Player Spotlight: Phil Parkinson

Loved as a tough-tackling midfielder, Parky enjoyed a long stint at Reading before starting a lengthy managerial career.

In preparation for his return to the SCL in January, this edition of Player Spotlight will delve into the career of Phil Parkinson, both during his time with the Royals and what followed after.

On Friday July 3, 1992, Reading Football Club announced the arrival of central midfielder Phil Parkinson. A transfer fee of £50,000 saw Parkinson swap Bury for Berkshire to join the Royals at the age of 24. He became the third signing under manager Mark McGhee, who had joined initially as player-manager in 1991, but became manager full-time upon retiring from playing in 1993 due to injury. His arrival sparked the development of the squad and their charge up the table.

Alongside Parkinson, fellow players Jimmy Quinn and Shaka Hislop agreed deals to join Reading in July and September respectively. Others included Michael Gilkes, Mick Gooding and Dylan Kerr.

The majority of Parkinson’s career in Reading involved fixtures played at Elm Park - from when he arrived until the 1998/99 season, when the Madejski Stadium was first in use. The Royals fought to reach the play-offs in his debut season, but unfortunately missed out by a mere three points, ultimately finishing eighth out of 24. The following seasons saw Reading gain automatic promotion in both 1993/94 and 2001/02, after finishing first and second respectively, two play-off qualifiers in 1994/95 and 2002/03, and an unlucky relegation from the first division in 1997/98.

Throughout his tenure, Parkinson led the Royals up the ranks, holding captaincy during that inspiring 2001/02 season, moving up alongside both Brighton & Hove Albion and Stoke City. He made over 400 total appearances, with 392 of those in the league across 10 years, scoring 23 goals in all competitions.

His style of play is described as ‘hard tackling’ in which he would never fear putting in a tackle to win the ball. He consistently performed with determination, always playing for the shirt and for the fans. He was named player of the season on two consecutive occasions: in 1997/98 and 1998/99. As well as this, he was voted as the ‘best central midfielder’ in the Royals’ ‘best-ever XI’ poll in 2005, with over 60% of the vote.

Photo by Mark Leech/Getty Images

However, since his departure, his career and impact have been nothing short of awe-inspiring. He entered management in February 2003 as the successor of previous manager Steve Whitton’s assistant-turned-caretaker manager Geraint Williams. Despite a shaky start to the 2003/04 season, Colchester’s form vastly improved, creating an optimistic feeling between supporters. The next season saw an unexpected promotion to the Championship after finishing second, however Parkinson chose to resign in June 2006, despite the extra year on his contract.

A brief spell at Hull City began in late June, but after two intense defeats against Southampton and his former club Colchester, ending 4-2 and 5-1, he departed by mutual consent in early December with Hull in the relegation zone.

A move to Charlton Athletic proved crucial, giving him a stage to show fans what he could do after a disappointing period at Hull. Originally assistant manager, he was appointed caretaker after manager Alan Pardew departed in 2008, and was given the job officially on New Year’s Eve 2008, despite not winning any of his eight matches as caretaker.

Things unfortunately took a downwards turn, as Charlton were relegated to the third tier for the first time in 30 years. A poor form in the league meant Parkinson was sacked in January 2011, not winning any since November.

Since then, Parkinson’s career just seems to be improving and improving, showing how he has bounced back despite the struggles he had faced prior. In August 2011 he joined League Two side Bradford City, quickly familiarising himself with the league, as he was soon named manager of the month in December. Alongside this, the team had a strong cup run in the ‘Johnstone’s Paint Trophy’ (known as the ‘EFL Trophy’, the ‘Bristol Street Motors Trophy’ or the ‘Pizza Cup’ - the name is forever changing!).

Also in December 2012, a historic victory over Arsenal pushed the Bantams into the semi-final of the League Cup. It’s clear to see both his and the side’s strength and ambition. Throughout his time with Bradford, history was made on multiple occasions, such as defeating Aston Villa 3-1 in the semi-finals of the League Cup, a 4-2 victory over Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2015 and 2-0 win over Sunderland, all while earning promotion to League One.

Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images

They reached the playoffs in 2015/16 but lost out to Millwall on aggregate. His management at Bradford came to an end when he made the decision to join Bolton Wanderers in 2016 following their recent relegation to League One.

The Trotters stormed into the lead with an unbeaten first month of the season, with Parkinson rightfully earning August’s manager of the month award, as this was their best start in 82 years. He also earned a second in October and a third in March 2017. They gained promotion to the Championship on the first attempt, ending with 86 points. This was all achieved in spite of the limitations placed on their signings, such as a transfer embargo and wage caps. All seeming slightly familiar, eh?

What followed was a difficult and unpredictable season in the Championship, with Bolton seemingly struggling to match the pace of their opposition at times. It fluctuated from continuing a six-game unbeaten run - although most were draws - to a period of pressure felt until they gained their first away victory in December 2017. Ultimately, Parkinson resigned in August 2019.

A two-and-a-half year deal was agreed in October 2019 with Sunderland, but it was ultimately a short stint as he parted company with them in November 2020.

The sky’s the limit for Parkinson, as on the first of July 2021, he was appointed at Wrexham. It would be too easy to write ‘and the rest is history’ as Parkinson has pioneered a new and exciting era for the club and fans, which would be criminal if not spoken about.

A notable feat would be the return of Wrexham back into the football pyramid after a 15-year absence only a mere season after his arrival. His next push for victory led the charge for back-to-back promotion with the side. Promotion to League Two set yet another record in 2022/23, gaining 111 points in one season, which is the highest in the top five flights. Their second promotion was also automatic, finishing in second place behind Stockport.

Research tells me that his preferred formation to use is 3-5-2. However, as of late, he has dabbled in using a back five, with the majority playing centre-back - in more of a 5-3-2 shape, for balance and defensive stability.

Our first encounter with the Red Dragons takes place on August 24, and with a consistent home form last season, winning 17 of 23 fixtures, I suspect it will be intense. The opposite fixture is set to occur on January 11 at the SCL. It may be a difficult season for Parkinson and his Welsh side, but their performance and drive cannot be doubted, so we must be prepared. Bring it on.

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Researching Phil Parkinson and the level of commitment to the club actually got me thinking, and I realised how limited that has been over the last few years. The current squad are the epitome of that however, always showing passion and playing for the shirt, which I’d like to say has been a missed feeling.

I’ve never been more proud to be a Royals fan.

Phil Parkinson is regarded as a club legend for his devotion and commitment by fans, and rightly so. I can’t wait for him to return.