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Lee Charnley - Managing Director of Newcastle United Football Club
For more than two decades, Toon supporters have seen the axe fall on a succession of senior ranking officials inside St James’ Park.

But director Lee Charnley has dodged the limelight and risen from executive understudy to head honcho at St James’ Park.

Mr Charnley became managing director of Newcastle United in April 2014 aged just 36 after being the club secretary.

At only 39, he has spent more than half his professional career with Newcastle United, and little is known about him outside of the club.

During the tenure of Freddy Shepherd and Sir John Hall, Charnley played second fiddle to the then chief operating officer Russell Cushing.

Club sources claim for years he “shunned the limelight” and “refused to play politics” when called to give his views on the internal working of the Magpies’ dressing room.

Described as “quiet and shy”, he now commands one of the most senior positions in professional British football. He was involved in a shake-up that saw Derek Llambias leave his role in June 2013.

Charnley stepped-up during a boardroom re-shuffle which saw the appointment of John Irving as director of finances and the arrival of Joe Kinnear as director of football.

To date, much like Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, he has refused to give a single interview with the media.

A source said: “He never puts his head above the parapet and he doesn’t get involved in the politics.

“He’s very, very quiet and doesn’t get involved in arguments.

“He’s been at the club for a long time and he joined when he was only a young lad.

“He likes to keep in the background and he doesn’t give interviews.”