Tony Parkes Thread

[den]

"It's saved my life. It's such a relaxed and friendly place, and it's helped Dad to become more independent. It's given him his life back and I can now spend time with my two-year-old. The volunteers are special people."
Natalie Parkes-Thompson
 

https://www.lep.co.uk/health/how-leyland-group-helping-blackburn-rovers-legend-tony-parkes-live-well-alzheimers-1749029

Edited February 18, 2020 by den

[Stuart]

6 hours ago, den said:

"It's saved my life. It's such a relaxed and friendly place, and it's helped Dad to become more independent. It's given him his life back and I can now spend time with my two-year-old. The volunteers are special people."
Natalie Parkes-Thompson
 

https://www.lep.co.uk/health/how-leyland-group-helping-blackburn-rovers-legend-tony-parkes-live-well-alzheimers-1749029

Thanks for that den.

Really lovely to read this, it brought a tear to my eye...

And for the few hours that Tony is with his Sporting Memories family, Natalie added: "I have my dad back, the man I remember and grew up with."

Meanwhile, we deliberate over which of the training pitches to rename. If we are even deliberating at all.

[dave birch]

13 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Thanks for that den.

Really lovely to read this, it brought a tear to my eye...

And for the few hours that Tony is with his Sporting Memories family, Natalie added: "I have my dad back, the man I remember and grew up with."

Meanwhile, we deliberate over which of the training pitches to rename. If we are even deliberating at all.

Stuart, you should start on brain training now, if you want to avoid a similar situation.

I'm not being flippant, I'm now 73 and can see/feel differences. That little bit slower to realise things (even though I feel "quick" to me). Spacial awareness is a big thing.

All I can suggest is, be aware of what is coming, and prepare for it.

[Stuart]

16 minutes ago, dave birch said:

Stuart, you should start on brain training now, if you want to avoid a similar situation.

I'm not being flippant, I'm now 73 and can see/feel differences. That little bit slower to realise things (even though I feel "quick" to me). Spacial awareness is a big thing.

All I can suggest is, be aware of what is coming, and prepare for it.

I’m genuinely very aware. Keep active, keep the brain ticking over and stay as socially involved as possible.

Just being in an online forum keeps the brain working - well most days!

[dave birch]

Keep it active Stuart, that's pretty much what you have to do.

[OldEwoodBlue]

Waggott is looking into it....

Maybe he's forgotten though?

I mean....how long does it take to look into?

[47er]

55 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Just being in an online forum keeps the brain working

It shows you that there's always someone worse off than yourself!!   

[Stuart]

43 minutes ago, 47er said:

It shows you that there's always someone worse off than yourself!!   

  

[Leonard Venkhater]

10 hours ago, Stuart said:

Thanks for that den.

Really lovely to read this, it brought a tear to my eye...

And for the few hours that Tony is with his Sporting Memories family, Natalie added: "I have my dad back, the man I remember and grew up with."

Meanwhile, we deliberate over which of the training pitches to rename. If we are even deliberating at all.

I think we need to be very careful with our moral outrage.

I know lots of us( me included) are already angry with the powers that be. All of us are also very concerned for Tony.

However, I don't think that gives us the mandate to start slagging everyone, just because there is no public announcement of a Tony Parkes Stand, statue or anything else, just to placate us.

Personally, I would be happy, if the club was quietly helping Tony and his family behind the scenes. I have no reason to doubt that is happening.

Gestures are just that. Certainly, I wasn't impressed that a large mural of Ronnie Clayton suddenly appeared at the Blackburn End , just as the club, that he/ we all loved  was being dismantled.

[Stuart]

1 hour ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

I think we need to be very careful with our moral outrage.

I know lots of us( me included) are already angry with the powers that be. All of us are also very concerned for Tony.

However, I don't think that gives us the mandate to start slagging everyone, just because there is no public announcement of a Tony Parkes Stand, statue or anything else, just to placate us.

Personally, I would be happy, if the club was quietly helping Tony and his family behind the scenes. I have no reason to doubt that is happening.

Gestures are just that. Certainly, I wasn't impressed that a large mural of Ronnie Clayton suddenly appeared at the Blackburn End , just as the club, that he/ we all loved  was being dismantled.

I just think it’s really sad that the club won’t recognise the contribution this man made. It should have been done long ago but there is certainly no foresight under the current hierarchy. Something certainly could have been announced in response to this news but hasn’t. People like Tony Parkes are what this ‘club’ is built on.

There have been good things done, even on Venkys watch (BBE and DE stand names, Family Club of the Year - twice). It just feels like now all of the focus and energy is on money to the exclusion of all else. High prices, ticket tax, cost cuts and no spending - and £7.50 pie-and-a-pint “deals”.

We are losing something.

[Mashed Potatoes]

Just now, Stuart said:

I just think it’s really sad that the club won’t recognise the contribution this man made. It should have been done long ago but there is certainly no foresight under the current hierarchy. Something certainly could have been announced in response to this news but hasn’t. People like Tony Parkes are what this ‘club’ is built on.

There have been good things done, even on Venkys watch (BBE and DE stand names, Family Club of the Year - twice). It just feels like now all of the focus and energy is on money to the exclusion of all else. High prices, ticket tax, cost cuts and no spending - and £7.50 pie-and-a-pint “deals”.

We are losing something.

And yet people are demanding that the club spend money on signings. Where does that come from ?

[Stuart]

Just now, Mashed Potatoes said:

And yet people are demanding that the club spend money on signings. Where does that come from ?

This thread is about Tony Parkes, not transfer spending.

[Mashed Potatoes]

Just now, Stuart said:

This thread is about Tony Parkes, not transfer spending.

I've read your post which clearly moves the otherwise moving situation regarding Tony Parkes on to the club's financial affairs - and the decisions taken by those responsible for them.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Just now, Stuart said:

I just think it’s really sad that the club won’t recognise the contribution this man made. It should have been done long ago but there is certainly no foresight under the current hierarchy. Something certainly could have been announced in response to this news but hasn’t. People like Tony Parkes are what this ‘club’ is built on.

There have been good things done, even on Venkys watch (BBE and DE stand names, Family Club of the Year - twice). It just feels like now all of the focus and energy is on money to the exclusion of all else. High prices, ticket tax, cost cuts and no spending - and £7.50 pie-and-a-pint “deals”.

We are losing something.

Oh, I don't disagree that we have lost something. The golden thread is well and truly snapped.  

The stand names were pretty hollow gestures, especially when the club was being wantonly destroyed. I would go so far as thinking such gestures were a merely way of dampening dissent!

But who said they won't recognise Tony's contribution? Do you know what the club is or isn't doing behind the scenes?

 

[Stuart]

2 hours ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

Oh, I don't disagree that we have lost something. The golden thread is well and truly snapped.  

The stand names were pretty hollow gestures, especially when the club was being wantonly destroyed. I would go so far as thinking such gestures were a merely way of dampening dissent!

But who said they won't recognise Tony's contribution? Do you know what the club is or isn't doing behind the scenes?

Very surprised at this.

But I’m done taking this thread off topic.

[tomphil]

2 hours ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

And yet people are demanding that the club spend money on signings. Where does that come from ?

Same place as the 12 million came from, now move along.

 

[SBlue]

3 hours ago, tomphil said:

Same place as the 12 million came from, now move along.

 

Yep.

Still at a -£20million net spend over the past five years. Even more eye watering in the five years preceding.

It comes from asset stripping.

[tomphil]

My point being that what comes through the gate might have a bearing on ground facilities, cleaning the stadium etc. However it has no bearing on the finance of the playing side, management etc and never has.

Nearly all clubs at this level need outside subsidy for signings and playing staff payroll we are no different and what Vs do isn't unique. Although the sheer amount of money wasted is probably some kind of championship record. Where it all actually goes and why its continued to be set up like that is a different debate.

[OldEwoodBlue]

3 weeks later.... still looking into it ?

[Stuart]

The club its head down over protests and rode it out. It kept quiet on the worst ever run of a post-war Rovers manager and rode it out. I really hope it doesn’t keep its head down over this. I certainly hope it doesn’t come up with some pithy gesture like naming a boardroom or putting a photo up somewhere. It needs to be something the fans can embrace. If he’s freytened of giving up the naming rights (££££) for a stand, how about renaming the Premier Suite or Legends Lounge? He certainly deserves the title of Club Legend.

[The Axe]

To be fair the club perhaps needs to be careful about what they do regarding Tony Parkes. Quite a lot of fans believe, like LV, that the naming of the stands was an attempt to lower dissent. Paying due tribute to Tony Parkes, whilst timely,  might create some negative reaction particularly if the gesture is not deemed adequate or a publicity stunt. Paying tribute to old players of similar merit at the same time might be a way forward. Jim Forrest, Harry Healless and Bill Eckersley have similar claims to Parkes and finding some way of paying tribute to all four would display a feeling that this club was founded in 1875 not 1995. Personally I have always believed that the club should honour a founder by creating the T J Syckelmore Hot Dog Stall.

[tomphil]

Considering Parkes has probably been around since the early 70's i don't get the 1995 angle in regards to him at all.

Give him the accolade he deserves, something long overdue anyway before any mention of his current situation.

[The Axe]

Just now, tomphil said:

Considering Parkes has probably been around since the early 70's i don't get the 1995 angle in regards to him at all.

Give him the accolade he deserves, something long overdue anyway before any mention of his current situation.

Nothing to do with Parkes. Just trying to point out that we should remember that the club owes a debt to those who built it over 150 years. Perhaps the 1995 was misleading. No argument from me about him receiving recognition. I think though if you will check out Jim Forrest's past you will find an equally deserving case.

[Mattyblue]

I don’t think there’d be any negative reaction at all. Tony Parkes dedicated his life to the club and it would be a universally popular move.

As much as many on here light not like to here it, the regime is nowhere near as unpopular and motives aren’t questioned in anywhere near the same way as they were at the time of the Ronnie Clayton re-naming etc.

As an example, last day of the season becomes ‘Tony Parkes Day’ and there is an official re-naming of the Riverside pre-match, I don’t think we’d be hearing much in the way of dissent.

[Leonard Venkhater]

2 hours ago, The Axe said:

Nothing to do with Parkes. Just trying to point out that we should remember that the club owes a debt to those who built it over 150 years. Perhaps the 1995 was misleading. No argument from me about him receiving recognition. I think though if you will check out Jim Forrest's past you will find an equally deserving case.

No argument from me either about Tony receiving recognition, although I'd prefer it if they were able to give him some practical help at the same time.

However, the idea of a Tony Parkes Stand was a supporters' idea, that built up a head of steam. None of us know whether the club has other ideas for naming the stands in the light of FFP . etc.

I know I had my own suspicions about the timing of the Ronnie Clayton mural, but my argument here is that it is not reasonable to lambast the club, simply because it does not immediately sign up to the stand idea, generated online. That does not necessarily mean disregard for Tony