John Parke (footballer)

{{Short description|Association footballer from Northern Ireland}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = John Parke

| image =

| caption =

| fullname =

| height =

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1937|8|6}}

| birth_place = Bangor, Northern Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2011|8|27|1937|8|6}}

| death_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Cliftonville

| clubs1 = Linfield|clubs2=Hibernian|clubs3=Sunderland|clubs4=→ Vancouver Royal Canadians (loan){{Cite web|url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/P/Parke.John.htm|title = NASL-John Parke}}|clubs5=KV Mechelen

| nationalyears1 = 1963–1967

| nationalteam1 = Northern Ireland

| nationalcaps1= 14|nationalgoals1=0

}}

John Parke (6 August 1937 – 27 August 2011) was a footballer, who played for Linfield, Hibernian, Sunderland, Vancouver Royal Canadians, KV Mechelen and the Northern Ireland national football team as a full back.

Club career

He started his professional footballing career in his native Northern Ireland with Cliftonville before joining their rivals Linfield in 1954.{{cite web|url=http://nifootball.blogspot.com/2007/08/john-parke.html|title=John Parke|publisher=Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats|accessdate=2008-08-12}} Having been a key player in the club's 'Seven Trophy' season of 1961/62, he moved to Scotland with Hibernian in 1963 where he made 23 appearances, scoring no goals. Parke moved to Sunderland in November 1964{{Hugman|15240|accessdate=19 February 2017}} and made his debut on 21 November, against Sheffield United in a 3–0 defeat at Bramall Lane.{{cite web|url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Imatchdets/IMD1941.asp|title=Sheffield United 3-0 Sunderland|publisher=The Stat Cat|accessdate=2008-08-12|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080520023316/http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Imatchdets/IMD1941.asp|archivedate=20 May 2008|df=dmy-all}} He went on to make 85 league appearances for the club.{{cite web|url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Mplayers/MPG668.asp|title=John Parke|publisher=The Stat Cat|accessdate=2008-08-12|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605171644/http://thestatcat.co.uk/Mplayers/MPG668.asp|archivedate=5 June 2008|df=dmy-all}} He joined Belgian club KV Mechelen before retiring in 1968.

International career

He won his first cap for Northern Ireland on 12 November 1963 in a 2–1 win against Scotland. He went on to make a further 13 caps for his country, making it a total of 14 caps, with 0 goals.

Death

Parke died of Alzheimer's disease in 2011, aged 74.[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/local/tributes-paid-to-windsor-legend-john-parke-16042292.html Notice of death in The Belfast Telegraph]