Charlton Athletic have sacked manager Ben Garner after just six months in charge with the club sitting 17th in League One.

The south London side have won just five of their 20 matches so far this season, and club owner Thomas Sandgaard said recent form had left the club in a situation where they “had to act”.

Garner joined Charlton in the summer after steering Swindon Town into the League Two play-offs last season. He is the fourth manager to leave his job in the division this season after Liam Rosenior – now Hull City boss – lost his interim position at Derby County while Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink resigned as manager of Burton Albion in September with the club bottom of the table.

There has also been a managerial change at Exeter City this term after Matt Taylor headed to Rotherham United to replace Paul Warne.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 05: Manager of Charlton Athletic, Ben Garner catches the ball during the Emirates FA Cup First Round match between Charlton Athletic and Coalville Town at The Valley on November 05, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)

Sandgaard said of the decision to sack Garner: “We would like to thank Ben for his hard work and commitment to the job. In his time at Charlton the club have achieved some stand-out results, including big wins against some of the better teams in this league.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to sustain a consistency of results and our league position and recent form have left us in a situation where we had to act to give ourselves the best opportunity to get the most from this season as well as building a positive and winning environment for future years. We wish Ben the best for the future. Our search for a new manager has begun.”

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