'Honorary Mackem' and SAFC chair Kyril Louis-Dreyfus officially welcomed to Sunderland
and live on Freeview channel 276
The event was organised by former Sunderland City councillor Les Scott, with BBC Look North’s Jeff Brown hosting. A Q&A session was also held, featuring 1973 FA Cup winners Jimmy Montgomery and Ritchie Pitt, who sat alongside SAFC club historian Rob Mason.
Also among the 90 guests were former chairman Sir Bob Murray, Mayor of Sunderland Cllr Harry Trueman and Sunderland MPs Sharon Hodgson, Julie Elliott and Bridget Phillipson.
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Hide AdSunderland-born Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and representatives of Wearside’s business community also attended.
Entertainment was provided by Marty Longstaff, aka The Lake Poets, and magician Paul Lytton.
A welcome speech by Cllr Trueman highlighted the important relationship between city and club and, using his mayoral “authority”, declared Mr Louis-Dreyfus and his board “honorary Mackems.”
Les Scott added: “Huge thanks to everyone who came along to welcome Kyril and support the Foundation. It was a great night and I hope Kyril learned a lot about the city and what we’re about.”
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Hide AdZurich-born Mr Louis-Dreyfus was presented with a print of an LS Lowry painting. He has been in charge at the club since February 2021. At 24 he is the youngest chair in English football.
In 2021 his mother, Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, majority owner of agricultural commodities giant Louis-Dreyfus, was reported by Forbes as having a $3.3billion fortune.