Tony Parkes

Parkes was a midfielder who started his career in non-League football at Buxton in 1969 before moving to Blackburn Rovers in 1970 where he spent the rest of his playing career. He played a total of 350 league games and scored 38 goals for Rovers before retiring in 1982.

After retiring as a player, Parkes stayed with Blackburn, joining their coaching staff under Bobby Saxton, where he became assistant manager. He stood in as caretaker manager for the club six times between 1986 and 2004. He took over from Bobby Saxton (December 1986 – February 1987), Don Mackay (September–October 1991), Ray Harford (October 1996 – June 1997), Roy Hodgson (November–December 1998), Brian Kidd (November 1999 – March 2000) and Graeme Souness (September 2004) after their departures. During this time Rovers experienced something of a revolution. During his first caretaker spell, they were a struggling Second Division club who had not tasted top flight football for some 20 years. Five years later, during his second caretaker spell, they had just been taken over by local steel baron Jack Walker and were a wealthy, ambitious side building for a challenge for promotion to the new FA Premier League, which was ultimately achieved at the end of the season under new manager Kenny Dalglish. By the time of his third caretaker spell five years later, 18 months had passed since their Premier League title triumph, the club's first top division title since 1914, although their form had slumped and they did not win a league game until November. He took charge until the end of the season and kept Rovers up. His fourth spell came in November 1999, six months after relegation from the Premier League and with Rovers 19th in Division One. while Parkes hoped to secure promotion and…

Parkes was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2020. The Championship league fixture between Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool on 9 April 2022 was dedicated to Parkes. Fundraising initiatives took place to help with the cost of Parkes' care by his family. Parkes died on 22 April 2026, aged 76.