Parker Bobby Image 1 Everton 1914

Description

Possilpark, Glasgow born centre forward Bobby Parker started with Glasgow Ashfield in 1907 before joining Third Lanark in 1908, staying a single season before re-joining Glasgow Ashfield. In 1910 he joined Glasgow Rangers before First Division Everton signed him for £1,500 in November 1913. He scored on his Football League debut in a 1-1 draw at Goodison against Sheffield Wednesday and celebrated his first hat-trick three weeks later, in a 5-0 Boxing Day drubbing of Manchester United, ending the season with an outstanding 17 goals in 24 appearances. But the spree which followed in his first full season at Goodison was incredible. Parker netted 36 League goals in 35 appearances in 1914-15 to take Everton to only their second League Championship, bagging hat-tricks against Liverpool, Sunderland, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Bolton, and four goals against Sheffield Wednesday. They also reached the FA Cup semi-final losing against Chelsea at Villa Park, in a run which saw Parker score twice more, however an early injury to Harry Makepeace in the days before substitutes, meant Everton had to play the majority of the match with ten men and they lost 2-0.

The outbreak of The First World War put an end to his success, he had spells guesting for Rangers and Morton, Parker joined up in the Army and while he was fortunate to return home again after the Great War, he did so with a crippling injury, a German bullet in his back, although he was fit enough to resume in 1919 for Everton scoring 16 more goals in 27 matches before he was released to join Nottingham Forest in 1921 after 71 goals in 92 Toffees appearances. His first season at Forest saw him contribute 8 goals as they won the Second Division Championship but he lost his place in 1923 and after a dozen goals in 51 games he joined Highland League Fraserburgh in 1923. After retirement he became manager of Irish club Bohemians where he coached them to the Clean Sweep in 1927-28, winning the League of Ireland, FAI Cup, Shield and Leinster Senior Cup.