Plymouth Argyle F.C.
The club crest features the Mayflower along with the club's initials P.A.F.C
Plymouth Argyle Football Club, also known as the Pilgrims, are one of the few football clubs in the English Football League to play in a principally green strip. They have recently changed their customary white away strip to one which is principally tangerine in colour, an act of homage to their highly successful former manager Paul Sturrock, a former international player with Scottish league side Dundee United (known as "The Tangerines" on account of the colour of their strip), who won them promotion within one season of joining the club. The tangerine strip has now engendered a new soubriquet applied to the team when they are playing in it, the tangergreens. From the 2004/05 season, Argyle will once again wear the white away strip with green shorts.
| Plymouth Argyle | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Plymouth Argyle Football Club |
| Formed | 1886 as Argyle Athletic |
| Turned Professional | 1903 |
| Ground | Home Park, Plymouth |
| League | Football League Division Two |
| Manager | Bobby Williamson |
| Nicknames | The Pilgrims The Greens |
| Sponsors | Ginsters |
| Mascot | Pilgrim Pete |
The club takes it's nickname from the vast number of people that left Plymouth for the New World. The club crest features the Mayflower, the Plymouth ship, which carried many of the original pilgrims.
Their original ground at Home Park, was destroyed by German bombers during the Blitz on Plymouth during World War II. Rebuilt after the war, Home Park was largely demolished as part of an extensive process of renovation, and the first phase of a new stadium built by Barrs plc was completed in May 2002. The old Devonport End was opened for the 2001 Boxing Day fixture with Torquay United. The other end, the Barn Park End opened on the same day. The Lyndhurst stand reopened on 26 January 2002 for the game against Oxford United. Plans are currently under discussion regarding the completion of the refurbishment of the ground with the replacement of the Mayflower stand.
The club was founded in 1886 as Argyle Athletic Club and gets its name from The Argyle Tavern (thought to be where the founder members first met) or possibly the Argyll and Southerners based in the area at the time. The club adopted its current name when it became fully professional in 1903.
Argyle's record victories are 8-1 wins over Hartlepool United and Millwall. On 3rd January 2004, this winning margin was equalled with a 7-0 thrashing of Chesterfield. The club's record defeat is 9-0 by Stoke City in 1960. Also in 2004, goalkeeper Luke McCormick set a record of seven games without conceding a goal.
Throughout the 1990s Argyle had a string of managers. Peter Shilton, Neil Warnock and John Gregory all managed the club, with mixed success.
The club was promoted from English league Division Three to Division Two as champions at the end of season 2001/02, after attaining 102 points, a club and Division Three record.
Centenary season
The entire first team squad for 2003/04
A list of notable events in 2003/04 season
The current Argyle squad
* Signed a permanent deal to begin in June 2004
12 Green Army is not a real player, but was registered by the club as a tribute to the supporters. The idea behind assigning the number 12 was that the great support from fans gives Argyle a similar advantage to having an extra player.
| Job title | Employee |
|---|---|
| Manager | Bobby Williamson |
| Assistant Manager | Kevin Summerfield |
| Defensive Co-ordinator | John Blackley |
| Youth Coach | Stuart Gibson |
| Physiotherapist | Paul Maxwell |
| Chief Scout | John James |
| Chairman | Paul Stapleton |
| Vice Chair | Peter Jones |
| Directors | Michael Foot, Phillip Gill, Nicholas Warren |
| Community Officer | Geoff Crudgington |
| Commercial Manager | Andy Budge |
| Club Shop Manager | Rachel Fry |
| Club Photographer | Dave Rowntree |
| Official Webmaster | Steven Hill |
Complete list of previous managers
Team managers of Plymouth Argyle and the dates they took over.
Former players of note
Major club honours
Third Division (Old Format)
- Champions
- 1905
- Runners-up
- 1907
- Champions
- 1940
Results
How to get to the ground (and other useful information)
The ground is located at the north of Central Park, approximately half a mile from the main Plymouth railway station, and about a mile from the coach station.
Unless you are on a club coach explicitly bound for Home Park, you will be deposited at Breton Side Bus Station.
From the station
By bus
Turn immediately right out of the station, and cross the main road by footbridge. Any bus bound for Milehouse will drop you within 100 yards of the ground.Walking
Turn immediately right out of the station, and right again under the pedestrian footbridge and railway bridge. You will arrive at a roundabout: in front of you will be a pub, the Pennycomequick. From here you can either walk up Alma Road to the top and turn right at the Britannia pub (the long way) or you can cut across the park about 50 yards up Alma Road, heading right. You will come to a concreted path, follow it uphill and it will bring you past the council-run pitch and putt golf course to Home Park itself.Arriving by road
Arriving by coach
By bus
Any bus bound for Milehouse will drop you within 100 yards of the ground.