New contract for Parkinson
Charlton manager Phil Parkinson has agreed a new contract following the club's fine start to the 2009/10 season.
The 41-year-old, who has led the Addicks into the League One promotion places, put pen to paper on a one-year extension to his current deal on Friday morning.
Charlton currently sit second in the table, four points behind leaders Leeds United, and have lost just one of their 14 league fixtures to date.
Indeed, the club's flying start to the campaign, which included a club record start to a season, saw Parkinson awarded the Coca-Cola League One Manager of the Month award for August.
Charlton plc chairman Richard Murray said he was delighted a contract extension had been agreed.
"Our relegation to League One last season was a major disappointment for everyone connected with the club,” he said. "But despite that disappointment, the board resisted the very real pressure that existed for change and demonstrated considerable faith in Phil.
"The board unanimously believes that Phil has all the right qualities to lead the club back to the Championship at the first attempt.
"The team has made an encouraging start to the season and I hope that, by extending his contract at this early stage of the current campaign, we are demonstrating our confidence in Phil to achieve success this season.”
"I'm obviously very pleased,” added Parkinson, whose new deal runs until the end of 2010/11.
"It's good news, and I suppose it can be taken as a sign that the club is progressing, but above all else I'm concentrating on continuing our good start to the season.
"I'm ambitious and driven to keep improving things at the club. We've done well so far, but we want to keep driving forward.”
Parkinson is approaching two milestones in his career as Charlton manager.
The Addicks travel to Southampton in the southern quarter-finals of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on November 11th for what will be his 50th match at the helm.
And in a quirky twist of fate, sitting in the opposite dugout at St Mary's that night will be his Valley predecessor Alan Pardew, while the Saints were also his first Valley opponents after taking charge.
Then, on November 22nd, Parkinson will have been in the top job for exactly a year after succeeding Pardew following a 5-2 home defeat against Sheffield United.
Initially in caretaker control, Parkinson was handed the SE7 reins on a permanent basis on the last day of 2008.
And the Addicks have tasted defeat just three times at home in this calendar year. the recent home win against Huddersfield Town extending the club's unbeaten record in SE7 to 13 matches.
Parkinson, who led unfashionable Colchester United to promotion to the Championship in 2005/06, was lined up as a potential replacement for former Addicks boss Alan Curbishley that summer, but Charlton were denied permission to speak to him.
Instead, he took charge at Hull City, but an unhappy spell ended on December 6th, 2006.
He was appointed as Pardew's assistant manager a month later, and a man who has held UEFA's highest coaching qualification - the Pro Licence - since 2005, went on to assume full control.
A tenacious tackler in his playing days, Chorley-born midfielder Parkinson was a trainee with Southampton, but made his Football League debut at Bury, making 169 appearances for the Shakers.
His playing days are best remembered for a 424-game spell at Reading, however, after moving to the Royals for a bargain £37,500 in 1992.
Skipper as the Berkshire club rose to the second tier of English football in 2001/02, he was voted Reading's greatest ever midfield player.
After landing the Colchester job in February 2003, Parkinson established himself as one of the country's top young managers, and his stock rose sharply when the U's marched into the Championship.
Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Directions | © Charlton Athletic 2010
