LIVID Charlton fans have shown football bosses the red card for the "shambles" which forced them into a wasted 600-mile journey.

More than 500 Addicks' fans travelled to watch their team play Newcastle United only for the match to be postponed minutes before kick-off.

Now the supporters who made the 15-and-a-half-hour round trip have hit out at the Football Association (FA), claiming it is treating them "like mugs".

Referee Mike Dean had passed the pitch at St James' Park fit to play, despite heavy snow before the Premiership clash.

But with kick-off just 20 minutes away Newcastle's safety officer decided to call the game off, because of concerns about supporter safety.

Betty Hutchins, who spent £28 on a ticket and £12 on coach travel, was one of those left stranded.

She left her home, in Humber Road, Dartford, at 11am and arrived home at 2.30am the following morning without seeing a ball kicked.

Mrs Hutchins, who has supported Charlton for 40 years, said: "It is a joke the FA are making us go up there at this time of year.

"Why can't we have local games?

"There were kids on the coach who had never been to Newcastle and were looking forward to seeing their heroes. It's so sad.

"The fans are being treated like mugs. It's absolutely disgusting."

Vince Nieszwiec, who spent around £200 on hotels, train travel and match tickets, said: "It is an absolute shambles.

"The FA really needs to look at this. We had to travel 300 miles to Newcastle, then another 200 miles to Everton over Christmas. It is not on."

Mr Nieszwiec, 46, is now writing to the FA, demanding it changes its fixture policy.

Charlton chief executive Peter Varney is also unhappy, describing the situation as "absolutely diabolical".

The FA says all fixtures are decided before the season by a computer, and added it is not possible to avoid some long-distance fixtures at this time of year.