Only Once a Blue (Part 5): Henry Parkinson
When Harry Parkinson arrived at the Thornyholme Ground, he had intended to watch a Football League match but instead found himself taking part. Born on 9 December 1866 in Oswaldtwistle, he spent the early years of his life with his mother Catherine at the Star Inn where his grandfather was landlord. At the time of the 1881 census, Catherine had taken over as landlady, while her son had started to work as a weaver in the cotton industry. Being brought up in a beer drinking environment may have been the reason why Harry developed an aversion to alcohol, for he…