Wolves have lost a true legend, on and off the pitch, with news today of the sad passing of Phil Parkes, at the age of 79.
The former goalkeeper affectionately known as Lofty, passed away peacefully this morning, prompting a string of tributes from his former team-mates and colleagues and the footballing world in general.
He made a total of 362 appearances in goal for Wolves, 17th in the club’s all-time appearance list, and third for goalkeepers, behind only Mike Stowell and Bert Williams.
He was the goalkeeper when Wolves reached the UEFA Cup final in 1972, memorably saving penalties in both legs of the semi-final against Ferencvaros, and then all the way through to the League Cup final success of 1974.
Unfortunately, he suffered an ankle injury which meant he missed out on the final against Manchester City, but was still there supporting the team, and was one of the first to congratulate his understudy Gary Pierce during the post-match celebrations.
That was a mark of the man, who would later also carry out some incredible charity work in memory of wife Maureen, who passed away in 2010 after being diagnosed with cancer, as well as being a long-serving member of the committee of Wolves’ Former Players Association.
He was deservedly inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2023.
One of his former Wolves’ team-mates and now Vice-President of the club and Chairman of the FPA John Richards, said: “It’s a very sad day; we’ve lost one of our greats, and one of the most genuine people you could ever wish to meet.
“Phil was larger than life, a big character with an even bigger heart. He would help anyone, always there if you needed anything and the first in line when supporting local charity and community events. Everyone knew him and he was affectionately known as Lofty or the Big Man.
“He has been a massive part of the Wolves family for well over 60 years, and his loss will be difficult to come to terms with. A warm and a very special man, he is leaving a huge hole in many of our lives.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and close friends.”
Parkes was close to so many of his team-mates, including Steve Daley, the two sharing a close friendship particularly in the years after they had retired. They also linked up in managerial and coaching roles at various non-league clubs, as Parkes as also did with another former Wolves’ favourite in Mel Eves.
Parkes had sadly suffered a serious fall in the early part of last year which had left him unable to walk, but he would receive a constant supply of visits not just from family and friends, but former Wolves’ team-mates.
For so many years, he had continued to be a strong advocate for Wolves’ position in the local community with the FPA, sitting alongside both Derek Parkin and Geoff Palmer on the committee, the two full backs with whom he forged such a strong understanding as a player.
And in terms of a fan’ perspective, lifelong Wolves supporter Richard Green, who has been the administration manager of the FPA for over a decade, is able to reflect on just what Parkes meant to the Molineux public.
“Lofty was an incredible goalkeeper, and I will always remember his huge presence and particularly when he used to wear the bright red goalkeeping top,” says Green.
“As a fan, I used to go and watch the team train at Castlecroft, and standing behind the goal gave me a real insight into just how imposing Lofty was, and what a great goalkeeper.
“It has always been a privilege to sit on the FPA committee with some of my heroes, and Lofty was no exception, always full of stories and laughter and the banter with his team-mates and pals such as Steve Daley was never-ending.
“But when it came to the serious business, he was passionate about helping the local community, and I remember a visit with him and Dales to Compton Care to meet a group of outpatients, where he spent hours chatting and we had to practically force him to leave!
“A born entertainer and a huge support to Wolves’ FPA committee – that is how I would sum up Lofty and this is a very sad day.”
A sad day indeed. All at Wolves FPA send their sincere condolences to Phil’s sons Greg and Dean, their extended family, and all of his friends and former colleagues.
Click here to read a full tribute to Phil Parkes.
