[5][6] In 1931, he won the British Match Race Championship, defeating Claude Rye, retaining the title against Syd Jackson before losing it to Tiger Stevenson.

[7] The speedway scenes from the 1933 film Britannia of Billingsgate were shot at Hackney Wick Stadium and featured some of the leading riders in Britain at the time including Johnson, Colin Watson, Arthur Warwick, Gus Kuhn, Tom Farndon and Claude Rye.

Up until 1949 he had lost a toe (after a crash at Exeter in 1929) and the tops of two of his fingers (after catching them in his chain in 1931) as results of track injuries.

As he got back onto his feet he was hit by Wimbledon rider Cyril Brine and knocked down, suffering a fractured skull.

This clot may have been jolted loose, thus saving his life, by one stretcher bearer who was walking out of step with the others when Johnson was removed from the track.

After a couple of years Johnson made a comeback the Claremont speedway in Perth, winning the West Australian Solo Championship title in the 1954–55 season.

He captained the New Cross Colts in a match against Edinburgh and scored three points with a race win which showed flashes of his old brilliance.