Johnson: Simon Ainsley (Simon)

2000-2005 (Player Details)

Forward

Born: West Bromwich: 09-03-1983

Debut: v Charlton Athletic (a) (Substitute): 05-04-2003

5’9” 11st 12lb (2005)

Johnson started with Leeds as a trainee in August 2000. He progressed through the junior teams and started playing and scoring regularly at reserve level. Leeds were well stocked for strikers at the time and he was loaned out to other clubs to get first-team experience. In August 2002 he went to Hull City where he scored twice in a dozen games, of which eight were from the bench and then it was back to Elland Road and more games for the reserves until he got on the pitch for a couple of minutes in the famous 6-1 victory at Charlton Athletic in April 2003. It was off to Blackpool next in December 2003 where he scored once in three starts and one game off the bench. He had the odd game or came on as substitute but otherwise it was back to the Pontin’s League until he was next loaned out to Sunderland in September 2004, where he had four games from the bench and one start, but all were goalless. It seemed as though Johnson was destined to leave Leeds, but could only find club’s who wanted to use his services on a strictly loan basis. In December 2004 he was off to Doncaster Rovers, where he scored three times in eleven appearances, three of which were as a substitute. In February 2005 he joined Barnsley for another loan spell and scored twice in eleven games, one of which was from the bench. Finally in June 2005, he left Leeds for Darlington on a free transfer and finally got a sustained chance to play first-team football. He made sixty-six League appearances for them, of which twenty-three were as substitute and hit the net nine times, in his two seasons with the Quakers. He joined Hereford United on 8th August 2007, on a two month contract. He made his debut in the Carling Cup against Yeovil Town and then broke into the first team, scoring his first goal for the club against Wycombe Wanderers and put in some fine performances, particularly during Herefords 3-1 win against Bradford City where he was awarded man of the match and assisted in two of the three Hereford goals. His original contract was due to expire in November, but he signed an extension until the end of 2007, which was then extended until the end of the 2007/08 season. Johnson scored United's winning goal that saw them progress past Tranmere Rovers into the 4th Round of the FA Cup. He played regularly as Hereford gained promotion to League One, but their stay in that Division was short and the were relegated at the end of the first season. On 21st April 2009 Johnson's contract was cancelled by mutual consent. He had scored five League goals in sixty-two games, of which thirty-two were as a substitute. He scored once in six F.A. Cup games, of which three were from the bench, made one start and had one game from the bench without scoring in the League Cup and made two Johnstone's Paint Trophy appearances without scoring. He signed a three month deal with Bury on 7th August 2009 but after one start and three games from the bench in the League, and a start in one Johnstone's Paint Trophy and one substitute appearance in the League Cup it was announced on 12th September 2009, that his month to month contract had been terminated. He signed for Halesowen Town in October 2009 and scored four times in sixteen appearances before joining Solihull Moors on 12th February 2010. He scored four times in seven games before, on 19th March 2010 he returned to his Yorkshire roots when he signed for Guiseley.