20 Years; 20 Players: No. 2 Chris Powell
No order to these, not even alphabetical but the next one of 20 players picked to commemorate my 20 years of Blogging is Chris Powell.
Loved by Southend fans, lauded by Derby County fans, he was signed by Curbs in the summer of 1998 after we won the play-off final for £850,000 and Powell was instrumental in helping us get back to the Premier League.
Then after well over 400 career games Sir Chris got picked by Sven-Göran Eriksson for an England friendly against Spain in December 2001. The first Addick to be capped by England since Mike Bailey in 1965.We all felt so proud.
There have been few players so loved down the years by Charlton fans. His trademark leap from the tunnel after games was always worth getting caught in traffic home for.
SCP left twice but both times came back and in his last season with us played 19 games and memorably scored only his 3rd goal for us in his last game at home to Coventry.
This series is about players not managers, so I won’t dwell on that, but he only added to his legend status in SE7 when he managed us with absolute grace.
I had the great pleasure once to spend 10 days with Chris and his beautiful wife and then young daughter in Sardinia after we met on the first night of both of our summer holiday staying in the same hotel.
He was generous and charming. The nicest and most genuine person, that we all got to know when he came back a fourth time to manage the club in 2011.
A couple of years after we met in Sardinia, my son was a mascot at a home game, and as I watched him from near the tunnel kicking a ball to Robbie Elliot, Chris made a beeline towards me and gave me a big hug. He then invited my son and I into the dressing after the game to see him and gave my son some signed stuff.
Powell was different class, on and off the pitch. Calmness personified. He was never flustered despite facing some of the countries best players at the time. He read the game very well, was deceivingly strong in a tackle, and quick and adventurous in attack.
One last memory of Sir Chris was his first game back at Derby after we signed him. I was in the away end and I’ve never seen an opposing player get such a long and rousing reception. He was just loved by everyone including me.
Appearances 270, Goals 3 (1998 – 2004, 2005 – 2006, 2007 – 2008)
Chicago Addick 
Top man, worthy of the title LEGEND.
Chris is a man of integrity and has very high expectations of honesty.Chris was shown the door because he refused to play sub standard foreign players in a league game as requested by the owner.
Chris is one of the most friendly and intelligent man I’ve had the pleasure to meet on many occasions.
even at a CAFC childrens Xmas party, he refused the limelight, pointing out it was for the kids. Told me he turned up to show respect to all involved at the club as our new manager. When he left for a contract to back up his position as Chairman of the PFA, he added he hoped to return one day – not even contemplating he would as our manager a few months later.
Chris Powell is worthy of inclusion in your top 20 on so many levels, as a player he was excellent, he clearly looked after himself and worked hard to make himself the best player he could ever be and as a manager he was one of the best we had. Then you have his personal characteristics.
Don’t forget he also ran the London marathon for a prostrate cancer charity.
How I love this man. I would still elope with him. That smile, that personality, the skills, and that vest. I was there too at Derby that day and it gave me goosebumps. I will never, ever forgive that stupid Belgian for the way he treated him. I still live in hope that he will come back to us one day.
The vest 😂
Hey LP. You’d have to fight me for him 🥊