"If the stories of people losing £30,000 at cards are true, then it is a lot of money," he told BBC Radio Five Live.
"When you see kids around the world who can't get anything to eat because they have no money, it is vulgar."
Charlton told the BBC that things were different in his day:
"In our day if Sir Matt thought the money you were playing for was too much, he would tell you," he said. "We used to enjoy playing. There was no stress and it was good fun. In those days we didn't have a lot of money and we only played for a few quid. People have to recognise that having to travel as regularly as footballers do is just so boring and one of the ways to get over this is to have a game of cards."
Who better to comment on St Michael’s fall from grace than someone who didn’t always live up to his ‘image’ .