Chris Powell
A steady, principled left-back whose journey from non-league football to England caps evolved into a respected coaching career advocating for diversity.
Born 1969 (age 57)·English footballer and manager·Birthday: September 8·Generation X
Biography
Chris Powell's story is a testament to persistence and character in English football. His professional breakthrough came late, after years in the non-league system with clubs like Crystal Palace and Aldershot, before finding his feet at Southend United. His intelligent, attacking play from left-back truly flourished at Derby County, where he won promotion to the Premier League and earned the first of his five England caps, becoming a rare player called up from the second tier. A beloved figure at Charlton Athletic, he captained the side and later returned as manager, guiding them to the League One title. Beyond tactics, Powell has been a vocal and influential figure off the pitch, serving as a chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association and as the Football Association's first-ever inclusion advisory board chairman, working to tackle racism and increase diversity in the game.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Chris was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned five caps for the England national team while playing for Derby County in the First Division.
- Managed Charlton Athletic to the Football League One title in 2012, securing promotion to the Championship.
- Appointed as the first chairman of the Football Association's Inclusion Advisory Board in 2013.
- Served as chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, representing player interests.
Did You Know?
He is a trained clarinet player and once considered a career in music.
He made his England debut under manager Sven-Göran Eriksson in 2001 at the age of 31.
He played over 100 league games for three different clubs: Southend United, Derby County, and Charlton Athletic.
He had a brief acting role in the 1997 film 'The Fifth Element' as a football player.
“You earn respect on the training ground long before the match.”
