All the important facts and figures of Parkes' time at Ewood Park

Rovers playing career: 1970-1982

Coach/manerial roles: 1981-2004

Born: Sheffield, May 5, 1949

Playing Debut: v Swindon Town (h), September 5, 1970

Goals: Football League 38; FA Cup 4; Football League Cup 3; Total 45

Domestic playing honours with Blackburn Rovers: Third Division championship: 1974-75 (46 apps, five goals)

Appearances: Football League 345+5; FA Cup 21; Football League Cup 21; Total 387+5.

Career: Buxton Town; Blackburn Rovers May 21 1970 until March 27 1982, then joined the coaching staff before coming first team coach under Bob Saxton. In that time, he managed the club SIX times in a caretaker capacity. His last job was as reserve team boss.

A loyal one-club man, Tony Parkes has given almost a quarter of a century of service to Blackburn Rovers. Although he came to Ewood from non-League Buxton Town as a promising centre-forward, he operated for virtually all his playing career as a hard working midfield player. Parkes had struggled to make much impression as a centre-forward and it was Ken Furphy who first asked him to fill a midfield berth. Parkes was a grafter and moving to midfield allowed him to utilise his strengths to the full.

Always an underrated player, he rarely caught the eye, but was always there to link up the play between defence and attack. An inspirational character on the field, he worked tirelessly to cover the gaps in the middle of the park and yet still found time and energy to burst forward to score important goals. Twice he helped the club to gain promotion from the Third Division, in 1975 and 1980, before a badly broken leg signalled the end of his playing career in 1981. Under Howard Kendall he had coupled his playing role with that of youth and reserve-team coach and in the summer of 1981 he became first-team coach under Bob Saxton.

When Saxton was dismissed at Christmas 1986, Parkes enjoyed a successful period as caretaker-manager and was short-listed for the job on a permanent basis. The arrival of Don Mackay saw Parkes given the position of assistant manager as well as continuing as coach.

In August 1991 he was again asked to occupy the manager's chair following the dismissal of Mackay and once again he turned around the team's performances on the field. When the club announced the appointment of the Dalglish-Harford managerial team there was universal approval for the fact that Parkes was to be retained as first-team coach.