Mr. Parkinson won three of the four times he took over Dec. 26.
But this “most wonderful time of the year” proved nothing to others in his position.
The Bantams have won just one of their last seven Boxing Day matches. And in 2020, when the Valley Parade venue remained, Lee Novak led the Bantams to victory in front of a severely limited number of Tranmere home fans, but no one from West Yorkshire attended the game. It didn't come. Closed through Covid.
We have to go back 12 years to the last time City won the Christmas match in BD8.
Alan Connell scored the winning goal late on and Garry Thompson also scored to seal a 2-1 success against Accrington.
City had begun to establish themselves the previous year with a brace from James Hanson and a further goal from unproven partner Naki Wells, who had won 3-0 at home to Crewe the previous year.
Parkinson's only Boxing Day incident came in 2013, when an injury forced him to include 17-year-old Oli McBurnie in the front line against Rotherham.
But Wrexham's current manager returned to winning ways 12 months later with goals from Hanson and Filipe Morais at frigid Fleetwood.
Heavy rain forced the cancellation of City's game against Burton at the villa the following year, which was to be Parkinson's last season in the hot seat.
Since then, that lone success, achieved four years ago in front of a small socially-distanced Tranmere support crowd, has been the only instance of a celebratory cheer.
The Scrooge-like run includes two goalless draws and three defeats, including an absolute borefest at Carlisle in 2019 under Gary Bowyer. At least that's what the fightback felt like last year against Morecambe when they got two down early to earn Valley Parade a point. Victory in this situation.
But three presents from Santa were long overdue. Surely it would be too much to put that on the wish list for tomorrow's game against Port Vale?
Boxing Day Blues:
2023 Morecambe H 2-2
2022 Carlisle A 0-1
2021 (postponed)
2020 Tranmere A 1-0 win
2019 Carlisle A 0-0
2018 Sunderland A 0-1
2017 Peterborough H 1-2
2016 Scunthorpe H 0-0
2015 (postponed)
2014 Fleetwood A won 2-0
2013 Rotherham H 0-1
2012 Accrington H 2-1 win
2011 Crew H won 3-0
2010 (postponed)
2009 (postponed)
2008 Lincoln A 0-0
2007 Lincoln H wins 2-1
2006 Doncaster H 0-1
2005 Oldham A 1-2
2004 Wrexham H 1-1
2003 Sunderland A 0-3
2002 Stoke H won 4-2
2001 Chef United H 1-2
2000 Sunderland H 1-4
