Simon Johnson
ARTICLES
Browse the wide range of topical and in-depth articles penned by Simon Johnson on the subjects of business development, strategy and governance in the charity sector and sports and leisure industry. This section is regularly updated, so be sure to check back for new material.
These articles are often shared on social media, and comments, reactions and thoughts are welcome. Also attached are archive articles from Simon’s previous roles, setting out the range and depth of Simon’s thought leadership.
The Leisure Business Blog: Of Ministerial Gaffes and Media Coverage
Last week, the #RugbyLeagueWorldCup was being talked about everywhere. This was all due to the media coverage of a ministerial gaffe. The Rugby League World Cup had arranged an event at a grassroots Rugby [...]
The Leisure Business Blog: Of Rules for Transgender Athletes in Elite Sport
This week's sports business headlines talk of international sports bodies taking a "hard line" with rules on transgender athletes participating in elite sport. This is a simplistic way to describe a series of decisions taken [...]
The Leisure Business Blog: Of Gambling Reviews and Pre-Emptive Action
The Racing Industry is awaiting the White Paper on the Review of Gambling Both of the Companies, of which I am the Chair, have an interest in the Government's much delayed Review of [...]
The Leisure Business Blog: Of Top Hats, Traffic Jams and Tired Footballers
15th June 2022 I made my return to Royal Ascot yesterday. As Chair of SIS, we were hosting a Hospitality Box and welcomed many friends and partners from the Racing and Greyhound industries. There is [...]
How the Rugby Football League Helps Level Up the Country
The aftermath of the failed and disastrous European Super League proposals has shone a light on the great disconnect between football fans and the owners of the sport’s most prestigious clubs. I lamented, in a [...]
Why the European Super League Proposal Showed Disdain for Fans
In the fallout from the disastrous launch of football’s European Super League proposal, many have sought to understand the motivations driving the Clubs to launch it. One area that has not been so well discussed [...]
Where to Sit in a Meeting Room
Remember when we used to have physical meetings? Remember when there were actual, physical Board meetings - you know, where everyone was in the same room? When you used to negotiate with someone face to [...]
My Thoughts on How to Chair and Lead Meetings Virtually
Those of us who Chair and lead meetings have had to get used to a whole new set of disciplines when chairing virtual meetings, which have been the norm since early March 2020 and are [...]
The Impact of a Governance Code
Those of us who hold senior roles in Sport were recently invited to contribute to a survey to inform the drafting of the new Sport England Code of Sports Governance. Sport is the third industry [...]