THE BEAST AND HIS BEAUTIFUL TALES!
Prankster Parkin on his highs and lows
JON Parkin has some stories to tell – so many, in fact, the well-travelled burly striker has penned his own book.
Feed The Beast, which promises Pints, pies, poles – and a belly full of goals, is the story of the York City striker’s colourful career.
One that started out at Barnsley, nearly saw him quit the game to become a nursery nurse, before, the man affectionately known as The Beast, set off on a career from Macclesfield to Hull City, Stoke City, Preston North End, Cardiff City, Fleetwood, Forest Green, Newport County and back to the Minstermen, where he’d fallen back in love with the game all those years ago.
Story
He’s had some highs as well as some lows – and a few falling outs along the way.
“There’s a story in there from pretty much every club I’ve left and the reason why,” the 36-year-old says. “They’re not all just because the manager didn’t want us or I wanted to leave – there’s always been some sort of argument or story of how I’ve actually left.
“If people are reading it from clubs I’ve played for and they’re wondering why or why they didn’t keep me, hopefully it will be interesting.
“I’m not embarrassed about anything I’ve done really. Maybe a couple of things but it’s probably a book people will read and say, ‘How has he played football for 20 years?’”
Loved by fans he’s played for, Parkin could be considered a dying breed in a game being drained of its characters.
His goal record more than stands up. He’s scored 225 times, famously including a hat-trick at Elland Road for Preston in a thrilling 6-4 win, and played more than 600 games, winning promotion with Stoke City and Fleetwood, played at Wembley three times where he also scored and won the FA Troask phy with York. But just how has he lasted all this time?
“I’ve no idea! Luck?” he says. “I must have been alright at it I suppose. I think my size has actually helped the way I play and I’ve been lucky most managers have thought, ‘He’s a good player, we’ll sign him and we’ll get him fit’.
“They’ve all tried to change me but within a month of getting to know us they’re like, ‘there’s no point, we’re just pickling in the wind’.”
Determined to be as honest as possible in his book, Parkin says he hasn’t been afraid to dig out some of his past managers. He says there are stories in there even his family didn’t know about until now. Like the tough time he went through at Cardiff and how he almost walked away from the game when he was let go by Barnsley.
Parkin admits he’s always seen football as a job. Something he switches off from when he leaves the training ground or stadium after a game.
And he tends to enjoy himself too, often at the centre of dressing room pranks – just Chris Sedgwick when he was at Preston.
Waiting
“Transfer deadline day, obviously everyone’s waiting around their phones,” Parkin says. “Sedgey’s gone out to train but I’ve waited back. I changed my number in his phone to his agent’s name. I phoned it 15 or 16 times and sent a message saying: Call me ASAP. Something’s happening.
“He’s come in from training, looked at his phone straightaway – we’re all watching – and he smiled to himself. He got up all cocky, ‘Looks like I’m off lads’.
“He’s gone out of the dressing room into the car park and phoned this number, which he thought was his agent, and I answered: ‘Get back in here you idiot!’ He came back in with his tail between his legs. If you think about it, it’s actually quite cruel, though he took it well.” *Feed The Beast is available in Waterstones, WH Smith, Amazon and all good book shops. It can also be downloaded on Apple and Kindle.