Phil Parkinson - The man, the legend

Phil ‘Parky' Parkinson must surely be one of the most popular and respected footballers to ever grace the blue and white hoops of Reading FC. A true legend and much loved loyal servant to the club for eleven years, He eventually departed in 2003 to take over as manager of Colchester United.

Born 1st December 1967, he was without doubt one of the finest, most committed central midfielders Elm Park or the Mad Stad has ever seen. His no-nonsense style, and tough tackling, as well as fine distribution of the ball won him an abundance of fans, both male and female, during his time with the Royals.

He began his career on the South Coast with Southampton as a trainee. It never really worked out for him down there and soon moved further up North, making his football league debut with Bury. After a succession of eye catching performances, Mark McGhee paid Bury £37,500 for Parkinson's services in 1992. A transfer that turned out to be a right royal bargain by all accounts!

Twice named Reading player of the year in 1998 and 1999, as the seasons rolled by he proved his value to the club despite the relegation to the old Division Two. Eventually though in the 2001/2 season, ‘Parky' at last fulfilled an ambition by captaining the side to promotion back up the league ladder.

He also showed his worth during the tough times of moving from the old Elm Park, to the new Madejski stadium in 1999. Not only did the club move stadia, but manager Tommy Burns was sacked and later replaced by Alan Pardew. Throughout all the upheaval and changes in this period, the one constant and reassuring factor was always Phil Parkinson.

In 2002 Parkinson was granted a testimonial after overwhelming pressure from the fans and those involved with the club on Chairman John Madejski. Over 20,000 turned out to watch the game featuring other Royals legends such as Shaka Hislop, Michael Gilkes, and Mick Gooding. They took on a select England XI featuring the likes of Stuart Pearce, Chris Waddle, John Barnes, Paul Gascoigne and Jamie Redknapp. A fitting tribute indeed, to a true legend.

During his final season with the club, ‘Parky' rarely got a start despite being a hugely respected and influential member of the set-up. He then left in 2003 after being offered the manager's post at League One side Colchester United. The highlight so far being the FA Cup fifth round tie against Chelsea where his team gave a great account of themselves in 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Many Royals fans have either adopted Colchester as their second team, or at least look out for their results on a Saturday after leaving the Mad Stad. A measure of the huge influence Parkinson had on Reading supporters during his time with the club.

Parkinson states his favourite manager as being ex England boss Kevin Keegan, the highlight of his career as the two promotions with Reading, and his most memorable moments being the games which clinched promotion on both occasions. He also says his favourite ever team mate was Jimmy Quinn, whom he described as a ‘fantastic finisher', and his personal favourite goal as the screamer he scored against Wolves, which many Royals fans will no doubt remember.

Indeed, Phil Parkinson is a true Reading FC legend in every sense of the word. The passion he showed on the pitch reflected onto the terraces and the fans. He now seems to be showing all the signs of becoming a real legend as manger of Colchester United, and who knows? One day ‘Parky' might be back at the Madejski as manager himself, and not too many would argue with that.