Phil Parkes Joins QPR - 52 Years Ago Today

[QPR Report]

52 Years ago: June 23, 1970

Phil Parkes

- Remember reading the news story when we signed Parkes in the Summer of 1970, when I was at skool: "Strongly tipped for England U-23 honours" A star from the very first game
Was there to see Parkes' QPR DEbut -Second game of 1970/71. After we sold Mike Kelly. Alan Spratley played in the opener at Birmingham. Then Parkes QPR Debut in a 1-3 Loss to Leicester (with Phil Parkes). But despite the result, Parkes was good from that very first game.

Give Me Football "On this day in history: June 23"

"...Queens Park Rangers sign Phil Parkes from Walsall for £15,000 – a bargain price - as the Saddlers are told to sell by their bank manager.


FROM BUSHMAN ARCHIVES

August 1970


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From Bushman's Archives








Click on the link below to read more Michael Wale reports on the QPR Report History Board

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Then Feb 22 1979

35 Years ago today "West Ham United set a new transfer record for a goalkeeper when they paid £527,000 for Queens Park Rangers' Phil Parkes."

Also



QPR OFFICIAL SITE


PUBLISHED
16:00 11th December 2013

by @officialqpr
Former R’s stopper reveals all in Issue 04 …

LEGENDARY R’s stopper Phil Parkes has revealed he almost turned down the opportunity to sign for Queens Park Rangers – mistakenly believing he was about to join a Scottish club.

In an exclusive interview for issue 04 of The Inside’R’, Parkes – who went on to make 406 appearances for the R’s in a memorable playing career in W12 – lifts the lid on a whole host of topics alongside current number one Rob Green.

The duo discuss an array of key subjects, including the match-ball, media scrutiny, the goalkeepers union and how the opportunity to join the R’s arose.

“I was on holiday when I first found out about QPR wanting to sign me,” Parkes told The Inside’R’ – out next week.

“There were no mobile phones in those days. I was down in Weymouth and had a telegram pushed under the door. It just read 'you've got to ring the secretary at Walsall immediately.'

“There was no phone in the boarding house we were staying, so I had to pop into town to find a phone-box. I got through and was told about the offer being accepted from QPR.

“They wanted me to go there straight away, but I didn't have my driving licence and we'd organised a coach for the journey home after the holiday. Secondly, I said, I'm not going to Scotland for anybody.

“That was when the secretary shouted down the phone telling me QPR were a London club in the second division!

“I went down the following week and signed and it became a very, very special place for me.”

Issue 04 will be available across all tablet devices – for FREE – but supporters should note it is not available on any smartphones (apple or Android). This is to ensure the quality and content is totally readable across all approved tablet devices.

You can still join over 20,000 R’s fans in downloading issue 03 HERE, so don’t miss out!

www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/101213-parkes-i-thought-i-was-scotland-bound-1226360.aspx

Read more: qprreport.proboards.com/thread/37900/phil-parkes-talking-transfer-walsall#ixzz35RUb6juc

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From Bushman's Archives

27th August 1974





And other "On this Day" in general re Football

www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/on-this-day-in-history-june-23

link

[QPR Report]

PFA's Give Me Football Player Profile - By John Harding

Player ProfilePhil Parkes was born on 8th August 1950, in Sedgley, Staffordshire. Beginning his football career at Walsall, for whom he made nearly 100 appearances


More detailsPhil Parkes was born on 8th August 1950, in Sedgley, Staffordshire. Beginning his football career at Walsall, for whom he made nearly 100 appearances, he signed for Queens Park Rangers for £15,000 in June 1970. Phil was part of the QPR team that reached the last eight of the FA Cup in 1974 and were League runners-up to Liverpool in 1976, a side many observers consider the finest team never to have won the League. His career at QPR spanned 344 league appearances (406 in all competitions). He was then sold to West Ham United in 1979 for £500,000– a world record for a goalkeeper at the time and was to remain Hammers’ number one for the next ten years. Yet despite his awesome ability, he only ever gained one piece of silverware, when West Ham beat Arsenal 1-0 to win the 1980 FA Cup Final. He left to join Ipswich Town Football Club in 1989 before moving into coaching.

In 2003, an official West Ham United members’ poll for the greatest West Ham XI named him as the team's goalkeeper. He is also considered by QPR supporters to be one of the two best goalkeepers in the club’s history, the other being David Seaman. He gained his only England cap against Portugal in 1974.

[Lonegunmen]

Seamen? What about Reg Allen?? Now you've made me feel very Old. Phil Parkes, a top fella.

[londonranger]

Am I the only QPR supporter left that saw Reg Allen play? He was sold for the biggest transfer fee in the history of football at that time, and played for England. Seaman couldnt walk in his shoes. Parkes was too tall.

[Zamoraaaah]

That is very impressive London.
What was the first game you saw?

[londonranger]

Bournemouth, 1943.

[Zamoraaaah]

Wow, did we win?
I'd love to hear your memories of watching us back then.

[londonranger]

<b>Well for openers, imagine the Ellerslie rd. stand. Also the Loft without a stand. The Ell. stand was the grandstand. Has been improved since then. You just paid your shilling I think, and got the seats. Higher up was a bit more money. Most of the time though we stood on the terrace at the loftus rd. end. Getting in there was one turnstyle cant remember how much.

We always beat Bournemouth at home. We were in the 3rd division south. Played teams like Bristol City Bristol rovers, Aldershot,
Clapton Orient, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Sarfend. Now during war games were on Thursday night and Sat. by then heavy bombing had stopped except for occasional Stukka down Craven park Rd and the Doodle Bugs. you never knew when one of those were coming but we never saw one at Loftus Rd.

At the matches many Rs players were in army. We would borrow from other teams. In goal was Harry Brown or Swinfell, remember big chunky Ted. Reay and Arthur Jefferson. Park wasnt that full as I remember. We moved the ball around a lot won a lot of games.
going to night games with dad was best. Used the big old heavy brown football, which we used in school.

Thats why reg was better, much harder to control catch and punch over bar, Needed two hands. Reg Allen came back in 45 and the team was built up.

The other two sides of pitch were mud piles, may have been a wall at school end. Programmes one page, for 3p. Uniforms thick blue and white hoops with white shorts, blue socks. Very friendly, happy atmosphere. Forwards were fast and attacking game. Got autographs, McEwen r. wing very friendly. Sgt heathcote scored goals, have to see if I have any old programmes left.

After game bought hot chestnuts in a bag. remember joy when we won, and a draw was bad, because we were a strong team.
Very few vendors, no thugs, even v millwall. One thing cant remember if we had numbers on our shirts or not, will check that out.
Thanks for asking, if I think of more will add.

Oh in 48 we led whole year. Place was packed. Cannot remember attendances or capacity. But very loud and happy. We even held Derby county to a 1-1 draw at home in cup. Derby were a Ist Div side and strong. but we lost the replay when Regs arm was broken in game.
then there was no bench, no substitutes.

[Zamoraaaah]

Great reading London, thanks very much.

I really think it deserves own thread, can you copy and paste it?

[Markqpr]

More happy days!

Nice one for that London, great read, thanks.

[Macmoish]

Forty Years...Wow! (A long time to go without seeing QPR Play )

Three GREAT ENgland Goalies all available at the same time (+ Thrown in Ray Clemence!)

[Lonegunmen]

Obviously not a true QPR fan.

[Macmoish]

Bumpy....

[rousdonhoops]

remember reading a report orient v. walsall where a young phil parkes was the reason it remained 0-0, months later we signed him

[Macmoish]

A steal buy. We got our money back by selling Mike Kelly to Birmingham.

Was there for Parkes QPR debut (Sadly QPR lost, I think to Leicester) - Bizarrely first game of the season, Spratley played instead of Parkes

Could see he was very good from the very beginning

[jayrigg]

My First Rangers idol!!!!



cheers,


Jay.

[marianqpr]

Phil Parkes.....a true QPR legend.
Most days while out walking, I still wear an R's rain jacket that I bought in his sports shop many moons ago

[Macmoish]

You can always find video snippets of a goalie having a great game (or even a great season)...But Parkes was brilliant every game (ALMOST!) and every season

[nzhoop]

And to think , the great Phil Parkes was diving around like a madman in the days before padding in the shirts and massive gloves.

[rousdonhoops]

what about the two we slipped into the gooners onion bag

[cpr]

Phil Parkes used to coach us on the roof of the Alexander & Seven Feathers youth club.

The greatest name for a youth club that ever there was.

He wasn't the only one but the one I remember most coz he was a nice bloke but we couldn't understand him! ;D

[scarletpimple]

Phil Parks was a great keeper, but hadn't realized he did have a glaring weakness, having recently watched a dvd called The best team never win the football league.
The amount of times he was beaten with the ball slipping under his body. never noticed that before.

[Macmoish]

The video I think it was of our Alan Mullery Disaster loss showed Parkes conceding a couple of soft goals. But he was still right up there with England's best at the time: Banks, Shilton, Clemence. And if you want to argue they were 1% better. Maybe. But I never wanted any goalie other than Parkes. (Or any other player to replace Francis, Thomas and Bowles)

[rousdonhoops]

remember mervyn day the hammers goalie who phil replaced, the media were creaming themselves about him, saying he would be the next england goalie, but it was all show with merv, doing 6 somersaults, a backward flip and a pike just to receive a back pass, phil was sheer class, no posing, just saving, even though it was the era of shilts and clemence should have won more than his 1 cap, but thats the fa for you, bloody useless

[Macmoish]

True...Also I do remember Mervyn Day as a teenager in his first season, first few games (and QPR's first season back under Jago)...We destroyed West Ham..But he was on a brilliant streak. And kept us to 0-0 draw

[rousdonhoops]

Jun 25, 2011 19:48:55 GMT Macmoish said:

The video I think it was of our Alan Mullery Disaster loss showed Parkes conceding a couple of soft goals. But he was still right up there with England's best at the time: Banks, Shilton, Clemence. And if you want to argue they were 1% better. Maybe. But I never wanted any goalie other than Parkes. (Or any other player to replace Francis, Thomas and Bowles)

thinking about it now this was the game we lost 3-2, I was there at the clock end, remember the cold

[Macmoish]

As I recall, I think this was the game we drew 0-0...Slaughtered them. Hit the woodwork...and just a week earlier had beaten them at WH with Ron Abbot scoring on his debut...
AT this point of the season, we didn't yet know how good we truly were; how well we would do..

[scarletpimple]

Jun 25, 2011 19:54:20 GMT Macmoish said:

True...Also I do remember Mervyn Day as a teenager in his first season, first few games (and QPR's first season back under Jago)...We destroyed West Ham..But he was on a brilliant streak. And kept us to 0-0 draw

I remember that night, ref disallowed three QPR goals one was a shot from Dave Thomas from i would say at least 35 yards .

[Macmoish]

"Darn"...Missed the Anniversary date by a couple of days...

Still great signing...

[Macmoish]

Bump...

43 Years Ago ...