Les Parry
{{short description|English physiotherapist and football manager}}
{{distinguish|text=Les Parry (footballer), who played for Tranmere in the 1970s and early 1980s, making over 250 league appearances for the club}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox football biography
| image =
| fullname = Leslie Parry
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|11|27|df=y}}{{cite web|title=Les Parry profile|url=http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/history-1692.html|publisher=LMA|accessdate=10 July 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306230944/http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/history-1692.html|archivedate=6 March 2012|df=dmy-all}}
| birth_place = Birkenhead, England
| position =
| currentclub =
| manageryears1 = 2009–2012 |managerclubs1 = Tranmere Rovers
}}
Leslie Parry (born 27 November 1957) is an English physiotherapist and former manager of Tranmere Rovers Football Club from 9 October 2009 until his dismissal on 4 March 2012.{{cite web |date=4 March 2012|accessdate=13 October 2018|url= https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/17251223|title= Tranmere Rovers sack manager Les Parry |publisher= BBC }}
Parry worked with Tranmere Rovers as physiotherapist since 1991 before succeeding John Barnes in the managerial position at Tranmere. He kept his former job during his first season as manager. Having only recruited on caretaker basis, he guided the club to five wins and three draws, earning him a permanent contract on 16 December 2009. Later that season, he staved off relegation from the League One.
Managerial career
=Tranmere Rovers=
Rovers sacked manager John Barnes and his assistant, Jason McAteer, after a run of just two league wins from 11 matches on 9 October 2009. As a result, Parry was placed in temporary charge, to be assisted by reserve boss Shaun Garnett.{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/t/tranmere_rovers/8298686.stm |title= Tranmere sack Barnes and McAteer |date=2009-10-09 |publisher= BBC Sport |accessdate=2009-12-17}} His first match was a 0–1 home loss to Stockport County.{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_2/8294624.stm |title= Tranmere 0 - 1 Stockport |date=2009-10-12 |publisher= BBC Sport |accessdate=2009-12-17}} On 16 December, he was appointed manager until the end of the season after an encouraging five wins and three draws (sixteen losses) as caretaker boss.{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/t/tranmere_rovers/8416894.stm |title= Parry has Tranmere job for season |date=2009-12-16 |publisher= BBC Sport |accessdate=2009-12-17}} Parry successfully kept Tranmere in League One, securing the team's place for the next season with a vital victory away at Stockport on the final day of the 2009–10 season. Parry continued to fill the physiotherapist role alongside that of manager until the appointment of Steve Walker in June 2010.{{cite web |url= http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/tranmere-rovers/tranmere-rovers-news/2010/06/29/tranmere-rovers-unveil-new-physio-steve-walker-from-crewe-100252-26745925/ |title= Tranmere Rovers unveil new physio Steve Walker from Crewe |date=2010-06-29 |publisher= Liverpool Echo |accessdate=2010-10-06}}
After finishing 18th in the 2010-11 campaign, his first full season in charge, Parry was awarded the Liverpool Echo Special Award for Outstanding Service to Sport.{{Cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/tranmere-rovers-rock-les-parry-3427389|title = Tranmere Rovers rock les Parry receives Special Liverpool Echo award|date = 3 March 2010}} In the same season, Parry completed the amazing feat of attending 1001 consecutive First Team matches [https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-272613626]{{dead link|date=July 2021}} a feat made more remarkable by the fact that for more than 900 of those matches when he was physio, he wore nothing more than tee-shirt and shorts, even on the coldest of evenings.{{Cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/tranmere-rovers-fc-les-parrys-3360398|title = Tranmere Rovers FC: Les Parry's 1,000 games in the dugout – and he's not missed a single one|date = 17 November 2011}} The team made a strong start the following season, with Rovers in 5th place at the end of August and Parry was nominated for the NW Manager of the Year award.{{Cite web |url=https://paulharpersportswriter.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/sir-alex-ferguson-versus-les-parry/ |title=Paul Harper – Sports Writer | Sir Alex Ferguson versus les Parry! |access-date=26 February 2015 |archive-date=26 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226203059/https://paulharpersportswriter.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/sir-alex-ferguson-versus-les-parry/ |url-status=dead }} However, they had a run of 11 matches without a win (on a wider scale 1 win in 20), leading to the physio's dismissal on 4 March 2012.
Parry was appointed as physiotherapist at Accrington Stanley until the end of the 2011–12 seasonLiverpool Echo, [http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/tranmere-rovers-fc/tranmere-rovers-news/2012/03/30/former-tranmere-rovers-fc-manager-les-parry-lands-physio-role-at-accrington-stanley-100252-30656478/ Former Tranmere Rovers FC manager Les Parry lands physio role at Accrington Stanley], 30 March 2012. Accessed 16 April 2012 and stayed there until joining Manchester United on 1 January 2013 to work with the development and academy squads in Athletic Development.{{cite news |url= http://www.lmeda.co.uk/In-The-News/parry-moves-to-pastures-new.html |title= Parry moves to pastures new |date=2013-01-01 |publisher= League Medical Association |accessdate=2013-01-30}} In October 2014, Parry was awarded the prestigious Fabrice Muamba Award for Medical and Science Professional of the Year.{{cite web |url=http://fcbusiness.co.uk/news/article/newsitem=3564/title=sterling,+dyche,+dalglish+-+big+winners+at+mbna+northwest+football+awards+2014 |title=Sterling, Dyche, Dalglish - Big winners at MBNA Northwest Football Awards 2014 : F.C. Business |website=fcbusiness.co.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226212944/http://fcbusiness.co.uk/news/article/newsitem=3564/title=sterling,+dyche,+dalglish+-+big+winners+at+mbna+northwest+football+awards+2014 |archive-date=2015-02-26}}
Statistics
=Managerial=
These statistics include all league and cup first team fixtures.{{cite web |url= http://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/page/Fixtures/0,,10365,00.html|title= 2009-2010 Fixtures|author= |date= |publisher= Tranmere Rovers Official Website|accessdate=2009-12-19}}{{cite web |url= https://www.soccerbase.com/managers/manager.sd?manager_id=2174|title= Les Parry's managerial career|author= |date= |publisher= Soccerbase|access-date=2009-12-19}}
{{updated|3 March 2012}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" | ||||
| rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|From !rowspan="2"|To !colspan="5"|Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % |
| align=left|Tranmere Rovers
|align=left|9 October 2009 |align=left|4 March 2012 {{WDL|131|40|34|57}} | ||||
| colspan=3| Total
{{WDLtot|131|40|34|57}} |
Personal life
Parry began his working life as a trainee shipwright at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2010/10/when_a_physio_becomes_a_manage.html|title=The physio who became a manager|date=6 October 2010|publisher=BBC|accessdate=8 October 2010}} During this period of his life he was named 'British Apprentice of the Year' in 1974. He followed this with a career as an airframe fitter at British Aerospace. After a period working in Germany he returned to the UK where he studied physiotherapy at the University of Salford. In addition, he also acquired a qualification in sports science. Following this he opened a clinic, and a business to train health and fitness instructors.
He started as part-time physio at Tranmere in 1991 before being appointed full-time by Johnny King in 1993.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2010/10/when_a_physio_becomes_a_manage.html|title=BBC - Paul Fletcher: The physio who became a manager}}
Parry completed a PhD in "Sports injuries in professional soccer and the effects of detraining" at Liverpool John Moores University in July 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.csp.org.uk/director/members/newsandanalysis/frontlinemagazine.cfm?ITEM_ID=623D777EF8C382D7F2295EBC8D7979C4&article=|title=Students Conference - Pain can be 'unlearned'|date=17 March 2010|publisher=Chartered Society of Physiotherapy|accessdate=28 March 2010}}
Parry released a single named "I'm Les The White Legs Parry" which changed words from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in 2006. It sold 2,000 copies to raise money for charity.{{cite web |url= http://www.football-league.co.uk/features/in-the-club-les-parry-20080909_2249035_1386987 |title= IN THE CLUB: LES PARRY |date=2008-09-09 |publisher= The Football League |accessdate=2009-12-17}}
External links
- {{soccerbase (manager)|2174}}
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2010/10/when_a_physio_becomes_a_manage.html#259460 BBC Sport: Paul Fletcher, The physio who became a manager, 6 October 2010]
References
{{reflist}}
{{Tranmere Rovers F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parry, Les}}
Category:Sportspeople from Birkenhead
Category:Alumni of Liverpool John Moores University
Category:Alumni of the University of Salford
Category:English football managers
Category:Tranmere Rovers F.C. managers
Category:English Football League managers
Category:Tranmere Rovers F.C. non-playing staff
Category:Accrington Stanley F.C. non-playing staff