Phil Parkes dead at 79: Wolves Hall of Fame inductee who was part of Uefa Cup final team dies as tributes pour in

WOLVES legend Phil Parkes sadly died this morning at the age of 79. Parkes is one of the greatest goalkeepers to ever play for the club, who added him to their Hall of Fame after his amazing 18 years at Molineux. Wolves legend Phil Parkes sadly died this morning at the age of 79 Credit: Colorsport Parkes is one of the greatest goalkeepers to ever play for the club Credit: David Bagnall Wolves issued the following announcement: “Legendary Wolves goalkeeper Phil Parkes sadly passed away this morning at the age of 79. “A larger than life character and a true Wolves hero that will be missed by everyone associated with the club.” Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! The West Bromwich native joined the Wanderers in 1960 at the age of 13 and spent four years with the youth team. Parkes was quickly affectionally nicknamed ‘Lofty’ due to his 6’4″ frame between the sticks. Wolves added the following tribute: “The thoughts and prayers are with Lofty’s loved ones at this sad time. Details on further club tributes will follow.” Parkes joined the first team in 1964 but made his legendary debut two years later that saw him saving a penalty in a 3-2 win over Preston North End. The keeper went on to amass a whopping 382 appearances with the first team. The Wolves legend quickly established himself as a key player during the Bill McGarry era and broke a club record for consecutive league games. Most read in Football Parkes played 127 games in a row during the early 1970s, a record which may never be broken. Lofty was instrumental in Wolves’ journey to a first ever European final back in 1972. Parkes saved two penalties in the Uefa Cup semi-final against Ferencvaros, before collecting a runner up medal following a narrow 3-2 defeat to Tottenham in the final. Two years later he played in every round of Wolves’ journey to the League Cup final at Wembley but was denied an appearance in the showpiece event that saw his team winning 2-1 against Manchester City due to injury. Parkes bowed out in 1978 with a victory in his final game against West Ham. After retiring in 1983, he settled back in Wolverhampton serving on the committee of the Former Players’ Association and remaining a regular presence around Molineux. But Parkes suffered a serious fall at home last year and that led to emergency surgery on his back. That injury left him under medical supervision until his passing today. Asked in 2024 how he’d like his Wolves career to be remembered, Parkes said: “I hope my Wolves career is remembered with joy. “I loved playing for this football club, I had a great time, so I just hope all the supporters enjoyed it too.” Wolves fans immediately stormed social media to share their tributes for Parkes and his incredible Wolves career. More to follow Comment now