Christopher Mort is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

and former chairman of

Newcastle United Football Club Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Since the formation of the club in 1881 ...

Biography

Mort is a lawyer for

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Freshfields LLP (formerly Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, or FBD) is a British multinational law firm headquartered in London, England, and a member of the so-called " Magic Circle". The firm has 28 offices in 17 jurisdictions across Asia, Europ ...

, where he is head of their sports and gaming practice. Mort worked for Mike Ashley on his takeover of

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...

, and took over as chairman of the club on 24 July 2007. Mort sacked manager

Sam Allardyce Samuel Allardyce (born 19 October 1954) is an English football manager and former professional player. Allardyce made 578 league and cup appearances in a 21-year career spent mostly in the Football League, as well as brief spells in the North ...

and appointed

Kevin Keegan Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. Nicknamed "King Kev" or "Mighty Mouse", Keegan was recognised for his dribbling ability, as well as his finishing and presence in the air, and is regard ...

as his successor in January 2008. Mort set up the Newcastle United Foundation to lead on the club's charitable work in the north-east and rebuilt the club's relationship with children and families. He left the club in June 2008 and was replaced by

Derek Llambias Derek David Llambias (born February 1957) is an English businessman. His career in the entertainment, bread and leisure industry stretches back more than 31 years, most recently as managing director of the exclusive Fifty Club in London. Newcas ...

in the role of managing director. Mort was linked by the media with a return to Newcastle after being spotted at several games. It was claimed, in January 2020, that he had been asked by

Amanda Staveley Amanda Louise Staveley (born 11 April 1973) is a British business executive. She is notable chiefly for her connections with Middle Eastern investors. She helped lead the Saudi consortium take over of Newcastle United. A deal that was comple ...

to lead negotiations in connection with a possible Saudi-backed takeover of the club.

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Newcastle United F.C. directors and chairmen {{UK-business-bio-stub