Maurice Parry

Maurice Parry (7 November 1877 – 24 March 1935) was a Welsh international footballer who played for Liverpool Football Club in the early 20th century, helping them to two Football League Championships.

Playing career

Born in Trefonen, Oswestry, Parry played for Newtown, Long Eaton Rangers, Leicester Fosse (who became Leicester City in 1919), Loughborough and the short-lived Brighton United before being signed by Liverpool manager Tom Watson in March 1900 making his debut in a Football League Division One match on 13 October the same year, a game which the Reds won 2-1 against Bolton at Anfield, he had to wait until the April fool's day 1904 before he scored his first goal, it came in the Merseyside derby against Everton a game that saw the Reds slump to a 5-2 defeat. The right-half never really established himself as a 'first choice' player during his 9-year Liverpool career but he still managed 222 appearances for the Reds helping them to 2 Football League First Division Championships, unfortunately not playing enough times to earn a medal for the 1901 title win. After leaving the club in May 1909, Parry along with the then Liverpool captain Alex Raisbeck joined Scottish side Partick. He would join Wrexham in 1910 before emigrating to South Africa in 1911.

Parry played for Wales on 14 occasions making his debut against Ireland on 23 March 1901 in a British Championship match.

Coaching and management career

After leaving Thistle Parry went into coaching and got a post in South Africa but moved back to Oswestry to take up a role with Oswestry Town. Parry then, like many others, was affected by the First World War of 1914/1918 where he was badly gassed during military service on the Western Front, but he returned to his passion after the war taking the managerial post at Rotherham County, who later merged with Rotherham Town to form Rotherham United in 1925. Parry then took up coaching roles with the more impressive clubs of Barcelona in Spain and both Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FC Köln in Germany before returning to the British Isles taking up a coaching role on the Channel Islands.

Parry's association with the Anfield club was to be reunited when he took up a coaching role at Liverpool quite some time after leaving in 1909. He died in nearby Bootle, aged 57.

Family

Parry's brother Thomas was also a Wales international: the two brothers played together for their country four times.[1] His son, Frank, was also a professional footballer and made over 100 appearances in the Football League.[2]

Career details

As a player:

  • Liverpool FC (1900–1909): 222 appearances, 4 goals - Football League Championship winner's medal (1906)†
  • Wales (1901 - ?): 14 appearances

† Although he played during the 1901 championship winning season he didn't make enough appearances to earn a medal.

As a manager:

  • Rotherham County (1920s)

As a coach

References
  1. Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Bridge Books. p. 160. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.
  2. Dykes, Garth (2009). Nelson FC in the Football League. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-905891-29-0.
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