Though he’s had a long and successful career as a football manager, Phil Parkinson will very likely be best remembered for his time at Wrexham now.
Wrexham are the seventh side Phil Parkinson has managed in his almost 20-year spell as a manager, and it’s a role that has brought him an unthinkable level of fame and attention.
Being at the helm of a club run by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney is probably something Parkinson never imagined, especially back in the day when he was struggling to make progress at Bolton Wanderers.
With the Wrexham vs Bolton EFL Trophy tie coming up, we looked back at Parkinson’s tenure as The Trotters manager, and it doesn’t make for pleasant reading.
What did Phil Parkinson say about Bolton in 2019?
Parkinson took over at Bolton in the summer of 2016. Three years later, he walked out after disastrous management from above left the club in turmoil, administration, and with a points deduction to start the 2019/20 campaign.
In his final press appearance (via BBC Sport) before departing at the end of August in 2019, Parkinson let rip at the Bolton hierarchy, claiming he and the players were let down by a failed attempt to sell the club that summer.
He said: “The combination of people not getting this deal to sell the club over the line and the tangled web which that is involved in, and making us play the game [against Tranmere], has hung all the staff and players out to dry.
| Club | Date joined/left | Games in charge |
|---|---|---|
| Wrexham | July 2021-present | 189 |
| Sunderland | October 2019-November 2020 | 48 |
| Bolton | June 2016-August 2019 | 157 |
| Bradford | August 2011-June 2016 | 274 |
| Charlton | November 2008-January 2011 | 114 |
| Hull | July 2006-December 2006 | 24 |
| Colchester | February 2003-June 2006 | 187 |
“Honestly, it’s just unacceptable. This is a fantastic club with a great history, and we need a bit of help. If it’s not going to be sold, we need to be able to bring some players in. No new players, no sign of a deal getting done, there’s people out there wanting to buy the club but still no sign of it going over the line.”
Two years later, after a brief spell at Sunderland, Parkinson landed in Wales to become Wrexham manager, and the rest is history.
Phil Parkinson is living the dream at Wrexham now
We are now four years into Rob and Ryan’s tenure as Wrexham owners, and it’s safe to say it’s a far cry from Parkinson’s spell with Bolton.
Indeed, Parkinson can never claim that the club hasn’t backed him in the transfer market. Just over a week ago, Wrexham smashed their transfer record to sign Sam Smith, as well as adding Jay Rodriguez and Ryan Longman.
As the Red Dragons push for a third-successive promotion, the club’s owners are throwing everything at the project to make it a success. And, if it is, we expect them to continue being financially aggressive and supporting Parkinson with whatever he needs in the Championship.
From a positive dynamic between the squad and the coaches, to a collaborative effort from the top down, and a wonderful community around the club, there can be few sweeter jobs in football management than Wrexham right now.