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Alex Parker

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Alex Parker
Personal information
Full name Alexander Hershaw Parker[1]
Date of birth (1935-08-02)2 August 1935
Place of birth Irvine, Scotland
Date of death 7 January 2010(2010-01-07) (aged 74)[2]
Place of death Gretna, Scotland
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Right back
Youth career
1950–1952 Kello Rovers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1952–1958 Falkirk 121 (2)
1958–1965 Everton 198 (5)
1965–1968 Southport 76 (0)
1968–1969 Ballymena United ? (?)
1969–1970 Drumcondra 4 (0)
International career
1955–1958[3] Scotland U23 6 (0)
1955[4] Scotland B vs A trial 1 (0)
1955–1958 Scotland 15 (0)
1955–1958 Scottish Football League XI 9 (0)
1958–1960[5][6][7] SFA trial v SFL 3 (0)
Managerial career
1968–1969 Ballymena United
1970–1971 Southport
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alexander Hershaw Parker (2 August 1935 – 7 January 2010) was a Scottish football player and manager. Parker played for Falkirk, Everton and Scotland, amongst others. Parker was named in Falkirk's Team of the Millennium and Everton's Hall of Fame.[8]

Playing career

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Falkirk

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Parker, a fullback, began his career with Kello Rovers, turning semi-professional when he joined Falkirk in 1952. The highlight of Parker's time with the Bairns was their 1957 Scottish Cup victory, as they defeated Kilmarnock in a replayed final.[2]

Everton

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Parker moved to Merseyside in June[9] 1958[10] when Everton paid £18,000 in a double signing of Parker and Eddie O'Hara both from Falkirk.[11] Parker's Toffees debut was delayed by his requirement to fulfil National Service in Cyprus.[2] He eventually became a stalwart in the side which won the 1962–63 league championship, finishing six points ahead of runners-up Tottenham.[2]

After this triumph, however, hamstring injuries started to trouble Parker,[8] and he left Goodison Park in 1965.

Southport

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He joined Southport for £2,000. He stayed 3 years with the Sandgrounders.

Ballymena United

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Parker next moved to Northern Ireland to become player-manager of Ballymena United.

Drumcondra

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He signed for Drumcondra F.C. in December 1969 and made his League of Ireland debut at Tolka Park on 4 January 1970 in a 3–1 defeat to Dundalk. He left for after only three months to return to the UK.

International

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Parker gained his first cap for Scotland against Portugal in 1955 while playing for Falkirk.[2] He was selected in the squad for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, making one appearance against Paraguay.[2] This also transpired to be his final national team cap, which some regarded as "perverse"; former teammate Alex Young stated that Parker was still the best player in his position in Britain.[8] Parker also represented the Scottish Football League XI.[12]

Southport manager

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Parker returned to Souhtport where he was given a coaching role. Two months later he was promoted to manager but this appointment lasted only a single season.

After football

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After his retirement from the footballing world, Parker became a publican in Runcorn. He then lived in Gretna, Dumfriesshire.

Parker died of a heart attack on 7 January 2010.[2]

Career statistics

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International appearances

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Scotland national team[13]
Year Apps Goals
1955 5 0
1956 5 0
1957 3 0
1958 2 0
Total 15 0

Honours

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Falkirk
Everton
Southport
Scotland
Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Alex Parker". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Everton legend of the sixties Alex Parker passes away, Liverpool Echo, 8 January 2010.
  3. ^ Scotland U23 player Parker, Alex, FitbaStats
  4. ^ Easter Road game should not have been played, Glasgow Herald (page 4), 22 February 1955
  5. ^ Scottish trial match at Easter Road Archived 9 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Glasgow Herald, 4 February 1958
  6. ^ The selectors still have problems Archived 14 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Bulletin, 17 March 1959
  7. ^ Ronnie McDevitt (2016). Scotland in the 60s: The Definitive Account of the Scottish National Football Side During the 1960s. Pitch Publishing. ISBN 9781785312458.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ a b c Passing of Parker marks loss of Falkirk's finest from golden era, The Scotsman, 9 January 2010.
  9. ^ "Alex Parker: Scottish international full-back revered at Falkirk and Everton" The Independent 23 January 2010
  10. ^ ""Alex Parker" evertonfc.com". Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  11. ^ "Bairns mourn passing of another 1957 Falkirk cup hero" The Falkirk Herald 16 October 2016
  12. ^ "SFL player Alexander Hershaw Parker". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  13. ^ Alex Parker at the Scottish Football Association
  14. ^ "1963/64 Charity Shield". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  15. ^ "Alex Parker 1935 – 2010". Southport FC. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Alex Parker". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  17. ^ a b c d "He was quite simply a class act' – Alex Parker of Falkirk FC and Scotland". Falkirk Herald. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
    "Alex Parker; Scottish international footballer". Herald Scotland. 12 January 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
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