How good/bad was Phil Parkinson?

[marcusopp]

Club legend.
The side of the early 90's was so well balanced.
He was in center midfield with either Mick Gooding or Kevin Dillon. None of the three ever threatened to score a goal, that was left to Quinn and Lovell, with Williams and Gilkes chipping in with a few.
That side; Hislop; Bernal, Kerr, Williams, McPherson; Taylor, Gilkes, Parkinson, Dillon/Gooding; Quinn, Lovell was so well balanced. Everyone knew their job and did it well.
He probably earned a few hundred quid a week, so wasn't a total cnut like the modern day players.
The last few managerial changes i was a bit disappointed we didn't appoint Parky, but i'm happy with Clarke.
It would be a risky appointment from his point of view too. Those fans old enough remember him steaming into challenges 30:70 against, but emerging with the ball. He'd have played with one leg if he had to! Would he risk that memory to be booed by some 17 year old who thinks we should be splashing out millions on players to get into the champions league?

[wiggso]

I'm not sure how many programs I have with his autograph on. Always the 1st to come over to the Southbank and sign a few programs for the fans. It got to the point that I was bored of having his autograph and really wanted Shaka to come over, he never did, kids don't appreciate these things.
My all time favourite player.

[melonhead]

especially as he seems more popular now, than he ever was when he was actually playing for us.

wtf?

and as for kebe....fukk you. was little, but with pace

[Forbury Lion]

Parky played under Burns

during which time he was almost sold to Laurie Sanchez's Wycombe Wanderers IIRC as Burns tried to shuffle the pack.

[Ian Royal]

I'd put Parky in the second tier of Legends, along with the likes of Adie, Shaka and Gilkes.

Death, Friday, Ron Blackman, and Senior all top tier, none of whom I saw play.

106ers make it in to the top tier as a collective, not individuals for me.


But that's just my view.

[Memories Of India]

On a personal note, Phil also supported HNA? Supporter nights, coming along to functions and the like

I read this and immediately thought of you and L******* "Martin" H***s, staring at him like a right pair of fanboys.

There's a picture that I've seen posted on here of ^^^^^^ and and a slightly worried looking Parky at one such event. Never fails to make me LOL out loud.

[Memories Of India]

Parky.....I never saw him

Yeah?

Death, Friday, Ron Blackman, and Senior all top tier, none of whom I saw play.

Right.

I'd put Parky in the second tier of Legends, along with the likes of Adie, Shaka and Gilkes.

Drop dead mate, and while you're doing it, fuck off.

[Royal Rother]

Drop dead mate, and while you're doing it, fuck off.

Oh dear. How sad.

Ultra loyal and completely whole-hearted which is all you could ask of someone who was, if truth be told, a fairly limited clogger.

[leon]

Drop dead mate, and while you're doing it, fuck off.

Oh dear. How sad.

Ultra loyal and completely whole-hearted which is all you could ask of someone who was, if truth be told, a fairly limited clogger.

well we can't all play for arsenal or some shit non league side, after all.

oh and a hearty +1 to MoI's blunt dismissal of Ian Royal. If you never saw the player then don't tell us what you think because your opinion is worthless.

[Royal Rother]

It was a made up / mischievously edited quote by MOI. Sad you fell for it.

The lowest most pathetic small-minded attempt at point-scoring on a board.

To then follow it up with a FOAD message is frankly the lowest of the low.

[Ian Royal]

Parky.....I never saw him

Yeah?

Death, Friday, Ron Blackman, and Senior all top tier, none of whom I saw play.

Right.

I'd put Parky in the second tier of Legends, along with the likes of Adie, Shaka and Gilkes.

Drop dead mate, and while you're doing it, fuck off.

not sure where you've pulled a quote of me saying I'd never seen parky. I saw him play loads.

[leon]

It was a made up / mischievously edited quote by MOI. Sad you fell for it.

The lowest most pathetic small-minded attempt at point-scoring on a board.

To then follow it up with a FOAD message is frankly the lowest of the low.

ha ha - the saddest thing is that it was plausible

[Ian Royal]

Not really you massive bell.

[Winston Smith]

Club legend.
The side of the early 90's was so well balanced.
He was in center midfield with either Mick Gooding or Kevin Dillon. None of the three ever threatened to score a goal, that was left to Quinn and Lovell, with Williams and Gilkes chipping in with a few.
That side; Hislop; Bernal, Kerr, Williams, McPherson; Taylor, Gilkes, Parkinson, Dillon/Gooding; Quinn, Lovell was so well balanced. Everyone knew their job and did it well.

I am being picky but was that ever actually a team? I think you have mixed up 2 seasons teams there.

Bernal joined us for the 94/95 season by which point McPherson's appearances were very minimal as Wdowczyk (best centre back I have ever seen play for us) was our main man at the back alongside Williams, Jeff Hopkins was the standard substitute centre back if either of them were out. Gooding's appearances were also somewhat limited in 94/95 as Osborn was our star centre midfielder alongside Parkinson.

[Lacoste]

Every team needs artists and soldiers. He was a soldier and would have run up the beeches of Normandy for our club.

We'll stuff Bradford but he'll be back here as manager one day. He's not a quick fix and takes a bit of time to build a winning team that's why he failed at Hull and Charltonv he builds long lasting results over a period of time.

Definitely legend.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Agree legend in view of service and was a key player for a while particularly in the McGhee team when he added steel to our midfield which we needed then but basically a tier 3 player and a tier 3 manager.

I cannot remember him being a regular when we were in tier 2 in the late 90's - certainly not in the side which got to the play offs - we played a 532 system with Taylor, Osborn and Gooding being the midfield 3 and Gilkes and Bernal as wing backs.

[leon]

Not really you massive bell.

Like I said. Plausible. Very.

[harry]

Agree legend in view of service and was a key player for a while particularly in the McGhee team when he added steel to our midfield which we needed then but basically a tier 3 player and a tier 3 manager.

I cannot remember him being a regular when we were in tier 2 in the late 90's - certainly not in the side which got to the play offs - we played a 532 system with Taylor, Osborn and Gooding being the midfield 3 and Gilkes and Bernal as wing backs.

1997-98 46 games, 1996-97 only 26, can't find records going back before that. There seems to be a correlation between the lack of quality of the team and the number of games he got.

[Terminal Boardom]

As many have said, what he lacked in quality he more than made up for effort. One of McGhee's best signings. A Reading great!

[marcusopp]

Club legend.
The side of the early 90's was so well balanced.
He was in center midfield with either Mick Gooding or Kevin Dillon. None of the three ever threatened to score a goal, that was left to Quinn and Lovell, with Williams and Gilkes chipping in with a few.
That side; Hislop; Bernal, Kerr, Williams, McPherson; Taylor, Gilkes, Parkinson, Dillon/Gooding; Quinn, Lovell was so well balanced. Everyone knew their job and did it well.

I am being picky but was that ever actually a team? I think you have mixed up 2 seasons teams there.

Bernal joined us for the 94/95 season by which point McPherson's appearances were very minimal as Wdowczyk (best centre back I have ever seen play for us) was our main man at the back alongside Williams, Jeff Hopkins was the standard substitute centre back if either of them were out. Gooding's appearances were also somewhat limited in 94/95 as Osborn was our star centre midfielder alongside Parkinson.

Great memory mate,
As you correctly pointed out, the new players that season (Bernal, Osborn, Wdowczyk) all fitted seamlessly into the side. I think Hopkins was at right back a lot the year before, with Francis in goal.
Didn't Uwe Hartenberger join 94/95 too?