Harrogate lawyer appointed interim chair of FA

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Peter McCormick, whose firm McCormicks Solicitors is based at East Parade in Harrogate, was named interim chairman in an official statement by the Football Association following the resignation of Greg Clarke after he admitted using "unacceptable language" when referring to black footballers.

The FA statement said: "We can confirm that Greg Clarke has stepped down from his role as our chairman.

"Peter McCormick will step into the role as interim FA chairman with immediate effect and the FA Board will begin the process of identifying and appointing a new chair in due course."

Mr McCormick is the Senior Partner of McCormicks Solicitors of Harrogate and has a long career as a leading Sports lawyer.

He is also Chairman of the Football Board and Chairman of the Legal Advisory Group of the Premier League, both Executive positions, and a Director of the FA, representing the Premier League.

In 2014 he was appointed Chairman of the Premier League and served in that role for 15 months, prior to Richard Scudamore’s combined appointment as Executive Chairman and CEO.

Mr McCormick is an internationally recognised expert in Sports and Media/Entertainment law and is ranked by the leading guides to the legal profession as one of the top sports lawyers in the UK.

Mr McCormick said: “Despite the unfortunate circumstance which have led to my election, it is a great honour to have been chosen to lead the FA and an even greater privilege to become the first person to chair both the Premier League and the FA.”

On resigning, Mr Clarke has said he was "deeply saddened" for the offence he had caused by using the term "coloured footballers" while talking about the racist abuse of players by trolls on social media to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee via video link.

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