Phil Parkes

Phil Parkes was born on 14 July 1947 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire (now West Midlands), England. As a boy he watched West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns and admired players such as Ronnie Allen, who would later manage him at Wolves, Derek Kevan and Ray Barlow. He went to one Monday night training session with Albion's youth system but did not enjoy it. At 14 he was spotted by a Wolverhampton Wanderers scout and joined the club as a schoolboy in 1960.

Details of Parkes's schooling have not been made public. After leaving school he was taken on by Wolves as an amateur and combined football with a job in a steel construction factory. He was coached at Wolves by Bill Shorthouse, Joe Gardiner and Bill Crook, and turned professional in 1964. He worked his way up from the club's fifth amateur side to the reserves, becoming cover for first-team goalkeeper Fred Davies after the departures of Jimmy Barron and Bob Knight.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (1964 to 1978). Parkes made his first-team debut in November 1966 against Preston North End at 19, saving a penalty in a 3-2 win. He played the last 13 games of the 1966-67 season as Wolves won promotion to the First Division. In 1967 he was part of the squad that played as the Los Angeles Wolves in the United Soccer Association, and in 1969 he guested for the Kansas City Spurs in the NASL. Under manager Bill McGarry he became first choice, and from September 1970 he played 127 consecutive league matches (170 in all competitions), a Wolves record. In the 1971-72 UEFA Cup he faced Juventus in the quarter-final, saved penalties in both legs of the semi-final against Ferencvaros and played in the two-legged final against Tottenham Hotspur, which Wolves lost. He played in every round of the 1973-74 League Cup but broke an ankle before the final and missed the 2-1 win over Manchester City. Later he shared the position with Gary Pierce and Paul Bradshaw. His last Wolves game, a 2-1 win over West Ham United in March 1978, came after Sammy Chung called him in when Bradshaw fell ill. Wolves credit him with 382 appearances in all competitions; Wikipedia lists 303 league games.

North America (1976 to 1983). Parkes played summers for the Vancouver Whitecaps in 1976 and 1977 and joined permanently in 1978. He was NASL Goalkeeper of the Year in 1978 and 1979 and an NASL All-Star in 1979 and 1980. In 1979 he helped Vancouver past the Dallas Tornado, Los Angeles Aztecs and New York Cosmos, then made five saves in the 2-1 Soccer Bowl win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Giants Stadium, New Jersey. The Whitecaps record 89 starts, 26 clean sheets and three assists for him. He then played for the Chicago Sting (outdoor and indoor), the San Jose Earthquakes, where he was a teammate of George Best, the Oklahoma City Slickers of the American Soccer League and the Toronto Blizzard, retiring in 1983. He also featured in a select side against the New York Cosmos for Franz Beckenbauer's farewell and played against Pele, Eusebio and Johan Cruyff.

After playing. Back in Wolverhampton he held coaching and assistant manager roles at non-league clubs with former teammates Steve Daley and Mel Eves.

Parkes was married to Maureen, who died of cancer in 2010. They had two sons, Greg and Dean, and he was a grandfather. After football he worked as a roofer for more than 20 years for the chairman of Fordhouses Cricket Club, where he played for many years, captained the second and third teams and umpired junior matches. Friends described a simple routine of breakfast from Greggs, the bus into the city and a pint with friends and family. He was a regular roommate of Frank Munro during his playing days and remained especially close to Steve Daley, with whom he formed a well-known double act at former players' events.

Parkes was known for loyalty, humour and community service rather than public statements on politics or religion. Teammate Bob Lenarduzzi said he had no ego, and John Richards called him a big gentle giant who would protect his friends. Asked in 2024 how he wanted his Wolves career remembered, he said he hoped it would be remembered with joy. His personal beliefs beyond that have not been made public.

Parkes is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in Wolves history. His run of 127 consecutive league games is a club record that the club believes may never be broken, and his appearance total places him third among Wolves goalkeepers. In Vancouver he is remembered as a key figure in the 1979 Soccer Bowl team; his game-worn Soccer Bowl jersey was reunited with him in 2019 and displayed at the BC Sports Hall of Fame. In Wolverhampton his fundraising in memory of his wife helped buy equipment for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, and his work with the Former Players' Association made him one of the club's most popular former players.

NASL Goalkeeper of the Year (1978, 1979). NASL Soccer Bowl champion with the Vancouver Whitecaps (1979). NASL All-Star (1979, 1980). United Soccer Association title with the Los Angeles Wolves (1967). UEFA Cup runner-up with Wolves (1972). Member of the Wolves squad that won the 1974 Football League Cup, though injury kept him out of the final. Wolves club record of 127 consecutive league appearances. Inducted into the Wolves Hall of Fame (2023).

Parkes appeared in Wolves club video series reminiscing about his career, including making his own goalkeeping gloves, and gave interviews to the Express & Star about the club in later years. AFTN filmed his 2019 reunion with his Soccer Bowl jersey in Vancouver, and footage of the 1979 Soccer Bowl survives online. Fans Steve Plant and Steve Saul honoured him at one of their They Wore The Shirt dinners, which Bruce Grobbelaar attended.

In April 2025 Parkes suffered a serious fall at home that led to emergency surgery on his back, left him unable to walk and kept him under medical supervision for the rest of his life. Wolves fans raised money to help his recovery. He died peacefully on the morning of 8 August 2026, aged 79; the exact place of death has not been made public. Tributes came from Wolves, the Wolves Former Players' Association, the Vancouver Whitecaps and former teammates. His funeral on 2 September 2026 at St Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton, drew about 500 mourners, including Steve Bull, John Richards, Peter Knowles, Derek Parkin, Mel Eves, Carl Ikeme and Robert Plant. His coffin, draped in a Wolves flag, paused outside Molineux. The service opened with the Whitecaps anthem White Is The Colour and closed with Hi Ho Silver Lining. His resting place has not been made public.