Parkinson: I’ve made the right choice
The incredible scenes around the Gallagher Stadium last Thursday reminded Jack Parkinson exactly why he left Woking to sign for Maidstone almost a year ago, writes Steve Tervet. Parkinson swapped Conference football for the Ryman League, Premier Division, having once turned down a move from Welling to Stevenage, who were then in League 1. And after turning in a masterful display against Boro’s full-timers, he insisted nothing compared to playing for the Stones. Parkinson said: “People think that when I left Woking I was chasing money and moving down leagues but it’s the complete opposite. The fanbase here is tremendous. “This is for (owners) Terry Casey and Oliver Ash more than anybody. They took a big gamble here, putting their money into 3G pitches and it’s paid off massively.” Ahead of the replay, much of the media talk surrounded Maidstone’s 3G pitch – the first used in the FA Cup proper. Stevenage manager Graham Westley was critical in the build-up and his comments clearly rubbed-off on his players. “There were comments about the pitch,” Parkinson said. “A few of their players were moaning about the pitch – ‘I don’t like this’ and ‘I don’t like that’, ‘the ball doesn’t bounce’ – but it’s all nonsense. We’ve shown that we can play on it and other teams have shown they can play on it. “It doesn’t surprise me (about the comments). There are a few prima donnas flying about.” Parkinson smiled as the Stevenage players skulked back to their bus. “I made the right decision not to go there,” he said. “This is a massive club.”