Simon Johnson

As part of this piece on ‘Making a Lioness’ ahead of Euro Final, Nigel - father of Lauren (and Reece) James - reveals a £10k loan from his mother Elizabeth to buy a car when they were young was crucial in keeping the family’s football dream alive. #CFC nytimes.com/athletic/65064…

What does it take to make a #Lioness? Downsizing houses, bank loans, hours of driving, juggling jobs, so tired that you sleep in meetings. Thank you to the families for speaking so openly & trusting @TheAthleticFC @KatieWhyatt @SJohnsonSport nytimes.com/athletic/65064…

😴 Falling asleep at work out of exhaustion 🛣️ 500-mile round trips to offer moral support 💰 Spending £15,000 a year on costs 🗣️ ‘It was just give, give, give... but I'd do it again’ The parents of Lionesses talk candidly about the challenges and sacrifices involved in helping…

▪️ Wiegman's reframing from title defence to 'new England' ▪️ 'Hard' conversations and the importance of body language ▪️ Subs' separate WhatsApp group ▪️ Players' families' Friday night pub crawl The inside story of England's triumphant Euro 2025 campaign. ✍️ @CharlotteHarpur

04:52 - @Lionesses won #EURO2025 despite leading for just four minutes and 52 seconds in the entire knockout stages of the tournament (including stoppage time). Battlers.

A tournament where a team just refused to give up throughout and were rewarded for it with the big prize. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #Euro2025

“I will be cheering you on.Getting a winner’s medal will be a great reward for all your efforts, but no matter what happens, remember you are already an inspiration to many.” Message from Nigel James to daughter Lauren ahead of #Euro2025 Final #Lionesses: nytimes.com/athletic/65170…

I obviously want England to win but given how close the series against India has been, it would be fitting for something to still be at stake in the last test.

#CFC agree €50m deal to sell Joao Felix to Al Nassr. Follows @FabrizioRomano nytimes.com/athletic/64245…

From Erik ten Hag to Keely Hodgkinson, Lauren James' dad to Premier League footballer Alex Scott, and France legend Wendie Renard to stars of other sports, The Athletic has spent the past few days speaking to people close to every member of the England squad. This article is a…

Ray French is a big reason why I became a fan of rugby league. Another iconic commentator. RIP.

Didn’t take long for my attempt to avoid the Lions score in order to watch it later to fail…punished for checking on the cricket. 😭

Why has nobody bought Benjamin Sesko yet? With @gunnerblog, @lauriewhitwell, @SJohnsonSport and @ChrisDHWaugh, for @TheAthleticFC nytimes.com/athletic/65135…

India batter Rishabh Pant has clearly been injured in the fourth Test against England - Dhruv Jurel can replace him behind the stumps but not at the crease. One England captain says that is wrong, others say it is the harsh realities of the game. It is an argument that is not…

What’s going on with Alexander Isak and what will happen next? One thing is for sure, a move to #CFC won’t happen despite being keen on him in the past. An explainer from @TheAthleticFC here: nytimes.com/athletic/65130…