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BRITISH JUDO

Built on a culture of bullying

Using documentation and multiple independent sources.  

It has been possible to FACT CHECK what has been reported about British Judo Olympic Judo Coach, Jamie Johnson stepping down.

Along with the British Judo Association Ltd Statement issued in connection with the publication of the Sunday Times article.

Jamie Johnson’s full statement given to the Sunday Times is included.  
Not published in full anywhere else.

Find Out More … 

#GBJudoCommunity

#StrongerTogether

#MakingChangeHappen

SBE, 

11 April 2025

Sunday Times Article,

Tom Kershaw – 5th April 2025 (online). 

While nobody likes negative coverage of their sport & passion, the article is an important step in the right direction by shining a light on issues that have previously lacked transparency and accountabilty.   

Leading to abuse of power within British Judo.

The article exposes some aspects of the bullying culture but it also triggered British Judo Associations Ltd (the BJA) to respond and demonstrate how bad the situation actually is.

26th March 2025:

BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, emails athletes at the centre “reminding” them that they cannot discuss the issue, even in private.  
(See Fact Check)

3rd April 2025:

The Sunday Times gives the BJA an opportunity of “Right to Reply” before publishing the article.

The BJA responds with their short statement.  

But … 

Includes in the BJA response a statement by Jamie Johnson where he refers to the current complaint against him. 

Double standards at its worst!

How would the BJA have reacted had the accuser(s) given a statement to a national newspaper in an ongoing case?

Full Sunday Times article.

CONTENT

BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular
Email to Athletes
26th March 2025

  • Summary & Fact Check

The Sunday Times
Article

5th April 2025

  • Fact Check

British Judo (BJA)
Statement
6th April 2025

  • Fact Check

Jamie Johnson
Statement
6th April 2025

  • Fact Check & Analysis

BBC
Website Article
6th April 

  • Fact Check

Inside the Games
Article
10th April
 

  • Fact Check

Summary

FACT CHECK & Comment

CEO
26 March

Comment

Comment

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Article
5 April 2025

Fact Check

5th April 2025

Fact Check

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PREVIOUS BULLING COMPLAINT

Details and evidence from the the historic complaint of bullying made against Jamie Johnson and Lucy Renshall will be published at a later date.  

Lisa Allan was a member of the disciplinary panel ruling in the complaint despite the inappropriateness of this! 

 

 

Statement
6th April

Fact Check

6th April 2025

We are aware of the article running in today’s edition of The Sunday Times and we would like to reiterate that British Judo takes any allegations of any form of inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously.

All of the cases mentioned are historic and were dealt with at the time in-line with our Safeguarding policies and procedures.

We will not be commenting on any ongoing independent investigations.

All of our athletes are encouraged to report any safeguarding concerns, including any instances of bullying via our internal teams, which are then fully investigated using external independent investigators.

Fact Check

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Statement
6th April

Fact Check

Statement: The Sunday Times

Fact Check

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Other Media

Comment

6th April 2025

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PREVIOUS BULLING COMPLAINT

Details and evidence from the the historic complaint of bullying made against Jamie Johnson and Lucy Renshall will be published at a later date.  

The BBC did at the time take the BJA’s statement at face value!  

Something they will be asked to rectify at a later stage in accordance with the BBC’s Charter.

BBC 12 April 2021:

British Judo bullying claims not upheld after investigation

Other Media

Comment

10th April 2025

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UPCOMING!
Part 2

The “Historic” Bullying Complaint

Against Jamie Johnson & GB Olympian Lucy Renshall. 

“How British Judo rigged the process and the Disciplinary Panel”

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The BJA
World Class Performance Programme

Timeline of Events 2024/2025

Add Your Heading Text Here

Item #1

Won / lost
17 / 2

The name “World Class Performance Programme” (WCPP) itself is as far from reality as many thing that the BJA communicates to its clubs, coaches and members.  
Do not judge the BJA by grassoorts judo club’s voluntary standards, setup and shoe-string economy!   
The BJA (British Judo Association Ltd Company) has an annual income of over £5 million pounds and over 40 paid employees.   

The BJA Chair, Gerry Gualtieri, has even claimed that the BJA’s WCPP is seen as so succesful that other countries want to know more about it.  

As recent as in 2024. 
The BJA Chief Executive, Andrew Scoular,  lies in the BJA Annual Report about membership numbers.  
Something that is easy to fact check if you have access to the membership numbers he refers to but “mysteriously” were not included in the Annual Report.   

Haven’t come across this lie being called out? 

Your source of information is most likely censored by those that keeps BJA management in place.  

About 25 out of 890* BJA clubs.       

*The BJA claims there are 890 clubs while less than 475 are voting entitled.  

The article in the Sunday Times, 6th April 2025, is only the tip of the Iceberg and the response by the British Judo Association Ltd (British Judo, the BJA) CEO, Andrew Scoular,  attempts to cover up one of the most shameful episodes in the organisation’s history.  As “having been processed” despite the details known to many that process was rigged at the time by the CEO himself, the BJA Chair, BJA Directors and Managers.  

Changes within BJA leadership has changed nothing when it come to the tragic comedy “Carry of Judo”

BJA Chair Ronnie Saez resigned 2 years early in 2023 along with BJA Director Claire Lish also stepping down 2 years early.        

The news that the BJA’s Olympic Coach, Jamie Johnson, has stepped away from the “World Class Performance Programme” (WCPP) after another complaint about bullying should not come as surpise either.  

Initially announced by the interim Programme Director, Kate Howey in a text to the athletes.  

Then confirmed by the BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular where he refers to Jamie Johnson being involved in an “internal process” and not contactable by BJA Athletes.    
Before making thinly veiled threats about consequences should any athlete discuss this, even in private.   

Jamie Johnson was previously accoused of bullying in a high profiled case by 3 athletes that was only dismissed after the BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, the BJA Chair and Board of Directors rigged the disciplinaty panel to rule in the compaints.  

Unbeknownst to UKSport, they placed the BJA’s Sport Director’s daughter on the panel and later stated it was “fully independent”     

In this blog, I will outline the situation and trace it back to one of the most shameful events within British Judo.  

When the BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, the BJA Chair and BJA Boad of Directors (BoD) along with BJA managers rigged the disciplinary panel that ruled in a pervious bullying complaint. 

In the public statements made by the BJA and CEO, Andrew Scoular, in the previous case. 

You believe the lies or the evidence?    

Fact Check!

BJA CEO Andrew Scoular Statement 2024:

The British Judo Chief Executive, Andrew Scoular, statement is FALSE!

There were over 8,000 fewer members in 2024 than before Covid, 31 March 2020.

The BJA World Class Performance Programme

Source Information - Reliability:

The name “World Class Performance Programme” (WCPP) itself is as far from reality as many thing that the BJA communicates to its clubs, coaches and members.  
Do not judge the BJA by grassoorts judo club’s voluntary standards, setup and shoe-string economy!   
The BJA (British Judo Association Ltd Company) has an annual income of over £5 million pounds and over 40 paid employees.   

The BJA Chair, Gerry Gualtieri, has even claimed that the BJA’s WCPP is seen as so succesful that other countries want to know more about it.  

As recent as in 2024. 
The BJA Chief Executive, Andrew Scoular,  lies in the BJA Annual Report about membership numbers.  
Something that is easy to fact check if you have access to the membership numbers he refers to but “mysteriously” were not included in the Annual Report.   

Haven’t come across this lie being called out? 

Your source of information is most likely censored by those that keeps BJA management in place.  

About 25 out of 890* BJA clubs.       

*The BJA claims there are 890 clubs while less than 475 are voting entitled.  

The article in the Sunday Times, 6th April 2025, is only the tip of the Iceberg and the response by the British Judo Association Ltd (British Judo, the BJA) CEO, Andrew Scoular,  attempts to cover up one of the most shameful episodes in the organisation’s history.  As “having been processed” despite the details known to many that process was rigged by the CEO himself, the BJA Chair, Ronnie Saez, BJA Directors and BJA Managers  at the time.       

The revelation that the BJA’s Olympic Coach, Jamie Johnson, has stepped away from the “World Class Performance Programme” (WCPP) after a complaint about bullying should not come as surpise either.  Initially announced by the interim Programme Director, Kate Howey in a text to the athletes.  

The confirmed by the BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular where he refers to Jamie Johnson being involved in an internal process. 
Before making thinly veiled threats about consequences should any athlete discuss the issue, even in private.   

Jamie Johnson was previously accoused of bullying in a high profiled case by 3 athletes that was only dismissed after the BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, the BJA Chair and Board of Directors rigged the disciplinaty panel to rule in the compaints.  

Unbeknownst to UKSport, they placed the BJA’s Sport Director’s daughter on the panel and later stated it was “fully independent”     

In this blog, I will outline the situation and trace it back to one of the most shameful events within British Judo.  

When the BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, the BJA Chair and BJA Boad of Directors (BoD) along with BJA managers rigged the disciplinary panel that ruled in a pervious bullying complaint. 

In the public statements made by the BJA and CEO, Andrew Scoular, in the previous case. 

You believe the lies or the evidence?    

BJA CEO Andrew Scoular Statement 2024:

Fact Check!

The British Judo Chief Executive, Andrew Scoular, statement is FALSE!

There were over 8,000 fewer members in 2024 than before Covid, 31 March 2020.

The BJA World Class Performance Programme

Paris Olympics 2024

At the Olympics, years of mismanagement and incompetence within the “World Class Performance Programme” (WCPP) culminated with no British men qualifying and only 5 British women qualifying.  

5 female British judo athletes, 
7 Matches, 2 wins in the first round but none got past the second round of competitions.  

BUT two former British Athletes that had defected to compete for another country took a Silver medal and a 5th place.  
There were infact as many “defectors”, 5, competing at the Olympic judo competition as there were British Judo representatives.  

In the 2 years leading up to the Olympics, 7 elite judo athletres defected to compete for other countries.   
Before that, many others chose to defect.  

 

 

Post Paris Olympics 2024

Shortly after the catastrophic Judo Olympics, the Programme Director of the WCPP, Nigel Donohue, presented his vision moving forward towards the LA 2028 Olympics*.  
How he, WCPP management and the BJA Olympic Coaches intended to select and deselect athletes for funding.No changes to WCPP management or the Olympic coaches were planned or presented.  

Ruimblings started amoungst the athletes based and funded at the WCPP along with dissatifaction spreading amoungst the non-funded athletes and club coaches around the country that “supply” the centre with their talent.  

A small group of prominent club coaches got together and raised their many complaints with the BJA.  

  



*Presentation shared in the GBJC faceBook group

Lulu Piovesana (AUT) beating Lucy Renshall (GBR)

Prisca Awiti Alcaraz MEX
Olympic Silver Medalist.

Fact Check!

The British Judo Chief Executive, Andrew Scoular, statement is FALSE!

There were over 8,000 few BJA members in 2024 than before Covid, 31 March 2020.

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