With JASON WHALLEY

SO IT'S a sad farewell to possibly the greatest caretaker manager of all time.

All Rovers fans will have different memories of Tony Parkes. I vaguely remember him as a player in the late 70's and early 80's, but I think it's fair to say the main memories we all have of him are when he's stepped into the manager's hotseat.

I remember him with fondness for two stints in particular: the time between Mackay and Dalglish, and the time between Harford and Hodgson.

On both occasions, the pressure was on to produce results quickly for different reasons. One for a promotion push and the other for a relegation dogfight and both times he succeeded. It wasn't that he set about his work with any special masterplan, it was all based around keeping it tight and making us hard to beat, and it was exactly what was needed at the time.

I'm sure he'd be the first to admit that he was no tactical genius but what he did have was a refreshing honesty both to his players and to the supporters that we all appreciated. Above all that though the quality that he exuded more than any other was his loyalty.

Yes, loyalty, a word scarcely used in football these days as one day players kiss the badge and proclaim their love for the club until they sense another big signing-on fee and then disappear over the horizon. Tony was an enigma in football in the modern age, 34 years at a club is almost unheard of but that's what he gave to Blackburn Rovers.

When a new manager comes into any club, it's his prerogative to bring in his own staff and Sparky's decision to replace Tony with his own man has to be respected. The logic behind the move is also sound with the manager explaining that the link between our excellent academy and the first team needs to be strengthened for the good of the club. You won't find many Rovers fans arguing with that.

What you will find from the supporters though is the over-riding feeling that the club have acted appallingly in the way the news was broken to Tony. No face to face explanations, not even a phone call to pre-empt the inevitable. No, Tony Parkes was told he was to be sacked from his daughter who'd heard it on the radio.

No matter how much the club pontificates at how sorry they are, those apologies have come all too late for someone who deserved so much better.

Thanks for all you've done for the club, Tony. You'll be remembered for a hell of a lot longer than the individuals who handled your dismissal so poorly.

The one thing I hope doesn't happen now is that our distinctly second-rate performance off the field transmits itself on to it. Things are finally coming together and there appears to be a real desire to play for the shirt again.

What we need to do is to transform draws in to wins, and Sunday at Ewood is the perfect place to start.