David Edward Parry 1948-2024

David Parry was born in Southport-born on 11 February 1948]. As either an outside left or outside right, he was a member of a Southport school side that had won the Champion School of Lancashire title. Blackpool were alerted to his progress and he was signed by the club as an apprentice professional on 14 August 1964. He was to earn a basic £8 per week, an agreement that was to last for two seasons.

He very quickly made his mark in the junior sides and he made his Central League debut for Blackpool against Wolverhampton Wanderers reserves on 19 September 1964 when Blackpool won 2-1.

He became an integral member of the Central League side and he scored his first senior goal for the club in a 2-2 draw with Burnley reserves on 29 September 1964. He went on to play 10 Central League games, scoring one goal, for Blackpool in the 1964/65 season.

Blackpool signed him as a full-time professional on 24 December 1965 when his weekly wage was increased to £10 plus an additional £15 if he played in the first team and an extra £2 when he played in the reserve side.

The press picked up on his quality play against Stoke City reserves on 1 January 1966 he earned praise with ‘most of Blackpool’s early attacking thrusts came from Parry on the left wing’ but Blackpool eventually lost 3-1.

Once again the press highlighted him when there was ‘some useful wing play by Parry’ when Blackpool lost 4-2 to Stoke City reserves on 5 February 1966.

When Jimmy Robson scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers in a Lancashire Senior Cup tie on 4 April 1966, he was instrumental in both goals. The first came after 14 minutes when ‘Parry hit a perfect centre into the middle where inside right Robson rose head and shoulders above Blackburn pivot Mulvaney and flashed the ball into the net.” And Robson’s second goal came when ‘Parry, starved of the ball in the second half, then broke away, laid on a perfect pass for Robson and, despite a brave attempt by Jones, the Blackburn ‘keeper, Robson succeeded in pressing the ball just inside the post for the winner.’

He played 19 Central League games, scoring one goal, and one Lancashire Senior Cup tie for Blackpool in the 1965/66 season.

When interviewed about his career in October 1966 he commented, ‘I’m supposed to be one of the fastest players on the books’ and he felt that his speed could possibly help him achieve his first team ambitions. However, he was appearing regularly in the junior sides and had by then only appeared twice in the Central League side in the 1966/67 season. However, when the season ended he had secured a regular place in the side, and had played 25 Central League games, scoring four goals, by the end of the 1966/67 season.

Due to what was deemed to be a large pool of players, some of whom might not be given a fair chance at first team football, it was reluctantly decided that he be given a free transfer on 30 June 1967.

He was quickly signed by Tranmere Rovers in July 1967 but he played just three League games for the club in his one season there..

Tranmere transferred him to Halifax Town in September 1958 but once again he unfortunately did not gain a regular League spot, playing just two League games for the club.

After League football he played 17 games for then Northern Premier League side Wigan Athletic.

He was unfortunate that when he was at Blackpool, the club did have a large number of very experienced professionals and it was difficult to break into the first team squad but, playing 54 Central League games, scoring six goals, and one Senior Cup tie (when Blackpool played a mixture of first-team and reserve players in that competition), he was an important part of the club’s rich heritage.

He died on 25 August 2024 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and condolences go to his family and many friends.