Blackburn Rovers legend Tony Parkes dies aged 76, club mourns loss

Tony Parkes, the Sheffield-born midfielder whose name became inseparable from Blackburn Rovers, died aged 76 on Wednesday night, April 22, 2026. Blackburn Rovers said it was devastated by the loss of a figure supporters long knew as “Mr Blackburn Rovers” and a true club legend.

Parkes joined Blackburn from Buxton in 1970 and spent 12 years as a player, making more than 400 appearances and scoring 46 goals. His record at Ewood Park stretched far beyond his playing days, with more than two decades in coaching roles that kept him at the centre of the club through changing eras, managers and ambitions.

He stepped in as Blackburn’s caretaker manager six times and was trusted in some of the club’s most significant moments. Parkes led the side out at the Division Two play-off final at Wembley in May 1992, then later served as part of Kenny Dalglish’s coaching team when Blackburn won the Premier League title in 1994-95. That championship season remains the high-water mark of the modern club, and Parkes was part of the staff that helped carry Blackburn there.

Parkes later moved to Blackpool, where he worked as assistant manager and caretaker manager between 2005 and 2009. In 2020, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and Blackburn had already organised support and fundraising efforts for him in recent years through the Remember The Rovers community project. The club said condolences had been passed to his daughter Natalie, along with the rest of his family and friends, and added that it will pay tribute to him at Ewood Park.