Former Newcastle United managing director Lee Charnley has found himself in a spot of bother with the law.
Charnley was never a popular figure on Tyneside as he was seen as Mike Ashley’s puppet, doing the dirty work Ashley didn’t want to take the blame for – not that it worked out that way for him.
As far as Mike Ashley appointees go, he’s probably not the top of the most-hated list, not when there’s the likes of Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez to contend with, but Charnley certainly wasn’t popular.
According to a report today in Newcastle World, the 48-year-old, who oversaw the transition following the takeover in 2021 before parting ways with the club, has been handed a six-month driving suspension for driving while using his phone.
Charnley, who still lives in Gosforth, was caught using his phone on Kenton Road in Newcastle back in February last year, but after pleading not guilty in a court hearing in November, his trial didn’t start until this week.
As his trial got underway, Charnley changed his plea to guilty and received six penalty points on his licence, which resulted in disqualification as it was believed he already had six points prior to this offence.
On top of his ban, he was hit with the maximum fine, although for someone with Charnley’s income, he’ll probably not even notice it’s gone when he’s paid it.
If you’re a taxi/Uber driver operating in Newcastle, you may soon be getting calls from Lee Charnley. Won’t that be nice?
Also, can anyone else believe he’s only 48? None of this story was particularly shocking, except the reveal of his age.
What he’s up to on a regular basis these days is not clear, although he did enjoy a brief stint with Nottingham Forest shortly after his time at Newcastle came to an end in 2021.