JOE KINNEAR’S departure has left an executive vacuum at Newcastle United, but it increasingly looks as though the hole will be filled by an increase in the powers of club secretary Lee Charnley and finance director John Irving.

With no managing director following Derek Llambias’ exit last summer, and no director of football after Kinnear was removed from his position at the start of the week, there is a lack of boardroom leadership beneath Mike Ashley.

However, the owner’s lack of urgency to appoint a direct replacement for Kinnear underlines the extent of his faith in Charnley and Irving, both of whom have become increasingly prominent in the last 12 months.

Charnley has been taking the lead on transfer discussions since Llambias’ departure, and is seen as the key link between Ashley and his head of recruitment, chief scout Graham Carr.

The 36-year-old was handed a backroom role five years ago and has gradually become more influential, culminating in him leading the negotiations that resulted in Yohan Cabaye’s £20m departure to Paris St Germain last month.

Irving, who was educated at Dame Allans School in Newcastle before studying business, economics and finance at Loughborough University, was initially appointed as part of the financial team at St James’ Park.

He has risen to the position of finance director, and is now expected to assume a number of financial roles that would normally fall under the remit of a chairman or managing director.

Irving is expected to liaise closely with Ashley to determine the budget for the various departments at Newcastle, and will have a major say in future transfer discussions, especially when it comes to wage demands and bonuses.

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THE organisers of March’s IBF World Bantamweight title fight between Stuart Hall and Martin Ward looked at two potential venues in the North-East before settling on Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena.

The other venue under consideration is understood to have been Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, which has successfully hosted a number of boxing shows, promoted by Wearside promoter Phil Jeffries.

However, the difficulties involved in staging an outdoor show in the spring meant the indoor alternative of the Metro Radio Arena was always going to be a logistically easier option.

Plans are in place for a capacity of 5,000 for next month’s world-title fight, but if sales are strong, there is the option of increasing the crowd to around 8,000.

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A delegation from Sunderland travelled to Africa this week as part of the Black Cats’ partnership with Ghana Premier League champions Asante Kotoko.

Graham Robinson, Sunderland’s head of international football development, attended an update meeting with Asante Kotoko board members Kabral Blay Amihere and Frank Apageyi.

The partnership between Sunderland and Asante Kotoko has seen the two clubs share coaching methodologies via a series of coaches’ clinics.

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Football League clubs have called for the Government to review the rule that means stadiums in the Championship must be all-seater, but face opposition from Hillsborough campaigners.

A majority of the 72 clubs, who include Middlesbrough and Hartlepool United, have voted for League chiefs to approach the sports minister to ask for a review and that rail seating - where there is a safety barrier on every row and seats can be locked in an upright position - be permitted.

All-seater stadiums in the Championship and Premier League became law after the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, and Margaret Aspinall of the Hillsborough Family Support Group said they still opposed any reversion to standing areas.

She said: “We have listened carefully to the arguments but as far as the Hillsborough Family Support Group is concerned we had a vote on this and it was a unanimous vote that there is no such thing as safe standing. I do not understand why people want to go backwards after so many steps forward.”