Alex Parker

Alex Parker

Personal information
Full name	Alexander Hershaw Parker[1]
Date of birth	(1935-08-02)2 August 1935
Place of birth	Irvine, Scotland
Date of death	7 January 2010(2010-01-07) (aged 74)[2]
Place of death	Gretna, Scotland
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s)	Right back
Youth career
1950–1952	Kello Rovers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1952–1958	Falkirk	121	(2)
1958–1965	Everton	198	(5)
1965–1968	Southport	76	(0)
1968–1969	Ballymena United	?	(?)
1969–1970	Drumcondra	4	(0)
International career
1955–1958[3]	Scotland U23	6	(0)
1955[4]	Scotland B vs A trial	1	(0)
1955–1958	Scotland	15	(0)
1955–1958	Scottish Football League XI	9	(0)
1958–1960[5][6][7]	SFA trial v SFL	3	(0)
Managerial career
1968–1969	Ballymena United
1970–1971	Southport
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alexander Hershaw Parker (2 August 1935 – 7 January 2010) was a Scottish football player and manager. Parker played for Falkirk, Everton and Scotland, amongst others. Parker was named in Falkirk's Team of the Millennium and Everton's Hall of Fame.^[8]

Parker, a fullback, began his career with Kello Rovers, turning semi-professional when he joined Falkirk in 1952. The highlight of Parker's time with the Bairns was their 1957 Scottish Cup victory, as they defeated Kilmarnock in a replayed final.^[2]

Parker moved to Merseyside in June^[9] 1958^[10] when Everton paid £18,000 in a double signing of Parker and Eddie O'Hara both from Falkirk.^[11] Parker's Toffees debut was delayed by his requirement to fulfil National Service in Cyprus.^[2] He eventually became a stalwart in the side which won the 1962–63 league championship, finishing six points ahead of runners-up Tottenham.^[2]

After this triumph, however, hamstring injuries started to trouble Parker,^[8] and he left Goodison Park in 1965.

He joined Southport for £2,000. He stayed 3 years with the Sandgrounders.

Parker next moved to Northern Ireland to become player-manager of Ballymena United.

He signed for Drumcondra F.C. in December 1969 and made his League of Ireland debut at Tolka Park on 4 January 1970 in a 3–1 defeat to Dundalk. He left for after only three months to return to the UK.

Parker gained his first cap for Scotland against Portugal in 1955 while playing for Falkirk.^[2] He was selected in the squad for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, making one appearance against Paraguay.^[2] This also transpired to be his final national team cap, which some regarded as "perverse"; former teammate Alex Young stated that Parker was still the best player in his position in Britain.^[8] Parker also represented the Scottish Football League XI.^[12]

Parker returned to Souhtport where he was given a coaching role. Two months later he was promoted to manager but this appointment lasted only a single season.

After his retirement from the footballing world, Parker became a publican in Runcorn. He then lived in Gretna, Dumfriesshire.

Parker died of a heart attack on 7 January 2010.^[2]

Scotland national team[13]
Year	Apps	Goals
1955	5	0
1956	5	0
1957	3	0
1958	2	0
Total	15	0

Falkirk

• Scottish Cup: 1956–57

Everton

• First Division: 1962–63
• FA Charity Shield: 1963^[14]

Southport

• Fourth Division: promotion 1966–67^[15]

Scotland

• British Home Championship: 1955–56 (shared)^[16]

Individual

• Rex Kingsley Footballer of the Year: 1957^[17]
• Falkirk FC Hall of Fame^[17]
• Gwladys Street's Hall of Fame^[17]
• Falkirk FC Millennium XI^[17]

• Alex Parker at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
• Brief Biography at legends section of official Everton site