporters.

-Right.

-One pipe there and a series of pipes.

-'They took the pipes out?

-They just ripped them out.

'Bastards!

'This is what happens when you win 4-0 at home.

'There's always a price to pay.

'A win at home gives you problems.'

This makes me very angry. I get very upset.

The only thing I've got to say is

as upset I am with the Bury supporters, ours do it as well.

So I can't just moan about the Bury supporters. Bloody mindless!

Totally bloody mindless!

'I think it makes anybody angry when you see violence,'

mindless violence like that.

It was a new stadium. New-ish at that time.

And a lot of money was spent on it.

The repairs were quite significant.

And, of course, my biggest problem was,

I know all fans are guilty of it, not just the Bury fans.

Including our own.

And it's unnecessary.

Totally and utterly unnecessary.

During his Back to the Floor week,

Paphitis was about to face his toughest test.

Dealing with a blown bulb in the scoreboard.

Have I ever told you I'm scared of heights?

I'd better say goodbye to my family.

-'I'll just go and turn the power off.

-Oh. Thank you very much!'

Turn the power off!

'I'll hang around up here, shall I?'

You love the BBC, don't you?

I can't believe how frightened I looked.

And I really was terrified.

I hate heights.

So to actually go up there, I'm surprised my trousers remained blue.

-He's a bit slow, isn't he?

-Very slow.

You know what we forgot, don't you?

-The bulb.

-I've got the bulb here.

It's no good down there, is it?

-I've got to come back down again.

-Yep.

How you doing, fella?

That's it. White knuckles there, look.

White knuckles? I'm going to have to change me underpants after this!

Never mind white knuckles!

The thing that's come out of working with Colin and Cess

is, um...that they should be left to do the more skilful jobs,

and the more remedial tasks, we should get somebody in to do.

That would be a more cost-effective way of using their time.

Blimey, I'm not doing that in a hurry again.

After his encounter with the ladder,

Paphitis decided to invest in a high-tech solution to help his ground staff.

Soon afterwards, I thought, we're not getting up there again.

-And we bought this, didn't we?

-Yes.

At the cost of about half a million pounds, if you remember rightly.

That's a lot to pay to get out of changing a lightbulb.

But this is a proper video screen. You play the game back on this.

It allowed people to get a better enjoyment of the match.

The other one was just a scoreboard.

We put half-time entertainment on and got things sponsored on it,

-so we got a revenue stream from it.

-That's right, yeah.

-So it actually paid for itself.

-Yeah.

In a short period of time, if I remember correctly.

-And it's still working!

-Still working 12 years down the line.

After helping out around the stadium,

Paphitis' week on the Millwall shop floor

moved on to the training ground.

It was an opportunity to meet the club's greatest assets, the players.

His first job was to make them breakfast.

-'Toast.

-Toast, please.

-Toast. That's six pieces.

'Your toast is burning, Theo.

-'He wants jam on it.

-He does want jam on it.'

He said that when I was negotiating his last contract.

I said, "What you want, jam on it?"

That's very good. We've got a big knife here, if you find it easier.

All football players, from the year dot, have been mollycoddled.

And, of course, you can't change it afterwards.

We shouldn't do this. I'd make them make their own toast.

-They're not allowed in the kitchen.

-Put a couple of toasters and the bread outside.

We haven't got any, unless you get...

-You haven't asked for any.

-We will.

If you ask for some, you'll get some.

We wouldn't know who's having toast to charge them.

Just charge them a flat fee. Make sure they eat them.

'Players have to pay for their food?

'Do you know how much we pay players?

'They're cheap.

'Our payroll is about two-and-a-half million quid a year.

-'That's a lot of money.

-That's a lot of money.'

If they can't afford 50p, I suggest they go to another football club.

What was really weird about that

was that was straight after we came out of administration and I took over

and the club really was on its knees

and every penny meant we could survive.

But what was clear was, as far as football players are concerned,

actually, it was very much all about them.

I don't think players should pay for food.

Every business I know has got a staff canteen that's subsidised

and working people pay for their food.

On the money football players earn, why should there be an exception?

In fact, it should be the total opposite as opposed to not paying.

You should be paying full price, not subsidies.

Well, we're paid to play football on the football pitch.

People are made to work... serve behind shops

and serve behind counters and work in factories.

They work as hard as you guys work.

It really took a huge amount of effort

to actually get the players to actually buy in

to why they're playing football and the club they're playing for.

I was actually very lucky because

very quickly after this programme went out,

it became clear to me that the players really did belong

and they took these things into account.

And we were able to actually save a considerable amount of money.

After the programme, the players agreed to pay for their toast,

but Paphitis wants to know

if they're still contributing to the club's coffers.

He is meeting up with chief executive Andy Ambler to find out.

-What I want to know is, do they still pay?

-They pay.

-Yes!

-They contribute towards their food at their training ground.

You got your way. Footballers in general expect a lot.

-Um, but...

-Are they pampered, do you think?

To it degree, I think they are, but this bunch of players at Millwall

have learned that's not the Millwall way

and they accept that and get on with it.

But in general, there are stories of footballers being pampered

when some of them on huge wages, should know better.

During Paphitis' Back to the Floor week,

Millwall were about to play Bristol City.

Security was high because their fans had a history of trouble.

As a steward, Paphitis would be on the frontline.

Can I just ask, put your hands up

those who have not stewarded at Millwall before.

-OK, there's a number of you.

-LAUGHTER

Bristol City tonight, Bristol are well down the division.

Millwall have had some good results.

We're looking at a crowd of probably in excess of 8,000 tonight.

And then away support, probably about 450 to 500.

My information from my intelligence people

is there is none of our hooligans travelling up from Bristol.

However, those who've been here before will appreciate

that on the blow of a whistle,

or a player's reaction, things can change very quickly.

The match needed 160 stewards.

Together with the bill for policing,

security would cost the club more than £12,000.

A big chunk of the night's takings.

At half-time, Paphitis finally met the fans.

They weren't happy.

You've got a cack range of beers,

you've got a cack range of pies.

You've got the kids running around.

They're going to be the supporters of the future.

Who's this, then? Is this the chairman?

LAUGHTER

-They're doing well. We're going to win this league.

-You reckon?

Yeah, I do. It don't matter to you. You've got all that, anyway.

-What?

-You've got all that, anyway. You don't care if they win or lose.

All the supporters, all these people coming,

they're the ones who want it.

I think I care as much as anyone else.

I sweat buckets to make sure we win.

But that night, Millwall didn't win.

In the last minute, Bristol equalised.

We threw away two points. We drew 1-1.

I think that affects me. I'm a terrible loser.

I sulk for ages.

Football, for someone like me, is way above a drug.

When we win, it's a massive high.

But counter that with a loss.

Because that really is a massive low.

It was the end of Paphitis' week on the shop floor.

That season, Millwall won promotion to the First Division.

But the chairman's decision to sign former England midfielder Dennis Wise

would herald even greater success.

Mark McGhee, the manager at the time, was struggling.

And I said, "What do we need, Mark?"

He says, "We need a Dennis Wise-type character in midfield."

So I went back to him and said, "What about Dennis Wise?"

LAUGHTER

The following season, Paphitis appointed Wise as the club's player/manager.

From the moment I spoke to Theo on the phone,

I actually really did like him.

Because he's very truthful. He's very passionate.

He used to try sometimes to poke his nose in sometimes.

-THEO LAUGHS

-Try.

You'd let him have his little say.

I'm sure all his businesses are run like that and I'm sure...

That's the type of person he is.

And I enjoyed so much time with him and we got on so well.

The partnership between Paphitis and Wise was a roaring success

and led to Millwall's first-ever FA Cup final.

Their opponents were the mighty Manchester United.

I'm joined now by a man who I know at 3:00 tomorrow

will be the proudest man in the world.

Millwall chairman, Theo Paphitis.

How can Millwall beat Manchester United?

These things happen. You've got to believe you can do things.

We're going to try our hearts out and nothing's impossible.

No-one said we'd get here. People said we wouldn't do a lot of things,

but we're going to have a good old go

and hopefully create an upset a lot of people would like to see.

In the end, Millwall lost the final 3-0.

But for the fans, it was the biggest day in the club's history.

We're still in Europe, so...it don't really matter,

but it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I think they done brilliant.

Even though we lost, it doesn't matter.

Because they've got passion.

For me, it was the recognition of the community and the football club

that the whole community was proud of the football club.

And it didn't matter where you went, it was all blue.

It was absolutely blue.

And it put Southwark on the map.

It put Lewisham on the map. It put Millwall on the map.

-And it put Millwall on the map for all the right reasons.

-Yeah.

Millwall's fortunes had been transformed,

both on and off the pitch.

For Paphitis, taking part in the Back to the Floor programme

had helped him in his efforts to revive the club.

The experience for me, going back to the floor,

really reinforced to me

that if you're going to run businesses,

fix businesses, which is something I do,

you really need to know what happens at the sharp end.

As it happens, I'm so pleased I did it.

Because not only was it not a negative programme about Millwall,

it taught me a huge amount about what was happening in my own club.

In addition to that, it gave me that little taste for being on television.

Paphitis helped Millwall to restore its finances and its pride.

But after reaching the cup final,

his time at the club was drawing to a close.

It was my passion, my life, it was day and night.

And I had lots of other businesses.

And it just wasn't possible any more to dedicate the level of time.

The sort of character I am, I'm a very hands-on character.

I have to be there. I have to know everything.

Paphitis handed in his notice and left the following season.

The final game of that season,

I walked back through the tunnel over there, practically in tears.

Nobody believed me.

It was only when the new chairman was announced that people were,

"My God, he's gone."

Probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make.

Today, Paphitis has turned to new business challenges.

But his heart remains at the Lions' Den.

Visiting today, and to see everybody again,

and the wonderful people that work here

really became part of my family.

And for all its negativity sometimes you get in the press,

it was worth it.

It was worth it just for the good times.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd