Key Takeaways
- Tony Parkes, midfielder and later coach, spent 34 years at Blackburn Rovers.
- He played 409 games and later stepped in as caretaker boss six separate times.
- Parkes battled Alzheimer’s disease after retiring from football in 2008.
Blackburn Rovers have announced the death of Tony Parkes at the age of 76. The midfielder turned coach was a constant presence at Ewood Park from 1970 until 2004.
Parkes arrived from non-league Buxton and soon became the engine of the team. He scored 46 goals in 409 matches and lifted the old Third Division trophy in 1975. After hanging up his boots in 1982 he moved straight on to the training staff, working under 16 different managers.
When Kenny Dalglish led Rovers to the 1994-95 Premier League crown, Parkes was on the bench as a key coach. He also took temporary charge of the side on six occasions, steadying the ship when bosses left. His most important rescue act came in 1996-97; he guided the club away from the relegation zone after Ray Harford’s departure.
Parkes left Blackburn in November 2004 and later scouted for Leicester City before assisting Simon Grayson at Blackpool, where he once again finished a season as caretaker manager.
In 2020 doctors confirmed he was living with Alzheimer’s disease. His daughter Natalie confirmed he passed away on Wednesday.
Blackburn will honour Parkes before their final Championship match of the season against Leicester City on 2 May. Former striker Alan Shearer paid tribute online, writing: “RIP Tony. A great man.”
