Key Takeaways
- Tony Parkes, 76, worked at Blackburn Rovers from 1970 to 2004.
- He stepped in as caretaker boss six times and kept the club in the top flight in 1997.
- A tribute will be held when Blackburn host Leicester City on 2 May.
Blackburn Rovers are mourning Tony Parkes, who has died at the age of 76. The club called him “a true legend” in an emotional statement released on Monday.
Parkes first arrived at Ewood Park in 1970 for a fee of £5,000 from non-league Buxton. Over the next 34 years he filled many roles: player, coach, scout and caretaker manager. He was on the coaching staff when Blackburn shocked English football by lifting the Premier League trophy in 1995.
His most praised cameo as caretaker arrived in the 1996-97 campaign. After manager Ray Harford left, Parkes steadied the squad and guided them clear of relegation trouble. Supporters still sing about that great escape.
During his playing days Parkes helped Blackburn win the old Third Division title in 1975. Four years later, when the club slipped into the second tier, he was part of the group that won instant promotion back.
After leaving Blackburn in 2004, Parkes scouted for Leicester City and later assisted Simon Grayson at Blackpool, again taking temporary charge of the first team.
Blackburn will hold a minute’s applause before kick-off against Leicester on 2 May, their final home game of the season, so fans can salute the man known simply as “Mr Blackburn Rovers”.
