Charlton fans are still coming to terms with Chris Powell’s dismissal earlier this week. News Shopper reporter THEO LEE RAY hit the streets in SE7 ahead of last night’s game with Huddersfield to find out what they had to say on the controversial sacking.

James Uings, 20, Kent

News Shopper:

I was very surprised and I think it’s a really bad decision half way through the season. The job he has done with the budget he has got there was no way he could have done any better than he did.

At the end of the day Charlton are the owner’s bit on the side. If we go down we will become a feeder club for Standard Liege but if we stay up you never know what is going to happen?

The new manager will just play the players the owner wants him to. I accepted relegation when Powell was sacked.

Neil Shaw, 56, Erith

News Shopper:

They were right to sack Powell due to the performances this year.

I don’t think they’ve been up to it and I don’t think he was man enough to keep up with it.

You’ve got to be happy with the way the owner has come in and dealt with the club because he has got the guts to do it.

I’ve felt they should sack Powell since Christmas. Everyone loves him but that is just the way it is – we’ve got to try and crack on and move up this division and that wasn’t happening. Of course I hope we survive but I can’t see it. 

Alan Hildrew, 67, London

News Shopper: Most Charlton supporters are really sad. Powell has been a great servant to the club as a player and a manager.

He took us up from League One and hasn’t had much to spend so people are puzzled by what’s going on.

I’m not very happy with the idea of us becoming a feeder club for Standard Liege if that’s what he’s got in mind.

The situation was impossible for Powell to carry on. Is this still the Charlton I have been supporting since I was five years old? I don’t think it is behaving like that same club I’ve been coming to all these years.

John Letchford, 81, Dartford

News Shopper: I want to thank Powell very much for what he has done but we have got to look forward.

If I owned the club he wouldn’t have stayed as long as he did, you can’t lose ten games on the trot as a manager.

I have been coming to The Valley for 67 years and I have seen the good days and the bad days and it seems doubtful we will get the good days back under this ownership though.

We have been looking for a striker all season long and we haven’t got one. We’ve got players out there running around like headless chickens.

Clive Brown, 58, London

News Shopper:

Everyone is upset and disappointed that Powell has been sacked, he’s a legend at the club.

We’re bottom of the league but considering what little support he had I think did reasonably well.

We’ll have to see if the new manager does any better but I wouldn’t have thought so. The owners sold any players they could get money for and brought in players that weren’t good enough to play for their own club.

It’s just really sad that Powell has gone because this is his club. He has been a great player and a great manager and I wish him all the best for the future.