John worked closely with the South African Football Association (SAFA) and the Premier Soccer League and played a pivotal role in the commercial establishment of both these entities. He was also involved in South Africa's re-admission to world sport in the early 1990s through his work with Grinaker Sports, then a powerful marketing company for major organisations.
His life will be remembered far beyond his native South Africa. Through his company Worldwide Sports, John made a significant contribution to the commercial development of sport in South Africa and he built an international network of friends and a reputation as an enthusiastic champion of his home country.
John defied stereotypes as a supporter of football, the passion of South Africa’s majority black population. He played a role in sponsorship deals which benefited SAFA and the country’s Premier League and, as a result, had the ear of leading football administrators.
In his student days he risked his own reputation and even liberty as a supporter of racial equality and was involved in acts interpreted as civil disobedience on his university campus during the dark days of Apartheid.
The tragedy of his death is heightened by its timing, just months after South Africa defied the expectations of many by delivering a memorable World Cup. John had been involved in both the unsuccessful 2006 bid and then the 2010 bid which saw the tournament staged in Africa for the first time. That would undoubtedly be one of his proudest moments.
Over the years John had been a tireless friend of SportBusiness in South Africa, acting as a commercial agent and helping facilitate the editorial team’s requests for access to senior figures in South African sport. He will be greatly missed by those who knew him throughout the international sports business and our thoughts at this time are with his wife, children and extended family.
