|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Plymouth Argyle Football Club (commonly known as the Pilgrims, the Greens, the Green Army or simply Argyle) are an English football team, playing in the Championship league. They are one of only two clubs in the Football League to play in a principally green home strip. It is the most southern and western league club - this has not stopped the Green Army (colloquial name for Argyle fans) travelling in large numbers, despite the nearest away game for the 2006-7 being Cardiff, at 153 miles away, and the furthest being Sunderland at 412 miles.
HistoryThe Plymouth PilgrimsThe club takes its nickname from the groups 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 mascot is called Pilgrim Pete. Foundation and formationThe club was founded in 1886 as Argyle Football Club, the first match taking place against Dunheved College (now Launceston College) in Launceston where many of the club's first members had been educated. Poor performance on the pitch led to it going out of existence in 1894 before being resurrected in 1897. In 1898 it became one part of a general sports club, the Argyle Athletic Club. Much speculation and rumour surrounds the origin of the name Argyle. The most popular explanation is that they were named after the nearby Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, an army regiment with a strong football side of its own. Other theories suggest that the name comes from the nearby public house, The Argyle Tavern; where the founder members may have met. Alternatively they were named after a local street called Argyle Terrace. The club adopted its current name when it became fully professional in 1903 joining the Southern League. Argyle's first professional game was on September 1 1903[1] against West Ham United resulting in a 2-0 win for Argyle with the first goal being scored by Jack Peddie. In 1920 Argyle entered the Football League Third Division as a founder member. Uniquely, between 1921/2 and 1926/7, they finished second in the Third Division South six seasons in a row, thereby avoiding promotion. Club recordsArgyle's record victories are 8-1 wins over Hartlepool United and Millwall. On 3 January 2004, this winning margin was equalled with a 7-0 thrashing of Chesterfield, a game which is also notable for it being the fastest first five goals scored in English League football, 17 minutes. 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. Argyle's fastest ever goal was scored after 11 seconds by forward, Nick Chadwick, the £250,000 signing from Everton. The goal was scored against Crystal Palace during the 2005/2006 season, 17 December. Plymouth went on to win the game 2-0. 1984 cup run and 1987 promotion challenge
1995 relegation to Division ThreeShilton guided a determined Plymouth side to third place in the new Division Two during the 1993-94 season, but they lost to eventual winners Burnley in the semi-finals. Their form slumped the following season and they were relegated a short time after Shilton left the club to be replaced (on a short-term deal) by player Steve McCall. McCall's contract was not renewed and in came Neil Warnock as his successor. Up, then down againWarnock took Plymouth to Division Three playoff glory in his first season as manager, but he was sacked within a year as the club narrowly avoided being relegated back to the basement division. They went down a year later under Warnock's successor Mick Jones, and Jones's successor Kevin Hodges lasted three years before a failure to attain promotion (or even a playoff place) cost him his job. The Sturrock RevolutionThe appointment of Paul Sturrock as manager in the November of 2000 marked a turning point in Plymouth's history,after saving the club from relgation out of the Football League (they where 4th bottom when he became Manager) in his first season they collected a club record of 102 points to clinch the Division Three title and gain promotion to Division Two. They narrowly missed out on the Division Two playoffs in 2003, and Sturrock moved to Southampton in March 2004. Promotion as Division Two champions was sealed weeks later, ironically in Plymouth's first game under the management of Bobby Williamsom. Plymouth in the ChampionshipWilliamson was never very popular with Plymouth fans, and his tenure lasted just 18 months before he made way for Tony Pulis. Pulis was on his way out of the exit door in even less time, returning to Stoke at the end of the season to make way for Ian Holloway. They finished February in 12th place, but a wide gap has opened up between them and the teams in the top six, making their promotion bid more difficult than it had appeared earlier in the season. Despite this disappointment, the team made significantly better progress than in recent seasons in the F.A. Cup, reaching the quarter-finals after beating Championship league leaders Derby County F.C. in the 5th round. In the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup, they was drawn at home to Premiership struggler's Watford, but lost out to a Hameur Bouazza strike. Plymouth made a strong start to the 2006-07 Championship campaign, and were soon looking capable of qualifying for the playoffs. The January transfer window saw considerable activity in the transfer market with the arrival of Hungarians Krisztián Timár and Péter Halmosi on loan with a view to a full deal later in the year, the signing of Rory Fallon from Swansea City F.C., and Kevin Gallen and Scott Sinclair on loan from QPR and Chelsea respectively. In late 2006, Viz magazine published a one-off comic strip, "The Pirates of Plymouth Argyle", depicting Plymouth Argyle FC as a shipload of 18th-century pirates. Several of the characters in this strip were given the names of then-current players on the real Plymouth Argyle team. Home ParkImage:Devout.JPG Outside view of the Devonport Stand The original ground of the professional club at Home Park, was destroyed by German bombers during the Blitz on Plymouth in World War II. Having been 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 new 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 is situated in Central Park, very near to the residential area of Peverell. Towards the end of the 05/06 English Coca-Cola Championship season the club decided to buy the stadium for £2.7 million off Plymouth City Council, releasing the ground from a 125 year lease. This purchase was concluded in December 2006. RivalriesThe club's traditional rivals are Exeter City and the two Bristol clubs, but due to Argyle's recent successes they have now been in a higher division for some time and so rarely play each other. The last meeting between Argyle and City was on 26 February 2002 at Home Park, and Argyle triumphed 3-0 in front of 16,389 spectators. Earlier in the season the Greens had won 3-2 at St James Park, thus completing the "double". The principal rivalries are now against Cardiff City (after a particularly unpleasant encounter at their Ninian Park ground which ended in the away fans having to be escorted out of the ground by armed police, and the travelling coaches being bricked), Southampton and the battle of the ports for when Plymouth and Portsmouth were both main battle ports in the wars. PlayersCurrent squadThe current Plymouth Argyle first-team squad as of March 25, 2007.
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 (twelfth) player. Out on loan
ReservesThe Plymouth Argyle Reserves play in both the Pontin's Holidays Combination and the South Western League. South Western League home games are played at Tiverton town. Youth teamThe current Plymouth Argyle youth squad as of October 07, 2006.
Player of the YearSince 1966 the player of the season award has been made by Plymouth Argyle fans to the best player of the past season.
Team of the centuryFor the centenary celebrations, an all time best team of Plymouth Argyle players was chosen by fans of the club.[2]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
