It would be difficult to argue that Parish has been our greatest chairman.
The long unbroken run in the Premier League, the removal of the threat of administration, the signing of some of the best players in our history.
All things that long term fans thought they would probably never see.
Nonetheless, something has changed even if it’s difficult to put one’s finger on it.
It feels somehow different going to the ground these days.
Parish played on this whole drive around, ‘South London and Proud’, with a view to tapping into the huge catchment area and in the early days utilised board member Steve Browett to provide a direct conduit for the fans which worked very well.
Selhurst was rocking and the players seemed to get it with long term stays for the likes of Zaha, Speroni, Ward and McArthur who had a real affinity for the club.
Most of the above has gone, although it’s not all down to Parish.
His two big objectives were to create an academy and build a ground with a bigger capacity, both sensible in terms of trying to make the club self sustainable.
The first was achieved and designs for the new ground were released to a great fanfare with money supposedly ringfenced from the new owners to enable the work to be completed.
Since then if reports are correct all I hear is that two of the owners want out and have been trying to sell their investment.
There has also been the troubled involvement of Textor, and the more recent investment of Johnson which it’s unclear exactly what it brings.
On the football side Freedman has gone, and I believe he hasn’t properly been replaced and his presence has been missed by Parish as they had a good partnership.
By his own admission Parish relied heavily on Freedman for football matters.
I can’t prove it, but I doubt under Freedman that we would have spent around £80 million on Johnson and Larsen.
In conclusion Parish’s record is great, but where we go from here is anybody’s guess.
The lack of atmosphere in the ground, the lack of connection between the players and the fans, the uncertainty of the ground development, the seemingly befuddled transfer policy and the uncertain future of the ownership.
Parish’s past legacy is assured, his future one less so.
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