Hundreds of Charlton Athletic football fans are heading across the Channel to join a protest with disgruntled supporters of a Belgian club also upset with how their team is being run.

Around 200 Charlton fans are heading to Belgium on March 4 to protest with fans of Sint-Truiden, in Limburgthe in the Flemish region of the coutnry, for a rally and march through the town.

The demonstration will be the largest ever held by Addicks supporters against their club boss.

Charlton and Sint-Truiden are both run by Roland Duchatelet and both sets of fans are unhappy at the way their clubs are being run by the millionaire.

Supporters of both clubs are urging Duchatelet to be more competitive or sell up.

The south London club's chief executive is fellow Belgian lawyer Katrien Meire who has also been the target of criticism by fans.

Supporters have been given permission to protest by the Belgian authorities, with at least 200 Addicks set to make the 262-mile journey.

The decision to allow the protest was announced in the local newspaper Het Belang van Limburg on Tuesday and follows liaison with the Met Police in London.

Duchatelet claimed the protesters, whose numbers have run into several thousand at The Valley, are “a few hot heads who previously worked directly or indirectly for the club and who were shown the door due to their rebellious and rowdy attitude”.

He added: “They also don't like the fact that I give [chief executive] Katrien Meire my support.”

A spokesman for Charlton protest group CARD (Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet) said: “We are pleased that the local authorities have recognised our right to protest in Sint-Truiden and will now work with them on the details to ensure that this a safe but effective demonstration. We are also grateful to the Met for their help.

“Duchatelet’s insistence that the protests are the work of a few dismissed former staff is self-evidently ludicrous, both in terms of the numbers demonstrating against him and the diverse range of people in CARD, Women Against the Regime and in other groups involved in the Sint-Truiden initiative, like the Belgium 20.

“People are protesting because they are passionate about Charlton and angry at the long-term damage being done to the club under his ownership and Katrien Meire’s management.

“Everybody involved is a Charlton fan of many years' standing and none has ever been sacked by the club due to their rebellious and rowdy attitude."

Fans planning to travel to Belgium will leaflet the crowd at tonight’s Charlton home match against Oxford United to encourage other supporters to join them.