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Phil Parkinson
Philip John Parkinson (born 1 December 1967) is an English professional football manager and former midfielder. He is the manager of EFL Championship club Wrexham.
Parkinson acquired a Social Science degree early into his career as a manager and is the only manager to take an English fourth-tier league club to the final of a major cup competition at Wembley Stadium, leading Bradford City of League Two to the 2013 League Cup final. During his career, he has achieved promotion six times: with Colchester to the Championship in 2006, with Bradford to League One in 2013, with Bolton Wanderers to the Championship in 2017, and with Wrexham to League Two in 2023, League One in 2024 and the Championship in 2025.
Parkinson was born in Chorley, England, and grew up there until the age of ten, when he moved with his parents and two siblings to Stockton-on-Tees, where he attended Our Lady and St Bede RC School.
Parkinson, a former Southampton trainee, signed for Third Division side Bury for £12,000 in March 1988, making his Football League debut shortly after. He later joined Reading for £50,000 in July 1992.
Parkinson was named player of the season for two consecutive years (1997–98 and 1998–99) and was also a key member of the 1993–94 Football League Second Division championship-winning team. He captained the team to promotion from the Second Division in 2001–02 and soon after promotion success, Parkinson celebrated his testimonial year with a memorable night at Madejski Stadium, where 20,000 fans watched former Reading teammates such as Shaka Hislop, Michael Gilkes and Jeff Hopkins take on an England XI including the likes of Paul Gascoigne, John Barnes and Chris Waddle. Parkinson's final competitive appearance for Reading was a League Cup defeat against Cambridge United on 10 September 2002.
Although Parkinson rarely featured on the field in his final season as Reading returned to the First Division, he remained a well-respected member of the squad until his departure to Layer Road.
In a 2005 poll to compile the Royals' best-ever XI, Parkinson was voted the best central midfielder with 60.3% of the vote.
Parkinson left Reading early in 2003 after 11 seasons to take his first steps in management with EFL League One club Colchester United. Despite showing promising signs as he steered the U's to safety upon arrival in February 2003, the 2003–04 season started poorly as Colchester slipped to three straight league defeats, only softened by a victory in the League Cup. Colchester's form improved and a strong FA Cup run, LDV run and a good finish to the season left optimism for U's supporters.[citation needed]
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Phil Parkinson
Philip John Parkinson (born 1 December 1967) is an English professional football manager and former midfielder. He is the manager of EFL Championship club Wrexham.
Parkinson acquired a Social Science degree early into his career as a manager and is the only manager to take an English fourth-tier league club to the final of a major cup competition at Wembley Stadium, leading Bradford City of League Two to the 2013 League Cup final. During his career, he has achieved promotion six times: with Colchester to the Championship in 2006, with Bradford to League One in 2013, with Bolton Wanderers to the Championship in 2017, and with Wrexham to League Two in 2023, League One in 2024 and the Championship in 2025.
Parkinson was born in Chorley, England, and grew up there until the age of ten, when he moved with his parents and two siblings to Stockton-on-Tees, where he attended Our Lady and St Bede RC School.
Parkinson, a former Southampton trainee, signed for Third Division side Bury for £12,000 in March 1988, making his Football League debut shortly after. He later joined Reading for £50,000 in July 1992.
Parkinson was named player of the season for two consecutive years (1997–98 and 1998–99) and was also a key member of the 1993–94 Football League Second Division championship-winning team. He captained the team to promotion from the Second Division in 2001–02 and soon after promotion success, Parkinson celebrated his testimonial year with a memorable night at Madejski Stadium, where 20,000 fans watched former Reading teammates such as Shaka Hislop, Michael Gilkes and Jeff Hopkins take on an England XI including the likes of Paul Gascoigne, John Barnes and Chris Waddle. Parkinson's final competitive appearance for Reading was a League Cup defeat against Cambridge United on 10 September 2002.
Although Parkinson rarely featured on the field in his final season as Reading returned to the First Division, he remained a well-respected member of the squad until his departure to Layer Road.
In a 2005 poll to compile the Royals' best-ever XI, Parkinson was voted the best central midfielder with 60.3% of the vote.
Parkinson left Reading early in 2003 after 11 seasons to take his first steps in management with EFL League One club Colchester United. Despite showing promising signs as he steered the U's to safety upon arrival in February 2003, the 2003–04 season started poorly as Colchester slipped to three straight league defeats, only softened by a victory in the League Cup. Colchester's form improved and a strong FA Cup run, LDV run and a good finish to the season left optimism for U's supporters.[citation needed]
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