Charlton Athletic: Former boss Chris Powell has sympathy for protesting fans

Chris Powell was Charlton manager between January 2011 and March 2014

Former Charlton boss Chris Powell says fans deserve to know what owner Roland Duchatelet has planned for the club.

Addicks supporters have staged a series of protests aimed at the Belgian businessman in recent months, prompting a statement claiming some fans "want the club to fail".

"Whether you like protests or not, the fans feel they need to be heard," Powell told BBC Radio London.

"They want answers and, quite clearly, they are not getting them."

Some Charlton fans have formed a campaigning group called CARD (Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet) which is calling for the the Belgian to sell the club.

Several protests took place at their last home match against Middlesbrough including a mock funeral, beach balls being thrown onto the pitch to halt the game and a walk-out by supporters in the second half.

Last month Duchatelet, who has a network of clubs around Europe, told the South London Press he has "empathy" for the fans, but was not prepared to sell.

Powell had three stints as a player at The Valley and was manager when Duchatelet took over the club in January 2014 - only to be dismissed in March that year.

"They made the statement last week which I don't think any supporter could understand," Powell, 46, added.

"It quite clearly shows there is no synergy between the owners, the higher management and the fans.

"I don't know what will happen. I'm sure many thousands of Charlton fans would like that question to be answered.

"The only person who can answer that question in Roland Duchatelet - but he hasn't. I think it is right for him to say 'This is my plan for your football club.'"

Charlton fans held a mock funeral for the club ahead of the home game against Middlesbrough earlier this month

Supporters threw beach balls onto the pitch shortly after the start of the match, forcing play to be halted temporarily