Bury Football Club sends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Roy Parnell, who passed away on 10th September, aged 81.
Roy began his career as a youth player with Everton, signed professional forms on his seventeenth birthday and made his Toffees debut before turning eighteen. In three years as a professional he appeared in three games for Everton, all being away games.
Everton manager Harry Catterick eventually allowed Roy to move on and in August 1964 he signed for his hometown club, Tranmere Rovers, who were managed by former Shakers boss Dave Russell at the time.
The full-back went on to play 116 games for Rovers over the next three seasons but in February 1967, Bury boss Les Shannon paid £5,500 to bring Roy to Gigg Lane. Shannon had also been Parnell’s youth coach at Everton and knew the England Youth player well.
Roy gave great service to the Shakers for three seasons and missed just two games as Bury gained promotion to tier two in 1967/8. In total he played 116 league and cup games for the Shakers before being given a free transfer in May 1970, when he moved on a semi-pro basis to New Brighton as player-manager and in 1973 was playing for Wirral team, Newton.