Soccer: Charlton part company with Dowie

credit: www.bbc.co.uk

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Charlton have announced that manager Iain Dowie has left the club.
The 41-year-old has only been in charge for 12 Premiership games after replacing long-standing boss Alan Curbishley in the summer.

But the Addicks have only won two league matches and following a 3-2 defeat at Wigan on Saturday are bottom of the table with eight points.

The former Crystal Palace boss did lead Charlton into the Carling Cup quarter-finals last week.

The club said on their website that they would make a full statement on Tuesday morning.

Dowie, the first Premiership manager to lose his job this season, signed a three-year deal with the Addicks in May.

He spent almost £10m on new players but the team have struggled at both ends of the pitch.

England striker Darren Bent is the only player to have scored more than one league goal this season, while the defence has only kept one clean sheet.

Dowie received a surprise vote of confidence from Palace chairman Simon Jordan, who is taking his former manager to court over his controversial summer move to The Valley.

"Despite my personal differences with Iain, on a profesional level, at times, Iain was quite inspirational.

"In the season we got promoted he was a tremendous leader and in the following two seaons, whilst we ultimately failed, Iain was a very stong leader and there's no doubt he's a great coach," he told BBC Five Live.

"I think parting company with someone after 12 games is very early and is not what support is about - support is about supporting people in adversity, unless they are really going the wrong way."

Dowie, a former Northern Ireland international who enjoyed spells at West Ham, Southampton and Palace, took his first steps into management at Oldham.

He led them to the Division Two (now League One) play-offs in 2003 before moving to Palace in 2003.

The London club were languishing in 19th in Division One but a sensational run of form saw them reach the end-of-season play-offs and earn promotion to the Premiership.

They very nearly survived their promotion season but were relegated on a dramatic final day following a 2-2 draw at Charlton.

They reached the play-offs again last season but lost in the semi-finals to Watford, less than two weeks before Dowie's acrimonious departure.