We could always rely on Tony

TONY Parkes was the ultimate unsung hero as a player -not to mention a quiet assassin!

I was always happy whenever I saw his name on the teamsheet because he was someone you knew you could rely on and the kind of footballer you wanted in your side. Dependable, determined, hard-working, full of energy, the epitomy of Mr Consistent.

And in the days when you could tackle, he was one who could settle scores in midfield.

I can't remember out opponents, but in one game at Ewood Park I recall he'd had a bit of a clash with someone. He threatened Tony with what he would do if it happened again, but with the very next tackle the guy went off on a stretcher.

Tony never cajoled, he would just do it, but they say it's always the quiet ones that you have got to watch for.

He never got intimidated by anyone. He always looked after himself, and whenever he wasn't playing, we missed him.

I can't remember him ever setting the pitch alight but at the same time I can never remember him having a dodgy game.

He had a job to do, and he did it well, and the same went for when he moved onto the coaching side.

Tony was the one the board always turned to whenever there was a change of manager, and he did a decent job.

A lot of people said it was Don Mackay who turned things around at Ewood after Bobby Saxton was sacked.

But in that interim period, Tony was in charge for at least six games. He made one or two changes to personnel and we went on a winning streak which gave us the confidence to finish that season well after Don came in, and go on to win the Full Members Cup.

I always wondered why Tony never left Rovers to become a manager in his own right because I felt his strength wasn't so much in coaching but in managing.

He's tough enough, and wouldn't have been afraid of making the hard decisions.

But he loved Rovers and didn't seem to want to leave.

He was married to the club, which is why it's all the more disappointing that he discovered he had been sacked in the manner in which he did.

When managers come and go, backroom staff tend to also, so Tony has done well to show he had staying power.

Mark Hughes probably wants his own people in and I understand that, but Tony deserved more from the club he has served for almost 35 years.

I'm not sure if there'll be a witch-hunt at Ewood, but I'm hoping whoever leaked the story has had a rap over the knuckles.

Right now, Tony will feel like he's lost a limb. If he does end up going to another club, it will be a culture shock because I remember how strange it was for me when I left Rovers after 10 years.

But he's a survivor. And he has so much knowledge of the game that he would be a superb asset to any club.

I'm not sure if there'll be a witch-hunt

When you've been involved with football all that time, it's like losing an arm.

Always there as a standby when managers changed hands and at times he has done a decent job.

The first time he took over was when he sacked Bobby Saxton and a lot of people gave Don a lot of credit for going to the end of the season and having a good run after being unfortunate under Bobby.

But in the time Tony took over for six to eight games, he made one or two changes to personnel, we went on a winning streak and when Don came in the confidence was already very high.

He was a quiet lad. Like a Paul Scholes - not at that level and he scores more goals but quiet and gets on with the job.

I wondered why when he first started at Rovers and got into management

I thought he would have been a good manager and would have done a good job.

He has done a great job when he has taken over.

He would be very handy to have a sidekick, with his knowledge of the game.

Perhaps now he will.

When he was starting to move into that area I was just finishing with the club.

He was just getting his experience as a coach towards the mid to late 80s under Bobby Saxton.

People they know and have worked with quite often. You only have to look at Fazakerly, he has been with Keegan because managers like to stick with tried and tested

Tony was never a prolific goalscorer.

He would stop the opposition playing and get forward and help you break forward.

Never describe him as a goal maker of goal getter. He did do that occasionally, but he was never gifted with pace.

Not a Damien Duff type.

But we were all right with that because we had Noel Brotherston on the other side.

I don't know how it's going to affect him. When you've been at that cluib for that length of time going anywhere else would seem strange. When I left after 10 years it was difficult. Almost a social and culture shock. IT's a marriage.

It's disappointing the way he found out because he didn't deserve that.

You do understand that things change in football. People come in and want their own style. but the way that leaped out.

For me, shock was Graeme Souness going to Newcastle

Sometimes it was a surprise that he did remain because new managers tend to bring in their own.

IT's a surprise because he has been there a long time.

He has seen it right through when the club was a third division club and seen them right the way through with so many changes involved.

Very astute man

THREE games undefeated, it looks like things are hopefully starting to come together because confidence will have growqn from that I'm sure.

It's about results not performances and now they are putting them together and hoping

Looking forward to seeing them play against Birmingham.

Three draws has brought about a little bit of consistency

Dwight will want to come back and do well.

I think the fans are upset he has been released and more upset about the way he got to know.

I don't know who they are laying the blame on for that.

But unfortunately football is a cut-throat business.

It doesn't do anybody any favours.

I would like to think the club would be disappointed and that someone has got their knuckles wrapped when someone has given basically all their life to the club.

People want to support success