Gary Parkinson
Encyclopedia
Gary Parkinson is a retired England|English footballer who played as a right-back
.
In 2006 he was appointed Head of Youth at his former club Blackpool
, a role he occupied until he suffered a severe stroke in September 2010.
in 1985 before signing for Middlesbrough
, who were then in the Second Division
, on 17 January 1986, although they were relegated at the end of the season to the Third Division. Parkinson's first team debut came in the following season on 23 August 1986 in a 2–2 home draw against Port Vale
which was played at Victoria Park, Hartlepool
. With Middlesbrough on the verge of extinction, the official receiver had locked the club out of Ayresome Park
. However, they went on to win promotion as runners-up under Bruce Rioch
's management. In the 1987–88 Middlesbrough won a second promotion in two years, winning a promotion/relegation play-off against Chelsea
after finishing in third place in the Second Division. Chelsea were then replace by Middlesbrough in the First Division
. The following season though he was relegated with Middlesbrough back to the Second Division. In the 1989–90 season he played in the Full Members Cup
final (then known as the Zenith Data Systems
Cup) as Middlesbrough lost 1–0 to Chelsea at Wembley. He was part of the team that won promotion again, finishing as Second Division runner-up in the 1991–92 season. The folling season, he was a member of the Middlesbrough squad in the inaugural Premier League season as Middlesbrough once again lasted just one season in the top flight and were relegated.
In October 1992 he spent a short time on loan with Southend United
who were then in the First Division
. He made a total of 265 appearances in all competitions and scored eight league goals while at Middlesbrough.
, who were then in the Second Division, and who promoted at the end of the season. However, Parkinson made only three league appearances for them, with just one start after failing to displace the long serving Phil Brown. He was transfer listed by Rioch along with three other first team players in September 1993
the following season on 27 January 1994. Burnley were promoted to the First Division through the play-offs at the end of the season. They beat Stockport County
in the play-off final at Wembley, with Parkinson scoring the crucial winning goal that sealed their promotion. Burnley were though relegated the following season. On 18 November 1995 in a 3–1 defeat against Shrewsbury Town
at Gay Meadow
Parkinson tore a hamstring and was out of action until the new year.
rivals Preston North End
for £50,000. He became a regular in the team, but 18 months later he injured his cruciate ligament and needed an operation which kept him out of action for twelve months. He had made just one league appearance in the 1998–99 season and missed Prestons promotion as Second Division champions in the 1999–2000 season. He returned to action the following seasons as the club played their first season back in the second tier of English football for the first time in twenty years under manager David Moyes
, with a return to action coming in December 1999.
rivals Blackpool
, then playing in the Third Division
, for a fee of £20,000. He made 24 league appearances for the Seasiders winning promotion to the Second Division through the play-offs in the 2000–01 season
, the fifth promotion win of his career. He was released at the end of the 2001–02 season and went on to play part-time with Northern Premier League
(NPL) club Stalybridge Celtic
on 17 August 2002. However, his stay lasted just two weeks, playing in four matches before leaving on 30 August. He also played part-time with fellow NPL club Rossendale United
, who he signed for on 11 February 2003.
2–0 at Bloomfield Road
.
at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, scoring two goals. He appeared again for Middlesbrough in the 2004 Northern Masters.
Burnley
Blackpool
He suffered a stroke
on 6 September 2010. And after being admitted to Royal Bolton
hospital, he was transferred to Salford Royal hospital two days later.
Five days later, the Blackpool team, who all wore undershirts with messages of support for Parkinson, dedicated their 2–0 win at Newcastle United
to Parkinson. On 18 September it was confirmed that he might have locked-in syndrome
, one of the severest forms of stroke.
He is now back at Royal Bolton, where he has been reviewed by a neuro-rehabilitation specialist.
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
.
In 2006 he was appointed Head of Youth at his former club Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, a role he occupied until he suffered a severe stroke in September 2010.
Early career: Everton and Middlesbrough
Thornaby-born Parkinson started his career as a junior at EvertonEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in 1985 before signing for Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, who were then in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, on 17 January 1986, although they were relegated at the end of the season to the Third Division. Parkinson's first team debut came in the following season on 23 August 1986 in a 2–2 home draw against Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
which was played at Victoria Park, Hartlepool
Victoria Park, Hartlepool
Victoria Park is a 7,856 capacity football ground in Hartlepool, County Durham, England and it is the home of Hartlepool United.The four sides of the ground are known as the Town End Terrace , the Niramax Stand , the Cyril Knowles Stand and the Rink End Victoria Park is a 7,856 capacity football...
. With Middlesbrough on the verge of extinction, the official receiver had locked the club out of Ayresome Park
Ayresome Park
-External links:**-References:...
. However, they went on to win promotion as runners-up under Bruce Rioch
Bruce Rioch
Bruce David Rioch is an English-born football manager and former player. He was manager of Aalborg BK in the Danish Superliga, until his sacking on 23 October 2008....
's management. In the 1987–88 Middlesbrough won a second promotion in two years, winning a promotion/relegation play-off against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
after finishing in third place in the Second Division. Chelsea were then replace by Middlesbrough in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. The following season though he was relegated with Middlesbrough back to the Second Division. In the 1989–90 season he played in the Full Members Cup
Full Members Cup
The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
final (then known as the Zenith Data Systems
Zenith Data Systems
Zenith Data Systems was a division of Zenith founded in 1979 after Zenith acquired Heathkit, which had, in 1977, entered the personal computer market. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Zenith sold personal computers under both the Heath/Zenith and Zenith Data Systems names...
Cup) as Middlesbrough lost 1–0 to Chelsea at Wembley. He was part of the team that won promotion again, finishing as Second Division runner-up in the 1991–92 season. The folling season, he was a member of the Middlesbrough squad in the inaugural Premier League season as Middlesbrough once again lasted just one season in the top flight and were relegated.
In October 1992 he spent a short time on loan with Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
who were then in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. He made a total of 265 appearances in all competitions and scored eight league goals while at Middlesbrough.
Bolton Wanderers
Later that season, he followed former Middlesbrough manager Bruce Rioch, when on on 2 March 1993 Rioch signed him on a free transfer for Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, who were then in the Second Division, and who promoted at the end of the season. However, Parkinson made only three league appearances for them, with just one start after failing to displace the long serving Phil Brown. He was transfer listed by Rioch along with three other first team players in September 1993
Burnley
He signed for Second Division club BurnleyBurnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
the following season on 27 January 1994. Burnley were promoted to the First Division through the play-offs at the end of the season. They beat Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
in the play-off final at Wembley, with Parkinson scoring the crucial winning goal that sealed their promotion. Burnley were though relegated the following season. On 18 November 1995 in a 3–1 defeat against Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
at Gay Meadow
Gay Meadow
The Gay Meadow is the former home ground of Shrewsbury Town FC, a football club in England. It was situated just outside the town centre of Shrewsbury, on the banks of the River Severn and it opened in August 1910....
Parkinson tore a hamstring and was out of action until the new year.
Preston North End
On the eve of the 1997–98 season he signed for Burnley's LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
rivals Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
for £50,000. He became a regular in the team, but 18 months later he injured his cruciate ligament and needed an operation which kept him out of action for twelve months. He had made just one league appearance in the 1998–99 season and missed Prestons promotion as Second Division champions in the 1999–2000 season. He returned to action the following seasons as the club played their first season back in the second tier of English football for the first time in twenty years under manager David Moyes
David Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...
, with a return to action coming in December 1999.
Blackpool
On 22 March 2001 he signed for Preston's West LancashireWest Lancashire derby
The West Lancashire derby is a local derby in English football, between Lancashire neighbours Blackpool F.C. and Preston North End F.C. The derby has taken place across all four tiers of the Football League, but not yet in the Premier League...
rivals Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, then playing in the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
, for a fee of £20,000. He made 24 league appearances for the Seasiders winning promotion to the Second Division through the play-offs in the 2000–01 season
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
, the fifth promotion win of his career. He was released at the end of the 2001–02 season and went on to play part-time with Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
(NPL) club Stalybridge Celtic
Stalybridge Celtic F.C.
Stalybridge Celtic are an English full time professional football club from Stalybridge, Greater Manchester in North West England. The club, which plays its home matches at Bower Fold, is currently in the Conference North in the sixth tier of the English football league system...
on 17 August 2002. However, his stay lasted just two weeks, playing in four matches before leaving on 30 August. He also played part-time with fellow NPL club Rossendale United
Rossendale United F.C.
Rossendale United F.C. was an English football club based in Newchurch, near Rawtenstall, Lancashire. The club was formed in 1898 but was expelled from the North West Counties League Premier Division on 18 June 2011....
, who he signed for on 11 February 2003.
Coaching career
After retiring from playing football Parkinson studied for his UEFA coaching badges, and also worked for an organisation called SpeedMark, who employ ex-pro footballers to help schools raise money through football. Parkinson left SpeedMark in June 2006 to become the Head of the Youth Department at Blackpool, in charge of all youth team affairs. The youth team compete in the Football League Youth Alliance, North West Conference. In the 2007–08 season he won the Lancashire FA Youth Cup with Blackpool on 28 April 2008 when they beat Wigan AthleticWigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
2–0 at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
.
Return to football
In November 2011 it was announced that, despite being paralysed as a complication of the stroke he suffered in 2010, Gary Parkinson is to perform a scout's role for former club, and his first professional side, Middlesbrough. He does this by watching DVDs of players from his bed, and then communicating his analysis to his wife by blinking.Masters football
In June 2003 Parkinson played for Middlesbrough in the annual Northern Masters football tournamentMasters Football
Masters football is a 6 a-side indoor football competition in the United Kingdom, where players over the age of 35 are chosen by the Masters Football Selection Committee to represent a senior club which they played for. Regional heats are held, and the winners of each go forward to a national...
at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, scoring two goals. He appeared again for Middlesbrough in the 2004 Northern Masters.
As a player
Middlesbrough- Zenith Data Systems CupFull Members CupThe Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
Runner up: 1989/90
Burnley
- Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
play-off winner: 1993–94
Blackpool
- Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
play-off Winner: 2000–012000-01 in English footballThe 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons... - League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
winner: 2001–022001-02 in English footballThe 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
As a coach
Blackpool- Lancashire FA Youth Cup winner: 2007–08
Personal life
Parkinson has three children with his wife, Debbie.He suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on 6 September 2010. And after being admitted to Royal Bolton
Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is based in the town of Farnworth in Greater Manchester . It provides NHS health care services for the people in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton and surrounding areas...
hospital, he was transferred to Salford Royal hospital two days later.
Five days later, the Blackpool team, who all wore undershirts with messages of support for Parkinson, dedicated their 2–0 win at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
to Parkinson. On 18 September it was confirmed that he might have locked-in syndrome
Locked-In syndrome
Locked-in syndrome is a condition in which a patient is aware and awake but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for the eyes. Total locked-in syndrome is a version of locked-in syndrome where the eyes are paralyzed as...
, one of the severest forms of stroke.
He is now back at Royal Bolton, where he has been reviewed by a neuro-rehabilitation specialist.
External links
- Parky's official website
- Gary Parkinson profile at blackpoolfc.co.uk