THE ONLY WAY IS DOWN

"I wasn't blessed with great individual skill, but I had passion, a good heart, and a desire to run and win."

"I thought I was a big fish in a small pond going to Derby, but I had
forgotten where I'd come from and soon came to realise that at Old Trafford
I was just a tiny cog in a very big wheel," he continued, "I was very nervous going to United; I don't think I spoke for a year."

"He [Ferguson] is amazing, he knows everything about every player he's ever signed where they are and what they're doing, he still knows everything about me now," Parker smiled.

"I lost the edge for a while but in January 1998 I became involved with Ashford Town as a director of football in The DocMartens League and unfortunately saw the worst side of non-League football, the people running the club were in it for the wrong reasons, they wanted the site for development, and I wasn't paid for six months."

"I became assistant to Gary Bellamy and when he went to Dover Athletic at
the end of 2000-01 season chairman Peter Stroud offered me the manager's
job," Parker said. "Chelmsford are the biggest non-League side in Essex, a
sleeping giant. We have a great crowd base, in fact we get more people
watching us at Billericay than our hosts.

"I've got more than value for money with my squad, players with the right
attitude, like Phil Gray, ex-Sunderland Burnley and Luton and Brian Statham
the former Spurs and Gillingham defender."

"I want them to appreciate things and most of all do what I didn't
do, concentrate on their education."