Richard Tacon

Richard Tacon is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management at Birkbeck Business School, University of London, and Co-Director of the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre. He joined Birkbeck in 2012 after completing his PhD on social capital in voluntary sports clubs (2013). His career includes prior roles in sport policy research with the Football Governance Research Centre and the Central Council of Physical Recreation.

Research interests focus on social capital, governance, sport policy, fantasy football, and the meaning of work. Key areas include sport organization governance, athlete activism discourse, and fan behavior economics. He has published widely in journals like Managing Sport and Leisure, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, and European Sport Management Quarterly.

Teaches modules such as Sport and Society, Qualitative Research Methods, and Research Project: Management. Current doctoral supervision includes 5 students focusing on topics ranging from ultra-running identities to UEFA Champions League audience dynamics. His 2021 monograph "Social Capital and Sport Organisations" explores organizational embeddedness and governance structures.

Labs/Teams: Active in the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre, conducting applied research on sport management practices and policy implications. Recent work examines fantasy sports trends and governance codification in non-profit sport sectors.