Charles Frederick Parry (1870 – 4 February 1922) was a Welsh
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as a
defender for
Everton in the 1890s, helping them to win
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
championship in
1891
Events
January–March
* January 1
** Paying of old age pensions begins in Germany.
** A strike of 500 Hungarian steel workers occurs; 3,000 men are out of work as a consequence.
** Germany takes formal possession of its new Af ...
. He also made thirteen appearances for the
Wales national football team
)
, Association = Football Association of Wales (FAW)
, Confederation = UEFA (Europe)
, Coach = Rob Page
, Captain = Gareth Bale
, Most caps = Gareth Bale (111)
, Top scorer = Gareth ...
including four as
captain. Later in his career, he returned to Wales where he won the
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
with
Aberystwyth Town
Aberystwyth Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-Droed Tref Aberystwyth) is a Welsh semi-professional football team, currently playing in the Cymru Premier, the top tier of football in Wales. They are the only top flight men's football team in Ce ...
in
1900
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...
. He subsequently fell on hard times and was the beneficiary of three
testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, particularly in association football in the United Kingdom and South America, where a club has a match to honour a player for servic ...
es.
[
]
Club career
Early days
Parry was born in Llansilin
Llansilin () is a village and local government community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales, west of Oswestry. The community, which includes Llansilin village, a large rural area and the hamlets of Moelfre and Rhiwlas as well as the remote parish ...
, near Oswestry. He was spotted playing junior football by William Nunnerley (who was later to become secretary of the Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales (FAW; cy, Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru) is the governing body of association football and futsal in Wales, and controls the Welsh national football team, its corresponding women's team, as well as the Welsh ...
and an international referee) who signed him for the Chester St Oswalds club.
Everton
Parry soon came to the attention of Everton who were keen to sign him, but initially Parry was reluctant to move to the English club saying that he was worried that he was "not class enough". Despite this, Parry was persuaded and signed for Everton in the spring of 1889. His first appearance for Everton came in a friendly against Witton on 8 April, when he scored the final goal in a 4–1 victory. According to the match report in ''The Liverpool Mercury'' the spectators "seemed to be proud of the capabilities of the last acquisition to the team".
Parry made his Everton league debut in the opening match of the Football League's second season, scoring in a 3–2 victory against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
. Parry was sent off
In sports, an ejection (also known as dismissal, sending-off, disqualification, or early shower) is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending ...
in the 81st minute for "persistently fouling Forrest". He followed this with goals in the next two matches, against Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston, at the confluence of the River C ...
and Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
. Parry was ever-present as Everton finished the season as runners-up in the league.
Parry was an extremely versatile player who was equally comfortable at full-back or half-back; he possessed good positional sense, a strong tackle and good speed and was an extremely accurate kicker. He was an expert at free-kicks, and over 60 yards he was able to place the ball "on the required spot". He did, however have a reputation for "bashing goalkeepers"; nonetheless he became a regular in the Everton side for six years and was an "exceedingly popular player".
For the 1890–91 season, Parry was paid a weekly wage of £2 and made 13 appearances, spending the early part of the season in the reserves, with new signing William Campbell taking his place in the first team. Following an injury to Alex Latta sustained in a friendly against Third Lanark
Third Lanark Athletic Club was a Scottish football club based in Glasgow. Founded in 1872 as an offshoot of the 3rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers, the club was a founder member of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) in 1872 and the Scottish ...
, Daniel Kirkwood
Daniel Kirkwood (September 27, 1814 – June 11, 1895) was an American astronomer.
Kirkwood was born in Harford County, Maryland to John and Agnes (née Hope) Kirkwood. He graduated in mathematics from the York County Academy in York, Pennsylv ...
was moved to outside right
Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
with Parry being recalled at centre half
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either ...
for the match against Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group.
Founded in 188 ...
on 4 October. "The combination worked well – so well" that the match ended in a 7–0 victory to Everton, who moved to the top of the table. Parry retained his place for the following five matches, but after a run of three defeats, he lost his place for the match against Sunderland on 15 November. Parry was eventually recalled to the team on Boxing Day taking over from Campbell at left half in the 3–2 victory against Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete his ...
retaining his place in the side for the rest of the season. Everton finished the season as champions of the Football League for the first time.
Parry got married in March 1891; the club agreed to pay him "an advance of £15 out of next season's wages . . . in consideration of (his) marriage". For the 1891–92 season his wages were increased to £2 per week during the summer and £2.10.0 during the winter.
Parry played at left-half in the first match of the 1891–92 season, a 4–0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
but then lost his place to Alex Lochhead. (Lochhead was in turn replaced after four matches, by Hope Robertson.) Parry requested to leave the club in October 1891; the board agreed to release him and gave him "full permission to join any other Club on repayment of £34 received during summer months together with the amount due to the club for loans advanced."
During the summer of 1892, off-field disputes led to Everton leaving the Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 189 ...
stadium and moving across Stanley Park
Stanley Park is a public park in British Columbia, Canada that makes up the northwestern half of Vancouver's Downtown Peninsula, surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay. The park borders the neighbourhoods of West End and ...
to a new stadium at Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a association football, football stadium in the Walton, Liverpool, Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area ...
.
Parry was re-engaged by Everton in December 1892, on wages of £2 per week and returned to the first team in January 1893, when he took over from Jimmy Jamieson at left back for the match at Sunderland. Parry played in various positions in ten matches over the next three months until losing his place at left half to Alec Stewart
Alec James Stewart (born 8 April 1963) is an English former cricketer, and former captain of the England cricket team, who played Test cricket and One Day Internationals as a right-handed wicket-keeper-batsman. He is the fourth-most- capped E ...
for the final match of the season, following a 3–0 defeat at Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston, at the confluence of the River C ...
. During this period, Everton reached the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
of the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, but Parry was not selected for any of the cup matches.
In September 1893, Parry was suspended for two weeks with no pay for drunkenness. For the 1893–94 season, manager Dick Molyneux
Richard Molyneux (January 1858 – 5 June 1906) was an English football manager. He managed in nearly 400 games in the Football League with Everton from 1889 to 1901 and later managed Brentford.
Managerial career
Everton
Molyneux joined ...
used a reasonably settled first team, with eleven players appearing in 20 or more of the 30 league matches. As a result, it was not until 23 December that Parry played his first game of the season, replacing England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
international Bob Howarth
Bob Howarth (20 June 1865 – 20 August 1938) was an English footballer. An England international, he was a member of the Preston North End side which became known as " The Invincibles".
Career
Bob Howarth was born in Preston. He joined Presto ...
at right back after Howarth suffered "lameness". The match against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...
ended in an 8–1 victory, with four goals from Jack Southworth
John Southworth (11 December 1866 – 16 October 1956), also known as Jack and Skimmy Southworth, was an English footballer who played in the early days of professional football for Blackburn Rovers and Everton as well as being capped three ti ...
, and was followed a week later by a 7–1 victory over West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
in which Southworth scored a further six goals. For the latter match, Parry lined up alongside his fellow Welsh international, Smart Arridge at left back. Parry retained his place in the side for a further seven matches, switching to left back on Howarth's return, but was replaced by Dickie Boyle
Richard Boyle (born 24 September 1869) was a Scottish professional footballer.
Career
Boyle played club football in Scotland and England for Dumbarton, Everton, New Brighton Tower and Dundee.
Honours
;Dumbarton
* Scottish League: Champions ...
on 24 March, after a run of four defeats. On 19 March, Parry had again been in trouble with the board "for not attending training etc."; as a result he was suspended for a fortnight and had his bonuses revoked. Parry was recalled to the team for the last two matches of the season.
Following the departure of Bob Howarth at the start of the 1894–95 season, Parry "made the left back his own" with former Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
international James Adams alongside him on the right. Parry only missed three matches as Everton finished as runners-up in the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
, five points behind Sunderland.
Parry only made two appearances for Everton in the 1895–96 season, with his final appearance coming in a 3–4 defeat at Aston Villa on 30 September 1895. In this match, Jack Bell scored a hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
for Everton but Parry conceded a penalty
Penalty or The Penalty may refer to:
Sports
* Penalty (golf)
* Penalty (gridiron football)
* Penalty (ice hockey)
* Penalty (rugby)
* Penalty (rugby union)
* Penalty kick (association football)
* Penalty shoot-out (association football)
A p ...
by "deliberately handling" the ball in the area. The penalty was taken by Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
international Jack Reynolds, but his kick hit the post and went out of play.
In his six years at Everton, Parry made 94 appearances in Football League and FA Cup matches, scoring five goals.
Later career
Following a short-lived move to Ardwick, for whom he made no first-team appearances,[ Parry returned to Wales in December 1895 when he took a ]public house
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...
, called the Oak Vaults,[Report by Toby Neal on proposed erection of gravestone.] in Newtown and joined the local club, then playing in the Shropshire League. In 1897, he helped Newtown reach the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
of the Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
, where they were defeated 2–0 by Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
.
In November 1898, Everton played a match at Newtown for the benefit of Parry; the match ended in a 5–1 victory for the visitors with Wilfred Oldham scoring a hat-trick.
In 1899, Parry joined Aberystwyth Town
Aberystwyth Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-Droed Tref Aberystwyth) is a Welsh semi-professional football team, currently playing in the Cymru Premier, the top tier of football in Wales. They are the only top flight men's football team in Ce ...
; during his season there, he again reached the Welsh Cup Final, defeating Druids
A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
3–0 to take the trophy.
Parry returned to his home town, Oswestry, in 1900 where Oswestry United were in need of a goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
. Parry became their "custodian" and "performed creditably" over the next six years before eventually retiring in 1906.
In April 1904, Parry was again the beneficiary of a testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, particularly in association football in the United Kingdom and South America, where a club has a match to honour a player for servic ...
when Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
visited Park Hall
Park Hall is an affluent area near to the south-eastern edge of Walsall in the West Midlands of England. It is considered that the area near to the local Park Hall Primary and Infant schools and the Gillity Village shops are classed as Park Hall. ...
to play Oswestry Town. The visitors won the match 4–0, with two goals from John Carlin.
International career
Parry made his international debut for Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, playing at left half in the 1891 British Home Championship
Events
January–March
* January 1
** Paying of old age pensions begins in German Empire, Germany.
** A strike of 500 Hungarian steel workers occurs; 3,000 men are out of work as a consequence.
**German Empire, Germany takes forma ...
match against England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
played at Newcastle Road
Newcastle Road was a football ground in the Monkwearmouth area of Sunderland, England, and was the home ground of Sunderland A.F.C for twelve years, between 1886 and 1898. It was the sixth ground at which the club had played. Also called ''As ...
, Sunderland on 7 March 1891, thus becoming the first Everton player to represent Wales. England won the match 4–1, with two of England's goals coming from Parry's Everton team-mates, Edgar Chadwick and Alf Milward
Alfred Milward (12 September 1870 – 1 June 1941) was a professional footballer who played in the 1893 and 1897 FA Cup Finals for Everton and in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.
Early career
Born in Great Marlow, Milward was one of the ...
. He kept his place in the Wales team for the next match against Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, two weeks later, at the Racecourse Ground
The Racecourse Ground ( cy, Y Cae Ras) is a football stadium in Wrexham, Wales. It is the home of Wrexham A.F.C.
It is the world's oldest international football stadium that still hosts international matches, having hosted Wales' first home ...
, Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
. Parry was hurt in the first half and was injured again shortly after half time and was unable to play on, leaving Wales to complete the match with ten men. Scotland came from behind to win the match 4–3, with a late goal from Bob Boyd of Mossend Swifts. In their annual player assessment, the Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales (FAW; cy, Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru) is the governing body of association football and futsal in Wales, and controls the Welsh national football team, its corresponding women's team, as well as the Welsh ...
described Parry in 1891 as "a good half back but out of condition and got injured; played a splendid game v. England".
As a result of his being out of favour with Everton, Parry was not selected for any of Wales's matches in the 1892 British Home Championship but was recalled to the side as a fullback for one match the following year, a 6–0 defeat against England in March 1893. His next international appearance came a year later, when he scored an own goal
An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
in a 5–1 defeat by England on 12 March 1894.[ Three of England's goals came from John Veitch in his only international appearance.
Parry's best match for Wales came in the 1–1 draw against England in March 1895.] For the next three matches, Parry was appointed captain in the absence of James Trainer,[ leading his team to a 6–1 victory over ]Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
on 29 February 1896, with two goals each from Billy Lewis and Billy Meredith
William Henry Meredith (30 July 1874 – 19 April 1958) was a Welsh professional footballer. He was considered one of the early superstars of football due to his performances, notably for Manchester City and Manchester United. He won each ...
, although this was followed by a 9–1 defeat by England, for whom Steve Bloomer
Stephen Bloomer (20 January 1874 – 16 April 1938) was an England international footballer and manager who played for Derby County – becoming their record goalscorer – and Middlesbrough. The anthem " Steve Bloomer's Watchin'" is played at ...
scored five goals. In the latter match, he lined up alongside his former Everton colleague, Smart Arridge.
Despite dropping out of the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
and playing non-league football, Parry retained his international place until 1898. In his thirteen international appearances, Wales won only one match, with two draws and ten defeats.[
]
International appearances
Parry made 13 appearances for Wales in official international matches, as follows:
Key
* LB – Left-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
* RB – Right-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
* LH – Left-half
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
* Capt. – Captain
Life after football
Following his retirement from playing, Parry became a referee in the Birmingham and District League. After he was forced to quit through ill-health, he worked for Oswestry United as a groundsman/caretaker. By 1921, he had fallen on hard times and, after an appeal by the mayor and vicar of Oswestry, Everton granted a donation to him of £10.10.0 and arranged a friendly at Oswestry to raise funds for him. The match was held on 14 April at Oswestry in front of 3,000 spectators with Oswestry winning 1–0.
Parry's health continued to deteriorate and he died on 4 February 1922, leaving a widow and six children. At the Everton board meeting on 7 February, a letter was read from the vicar of Oswestry informing the club of Parry's death. It was "decided that as we had given him assistance last year, the question be left over". He was buried at Oswestry Cemetery in an unmarked grave; with help of contribution by the Everton FC Heritage Society a headstone was unveiled on 1 March 2019.[
]
Honours
; Everton
* Football League champions: 1890–91
* Football League runners-up: 1889–90
* Football League runners-up: 1894–95
; Newtown
* Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
finalists: 1897
Events
January–March
* January 2 – The International Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is founded, in New York City.
* January 4 – A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosere, son-in-law of the ruler. This leads to a puni ...
;Aberystwyth Town
Aberystwyth Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-Droed Tref Aberystwyth) is a Welsh semi-professional football team, currently playing in the Cymru Premier, the top tier of football in Wales. They are the only top flight men's football team in Ce ...
* Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
winners: 1900
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...
References
External links
Everton career summary
*
Photo of Everton's Football League championship team of 1890–91
Photo of the Wales team for the match against England on 18 March 1895
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parry, Charlie
1870 births
1922 deaths
Footballers from Denbighshire
Welsh men's footballers
Wales men's international footballers
Everton F.C. players
Manchester City F.C. players
Newtown A.F.C. players
Aberystwyth Town F.C. players
Oswestry United F.C. players
Men's association football defenders