I wonder if Liverpool FC's chief executive Rick Parry has time to reflect on his own contribution to GB's sensational achievements in the cycling events in Beijing?
There's no doubt that Lottery funding has played a huge part, but equally significant is the mere presence of the Manchester velodrome, which Parry did much to create. In the late 1980s Parry was chief executive of a very small operation trying to win the Olympics for Manchester. Two bids failed before success was achieved in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, by which time Parry had moved on to become chief executive of the Premier League before moving again to Anfield. It was those early planners - Parry, Sir Bob Scott, and the then leader of Manchester City Council, now MP, Graham Stringer, who started the process which saw the velodrome built. It was Manchester's statement of intent, a symbol of their ability to deliver a world class facility. Now that same facility is delivering world class competitors, among them bronze medalist Steven Burke who was brought up in Lancashire and would never have taken up cycling if it hadn't been for the presence of this sensational track on his doorstep.
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Surely Rick Parry can’t be praising for his contribution to anything. He is a failed CEO of the Premier League and LFC. The likes of Richard Scudamore continually poke fun at a man who achieved nothing like the success Scudamore has at the EPL.
At LFC, the story is even clearer; Parry is a man four steps behind the whole world in terms of marketing and communication skills – tools vital to do his job on a day in, day out basis.
The evidence – well examples from recent years include Tom Hicks wanting him to leave his post as Parry has taken Liverpool backwards in the advertising and marketing stakes. Take for example the likes of Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Manchester United bringing in tens of millions from sponsorship deals with Nike, T Mobile, Samsung etc.. Liverpool manage a rather pathetic £4.5 from Carlsberg – the man who negotiated it – Mr Rick Parry.
After the Champions League Final in 2005, Gerrard didn’t have a clue on his future as the man doing the negotiating on LFC’s behalf Rick Parry was too busy sunning himself in Barbados rather than doing the job the likes of David Gill, Peter Kenyon do very well which is sort out players contracts.
The latest piece of kit installed at Anfield are the electronic advertising boards, which most teams including Manchester United and many across Spain have had for many seasons – they have a track record of increasing revenue but it took Parry years to realise this and has a few seasons too late.
Continuing with the season so far, Parry has managed to fall out with the team manager due to his rather slow and dragged out process of signing players the manager wants, it’s not the first time Benitez has spoken on the incompetence of Parry and no doubt it won’t be the last.
It was funny watching Parry sitting in the stands at Liverpool’s game with Middlesbrough today with FA CEO Brain Barwick as there are two men under pressure to deliver and so far one has lost his battle.
Granted Parry can take a bit of pride from the efforts of the likes of Chris Hoy, but for football and LFC in-particular he has been a man without answers and it shows no sign of changing and after all the efforts of Parry in trying to secure the Olympics Games for Manchester were in-line with the results of his other achievements – Failure.
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