Blackburn Rovers urged to make "fitting tribute" to club legend with Ewood Park change | OneFootball

The former Rovers player and coach revealed his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2020 after years of being a major part of the club's success.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Ewood Park has a fantastic history, with it being the location of Blackburn Rovers' 1995 Premier League title win.

While supporters were forced to celebrate the actual lifting of the trophy at Anfield back in May of that year, it was their performances at home that saw them to an unbelievable league victory over Manchester United over the course of the season.

Since then, the stadium has perhaps lost a little bit of its magic, with empty seats a common occurrence in Blackburn.

However, following a successful start to the 2024/25 campaign, it could see John Eustace potentially win supporters back over after staving off relegation on the final day of last season.

While better results on the pitch will only help with attendance figures in the coming years, one subtle but important change could be a difference maker for how the Rovers faithful perceive the club currently.

Tony Parkes, Ewood Park decision must be made soon

The Venky's have struggled to connect with Blackburn's fanbase since taking over the club in November 2010, and the team have been on a downward spiral ever since, even dropping to the third tier in the 2017/18 campaign.

This lack of a bond between the board and supporters is shown in the number of seats that are not filled at Ewood Park, but improvements can be made to pave over some of the cracks in a very fractured relationship.

Football League World asked their Blackburn Fan Pundit, Toby Wilding, what changes he would like to see made to the club's stadium, with the Rovers supporter outlining one key detail that he would make an improvement on.

He told FLW: "I'd like to see the Riverside Stand renamed after Tony Parkes. He was obviously an incredible servant in so many different roles for so long for Blackburn, as a player, a coach, a scout, and as a caretaker manager on several occasions.

"As well as that, he really kept the club going at times. I think it was Kenny Dalglish who even once said that without Tony Parkes, there would have been no Premier League title for Blackburn back in the 90s, which underlines just how important he is to the club.

"It's quite a sad and difficult time for him and his family at the minute with Tony battling Alzheimer's, but he does attend Ewood Park for games regularly, I believe. So I think to give his name to the Riverside Stand would be a fitting tribute and a really good show of support to someone who's done so much for Blackburn Rovers over the years."

Tony Parkes' impact on Blackburn cannot be overstated

While Dalglish will always get the plaudits for the success that Blackburn had in 1995, having someone alongside him with such knowledge of the club in Tony Parkes was extremely important.

The former player revealed his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2020 and was celebrated by supporters in 2022, receiving a standing ovation from all of Ewood Park, showing just how much he is loved by Rovers.

As a player, Parkes played 350 times for Blackburn, scoring 38 goals, and he helped the team to the Division Three title in 1974/75. With so many appearances to his name, as well as the honours as both a player and as a coach, re-naming the Riverside Stand after him feels like something that should have happened years ago.

Nevertheless, with this season being the 30th anniversary of Rovers' Premier League title win, it could be the perfect opportunity for the club to pay tribute to the legend.