Rate My Professor Paul Downward

Professor Paul Downward is the Professor of Economics in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, a position he has held since joining the institution in 2004. Prior to this, he worked at Aston Business School and Staffordshire University. He earned his BA (Hons) in Economics from Staffordshire University in 1988, MA in Economics from the University of Manchester in 1990, and PhD in Economics from the University of Leeds in 1996. Recognized as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Downward received the prestigious Chelladurai Award for lifetime achievement in sport management from the European Association of Sport Management in 2023. He leads the Sport, Business and Society research theme in his school.

Downward's research specializes in applied economics, investigating the causes and consequences of participation in sport, physical activity, and leisure, with applications to policy, management, and strategy. His interests encompass the determinants and effects of sport, volunteering, and officiating on health, well-being, social capital, inclusion/exclusion, human capital, and labor markets, alongside sports contest outcomes and the philosophy, methods, and ethics of economics. He has authored or edited key books such as The SAGE Handbook of Sports Economics (2019), Routledge International Handbook of Sport Management (2012), The Economics of Professional Team Sports (2000), and Pricing Theory in Post Keynesian Economics (1999). His extensive publication record includes over 150 journal articles in top venues like Journal of Sports Economics, Sport Management Review, and International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, amassing more than 5,700 citations. Downward has shaped the field through leadership roles, including President of the European Sport Economics Association (2016-2019) as a founding member, service on UEFA’s Research Grants Jury, the DCMS College of Experts, and Sport England’s Social Value of Sport Project steering group. He served as Editor of European Sport Management Quarterly (2017-2023) and holds positions on multiple editorial boards, including The Journal of Sports Economics and Sport Management Review.