Alan Parkes

Alan Parkes (12 January 1929 – 14 April 2013) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Darlington and in non-league football for Murton Colliery Welfare and Tonbridge. He was on the books of Sunderland and Charlton Athletic without representing them in League football.[1][3]

For the British surgeon, see Alan Parks.

Alan Parkes
Personal information
Full name Alan Parkes[1]
Date of birth (1929-01-12)12 January 1929[1]
Place of birth Hartlepool, County Durham, England
Date of death 14 April 2013(2013-04-14) (aged 84)[2]
Place of death Stockton-on-Tees, England
Playing position(s) Centre forward
Youth career
Sunderland
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Sunderland 0 (0)
194?–1949 Murton Colliery Welfare
1949–195? Charlton Athletic 0 (0)
1950–195? Tonbridge
1955 Darlington 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Parkes was born in Hartlepool, County Durham, where he attended the Technical Day School.[4] He began his football career with Sunderland, but never progressed past the junior teams, despite the view of the pseudonymous "Argus" in the Sunderland Echo that "from what I have seen of him I would prefer him to at least two of the players I have seen leading both the Reserves and the A team in the past 12 months".[5][2]

He moved on to North Eastern League club Murton Colliery Welfare, from where he was transferred to First Division club Charlton Athletic in September 1949 for a £1,000 fee, "easily a record in the history of the Murton C.W. club".[6] He scored 49 goals in his first season for Charlton's reserve and A teams, and was allowed to join Southern League club Tonbridge under a "gentleman's agreement" between the two clubs.[7][8] He made an impressive debut in the FA Cup win against Gravesend & Northfleet: "though he did not score himself his astute handling of the Gravesend defence and his distribution of the ball had much to do with the Tonbridge superiority".[9] A few days later – he was on National Service at the time – he was the only non-league player to be selected for the Army XI to play the Civil Service.[10]

Parkes never appeared for Charlton in a league match, and returned to the north-east of England where he signed for Darlington.[1] On 26 March 1955, at the age of 26, he made his Football League debut, in a 3–0 defeat away to Bradford City in the Third Division North. It was his only league appearance.[11]

Parkes died in Stockton, County Durham, in 2013 at the age of 80.[2]

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References
  1. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1998). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–1998. Queen Anne Press. p. 421. ISBN 978-1-85291-585-8.
  2. "Alan Parkes". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  3. "Darlington: 1946/47–1988/89 & 1990/91–2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  4. Allan, Jim (26 February 2008). "Memories of old Tech school". Hartlepool Mail. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  5. 'Argus' (28 September 1949). "Sunderland to watch Case again?". Sunderland Echo. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Charlton pay £1,000 for Parkes". Sunderland Echo. 30 September 1949. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "New signings by town clubs". Kent & Sussex Courier. 29 September 1950. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. Sports Editor (6 October 1950). "Sport in the news. Shout—don't jeer and barrack". Kent & Sussex Courier. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "One goal kept Angels in F.A. Cup". Kent & Sussex Courier. 6 October 1950. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. Sports Editor (13 October 1950). "Sport in the news. Both are big attractions". Kent & Sussex Courier. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "Parkes, A (Alan)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
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