Tony Parkes was the ‘heartbeat’ of Blackburn’s Premier League triumph who Kenny Dalglish cherished, writes IAN LADYMAN – he bravely battled Alzheimer’s however by no means forgot soccer

Back in February 2024 Tony Parkes – by then afflicted by Alzheimer’s – was invited to take a walk out on to the Ewood Park pitch at Blackburn in the moments before a game.

Walking with a stick through a guard of honour formed by both teams and helped by his daughter Natalie Parkes-Thompson, one of Blackburn’s favourite and most beloved sons took the applause of the crowd for what turned out to be the last time.

The disease that finally took his life at the age of 76 on Wednesday, was deeply embedded by then. Names and faces and memories were proving elusive.

But that day in the Lancashire sunshine, Parkes smiled and waved and punched the air. Parkes and Blackburn Rovers always did bring the best from each other.

‘He doesn’t always remember me now but he knows football,’ said Parkes-Thompson at the time.

‘And that’s something he has never forgotten.

‘He can’t follow conversation and he gets lost and he gets scared.

‘But when we walked on that pitch again, it was like he was a rock star.

‘And he changed. He felt it here [in his heart]. He knew where he was.

‘He knew he was important and seeing him come to life, I thought I was gonna have to wrestle him off the pitch at one point.’

Parkes will forever be associated with his football club in an almost unique way, having served as a player, coach and caretaker manager. He held that final role a remarkable six times.

As Blackburn passed through the periods of flux familiar to so many clubs over the years, Parkes was a constant link to better and indeed calmer times. When in need, turn to Tony. 

Parkes, born in Sheffield, joined Blackburn as a £5,000 midfielder from Buxton in 1970 and went on to score 46 goals in 409 appearances. He wasn’t to leave the club until 2004 by which time he had served on Kenny Dalglish’s backroom staff as Blackburn – jet propelled forward by Jack Walker’s money – clinched the Premier League title in 1995.

Former Blackburn striker and member of that team Chris Sutton described Parkes as ‘the heartbeat of the club’ while Dalglish himself said two years ago: ‘The contribution made when I had the time of my life there was unprecedented.

‘What you did – with all the knowledge and insight that you gave us – was so important. 

‘The club would never have been as successful without you. You are one of the best.’

Parkes was never given the manager’s job at Ewood Park but some of his contributions were nevertheless pivotal.

Indeed perhaps the most significant of his caretaker stints came in the 1996-97 season when, following the departure of Ray Harford in the October, he steered the club away from relegation danger.

In 1999 he was tipped to land the job on a full-time basis but the post eventually went to Graeme Souness. When Souness was dismissed after a successful spell early in 2004, Parkes stepped in again.

Many of his caretaker spells were lengthy. In 1996 it lasted from October until June. In 1999, following the sacking of Brian Kidd, it went from early October to mid-March. In total he took charge of 74 matches and won 29 of them.

A tearful Parkes, sitting alongside his daughter, revealed his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2020.

On Thursday, meanwhile, Dalglish posted a black and white photograph on his Instagram account of his former assistant standing on the Blackburn pitch on another occasion. 

Wearing a black woollen coat and black gloves, Parkes is holding a Blackburn scarf above his head. He is smiling. 

On the day of his testimonial in 2005, Parkes allowed himself to admit he had enjoyed an occasion that was ‘just about me – and not the team’.

Parkes dedicated his sporting life to his football club and the outpouring of emotion and sadness at news of his passing has been as predictable as much as it has been heartfelt.