Ex- Latics manager Iain Dowie has parted company with Charlton Athletic after just 12 Premiership matches. Charlton have only won two league games and after Saturday's 3-2 loss at Wigan, are bottom of the league with just eight points. Dowie becomes the first Premiership manager to lose his job this season. He signed a three year deal when he took over from Alan Curbishley and has since spent almost £10m. on new players. Dowie has received a surprise vote of confidence from Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan. When Dowie moved from Palace to the Valley, Jordan decided to take his former manager to court and is still in the process of doing so. Jordan commented, "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 seasons, whilst we ultimately failed, Iain was a very stong leader and there's no doubt he's a great coach. 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 took the Latics to the then Division Two play-offs in 2003 before he moved to Palace after the Latics had substantial financial troubles which were previously well documented. Many Latics fans though that Dowie turned his back on Oldham after giving his now famous "I'm going nowhere - Go hard or go home" statement to the fans. After that, he left Athletic, a decision that compelled many Latics fans to label him a "Judas".