Parkes Sacked By Hughes !

[Craigman]

According to The Sun in a meeting yesterday Tony Parkes has been sacked.

Good or bad ?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390...4523171,00.html

Edited November 12, 2004 by Craigman

[Radagast]

Link or no link?

EDIT:

I'd like to express my thanks to Tony Parkes for all his hard work at the club for more years than I've been alive - good luck in the future and thanks for the memories.

Edited November 13, 2004 by Radagast

[Billinge End Blue]

Can hardly believe this...

My respect for Hughes as manager is diminished if this is true.

[LeChuck]

Same here...even if he didn't want him as part of his first team coaching set-up he could have kept him on at some level, maybe the youth teams.

[Dan Furness]

FFS just cos he was there so long does not mean he deserves a job, its like keeping an 80yr old cleaner on.

Its a new era, new staff are needed, as much as Mr Blackburn he was

get over it

[SouthAussieRover]

Hughes out now!

[Tris]

The Sun can print what it wants - it's always been full of sh!te.

That aside, Parkes cannot spend the rest of his life just filling some random role, defined by the current incumbent (?victim?) of the real job.

I've long held a belief that Tony Parkes has been allocated random titles / roles by sucessive regimes just because he's Tony Parkes.

If the latest set up has found the P45s at the bottom of a drawer and dished one out to Parkes then I reckon we can't be done for unfair dismissal.

Over and Rout.

[philipl]

I for one will be very disappointed if this were true. Even with a new broom, the knowledge and experience of all things Rovers that Parkes has is still invaluable.

As things stand at the moment, The Sun is on its own with this story. It is over five hours since the "news" broke. In this electronic age, that seems a long time for them to be maintaining exclusivity, especially as it has been a slow night for football news (the only big stories are Mandaric's denying Redknapp is at risk and the possible collapse of the Leeds take over,- the other 50+ news items to hit the wires since the Sun published are either pure speculation or previews of Saturday's games).

It seems odd to be firing the Reserve Team Manager when the Reserves are doing so well (are they top of their league?) and just after we lost their coach Rob Kelly who took up the first team coach position at Leicester.

However, perhaps TP is taking early retirement as Sparky completes a total reshuffle of backroom personnel and processes.

Let's see.

[Ninjathunder]

It may come as shock to some people but it's the nature of football that when a new manager comes in changes are made to the backroom staff. Whether this story is true or not, no one has an automatic right to a backroom job simply because of who they are.

If Tony has left then I thank him for all his service to the club and wish him well.

[broadsword]

Can hardly believe this...

My respect for Hughes as manager is diminished if this is true.

What?!

Hughes is allowed to pick his own back room staff.

He can't allow sentiment to come into it, he has to pick who he thinks is the best man for the job.

There ain't half some twaddle talked on this MB!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

A very bold move by Hughes if indeed true.....I believe the manager should be backed to the hilt in his quest to find the right personnel for Rover's future,we need to move forward on all fronts.

It had been argued many a time on here as to whether 'Mr untouchable' Parkes should be shown the door and fresh impetus given a chance..look's like somebody's finally been brave enough!

Thank you Tony Parkes for your service to B.R.F.C.

Edited November 12, 2004 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[Blackpool_Rover]

Well done Hughes. He is showing hes not afraid to throw his weight around, dropping matteo and gray, sacking parkes. The club needs freshening up, tony had to go.

Thanks for everything Tony!!

[Hughesy]

Its true. Friend at the LET has just confirmed it.

Good move by hughes. Parkes has been there a long time but hughes is after a young and innotive coaching staff who have lots of new ideas.

Very well done Hughes. Shows good bottle sacking him

[NEARREY]

According to Radio Lancs a press conference is happening as I write. All will be revealed !!

[Will]

Great News, should have happened years ago.

Tony has done a fantastic job for us over the years but it is better for Hughes to have the staff he wants. Tony has only been kept on by past managers because Jack wanted him to.

Thanks for all your years Tony.

[arrodblue]

This is pretty much the last link to the glory years of the mid-nineties.

More than ever now is the time for a clean break, certainly from the latter stages of the Souness era, and no matter how much I am grateful to Tony Parkes for everything he has done for the club I, and he, loves so much, he should still shoulder some of the responsibility for the mess the playing side of the club is in at present.

Sadly football clubs are not run successfully on sentiment. As philipl points out Tony's "knowledge and experience of all things Rovers" should be of invaluable benefit to a new manager. Perhaps Sparky feels he's already gleaned all he can.

If Sparky feels he can improve the quality of his backroom staff with "young and innovative coaching staff who have lots of new ideas", as Hughesy says, then I'm all for it.

If this is all confirmed today, then I thank Tony Parkes from the bottom of my heart. I'm sure there'll always be a seat for him to come back and watch the team whenever he wants to.

And if I see him in Tesco then I'll thank him personally!!

[broadsword]

I certainly don't have a problem with him, I think he's top man. He's done a lot for the club (including saving us from almost certain relegation), and I think we should all be grateful for his work.

He had to go at some point though. Nobody stays at a club forever, but not many stay at a club for 30 years (certainly not in the modern era), and I'm sure Tony will look back with great fondness on his time here.

Sparky Marky Ewood Parky is his own man, and I'm sure he's doing this for all the right reasons. Perhaps Tony felt his place here was so assured it was rubbing off on some of the players and they were taking things for granted?

Who knows? In any case TP's place in the panthenon of Ewood Greats is assured, and the Ewood Revolution rolls on.

[Blueboy Downunder]

nothing lasts forever does it!

it was suggested on here a while ago that tony parkes be released, hopefully it is for the better, if correct. but parkes was reserve team boss. nothing to do with the first team...i there is no reason for him to be sacked...or am i missing something??

[ABBEY]

THANKS TON Y FOR WHAT YOU DONE LOYA LTY ,VERY RARE THESE DAYS.......However its up to Hughsy ,new ideas and all that.....

ABBEY CYNICAL HEAD ON.......makes it harder to sack Hughsey now nobody ready fill the void

[John]

Cannot forget the times when he stepped in the breach and saved this club.

Thank you Tony you will not be forgotten and you are a true blue and white. Time to move on though

Glyn Hodges (former Wales Under 21 Coach) takes his place.

Edited November 12, 2004 by John

[bob fleming]

makes it harder to sack Hughsey now nobody ready fill the void

Good point that - what happens next time? (and there will be a next time - there always is). Anyone any ideas?

BBC

Thanks Tony. Top fella.

[Nayef]

Does anybody have his address or can I send a letter to Ewood and it'll still get through to him?

Man deserves a letter of thanks for his loyal service at the club.

[Alan75]

Does anybody have his address or can I send a letter to Ewood and it'll still get through to him?

Man deserves a letter of thanks for his loyal service at the club.

Anyone who wishes to expess their thanks to Tony Parkes, and who dont want to write direct to him, can post here.

I will cut and paste and send all replies to Tony. from brfcs.co.uk

[USABlue]

Tony Parkes has been a great servant to this club, thanks for that, 30 years at on team is unheard of nowadadys.

However having said this I have long felt that TP is something of a distraction to any new manager coming in. There will be players that will always side with TP and his ways and to some degree his mere presence could be cause for undermining what the new boss wants.

Have any of you gone into a position at a new company where you are the boss yet the boss you have replaced is still employed there and is within your group. Let me tell you I have and it is a very difficult situation.

It is hard to win over your new folks with the old guard still around, best thing to do, get shut.

Best wishes to Tony and thanks for the service but the club is changing and the change needs to be from the ground up. Good move by Hughesy if it was in fact him who pulled the plug, one just can not afford to be sentimental in matters of this nature.

[Flopsy]

To the man who was always there when we needed you.

Thank you