Having won the Southern League in 1913, they entered the Football League in 1920, where they have remained ever since. They joined as founder members of the new Third Division, gaining promotion up to the Second Division the 1929-30 season. There they stayed for 20 years before suffering their first Football League relegation in 1950. Since then they've largely been a bit of a yo-yo club, hovering between second and third tier - the nearest they've come to becoming a top flight club was in 1952-53 when they reached their highest point with a fourth placed finish in Division Two.

Apart from that early Southern League title, silverware has been hard to come by for Argyle fans. They won the Third Division title in 1958-59, but then had to wait until the 21st Century for their next major silverware - coming like buses with a Third Division (fourth tier) title in 2001-02 and the Second Division (third tier) title in 2003-04. The latter two were both achieved by Paul Sturrock - their most successful modern day manager, although his attempt to recreate that success in a second spell between 2007 and 2009 was not so fruitful, with the 'never go back' maxim being proved once again.

Argyle's more recent history has been a little bit too eventful for many supporters likings, although it all looked so good at the start. In 2009, they were taken over by Japanese company K&K Shonan Management, with Yasuaki Kagami and George Synan coming in onto the Argyle board. Grandiose plans centred around a presumption that England would be granted World Cup rights and also that Home Park would be one of the venues chosen, were coupled with promises to expand Home Park to support that and the ambition to reach the Premier League. With Argyle having vaguely brushed the Championship play-off positions under Ian Holloway, it all sounded so plausible.

As time has moved on though, the cracks have started to form. Argyle's off the field plans involved splitting out their property assets into a holding company, with the club already having a holding company to manage the interests of their Japanese directors. Argyle seemed to morph into a complex set of seven companies, all hanging off the hope that the World Cup bid would go England's way. Except that those cracks got bigger even before any Russians could influence Sepp Blatter and Co, and the real shock has been how quickly they've fallen apart.

During 2010, they've been the subject of five winding-up orders - all from HMRC - with three of Argyle's companies involved. Their bank accounts were frozen, staff went unpaid, and at the time of writing (December 2010) they still have three winding-up orders due to be heard in early 2011. On the field manager Peter Reid is just about keeping the Pilgrims heads above water, but these three court sessions will go a long way towards whether Argyle see this current point as their lowest ebb, or whether there is a precipice waiting for them to drop into, with administration or liquidation still a big possibility.

The Home Park ground was opened in 1893, but has been rebuilt a number of times during that period. It was originally home to Devonport Albion rugby club, with Argyle moving in during 1901. The was demolished entirely during the Second World War, when Plymouth's position as a naval base ensured that it was a big target for the Luftwaffe. In April 1941 the main Grandstand was demolished by a series of bombs, and had to be rebuilt after the war ended, with the Grandstand being reopened in 1952. Between 2001 and 2007 the ground was rebuilt again, in the post-Hillsborough footballing environment - eventually becoming an all-seater stadium in 2007 under Football League regulations. In December 2006, the freehold of the stadium was purchased from the City Council and it is this that is believed to have contributed to much of the club's current debts, which as of the end of 2010 are believed to be around £7.5 million.

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FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

CLUB GOALSCORERS

Name

LGE

FAC

FAT

LGC

CC

Total

ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

Highest League Attendance: Not Applicable
Lowest League Attendance: Not Applicable
Average League Attendance: Not Applicable

CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS

Games Without A Win:	0		Games Without A Home Win:	0
Games Without An Away Win:	0		Games Without Defeat:	0
Games Without A Home Defeat:	0		Games Without An Away Defeat:	0
Games Without A Draw:	0		Games Without A Score Draw:	0
Games Without A No-Score Draw:	0		Games Without Scoring:	0
Games Without Conceding:	0		Home Results Sequence:
Away Results Sequence:			Overall Results Sequence:

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If you are coming from Cornwall or North Devon, then the A386/A38 junction is still the one you need to head towards regardless of direction.

Parking

The Home Park car park itself is for reserved permit holders only. There is a free car park on Outland Road that serves the bulk of parking needs around Argyle. It fills up before kick-off, so don't make the decision to park there too late. Note that exit from the car park after the match is organised on a "first in, first out" basis - i.e. if you are one of the last ones to get into the car park before kick-off, you'll be right at the back of the queue at the end of the game. Hence if you're doing a tour of the city, you may want to park up first, and use your feet.

With this being so close to the city centre and the railway station, street parking is limited - your best bet is to head further away from the station/centre area where you'll move into more residential parts of the city. Obviously there is plenty of city centre parking, although check the rates for parking on a Bank Holiday.

By Rail

Plymouth is situated on the line that runs between London Paddington and Penzance. For those who are travelling from Yeovil, the most obvious choice is to leave from Yeovil Junction and change at Exeter St Davids. However, those who live in the outlying villages may wish to consider heading to Castle Cary or Taunton where you can get a direct service down.

You should note that the Paddington to Penzance line has major engineering works over the Christmas period around Reading, and thus there may be some service alterations to the normal schedule. The New Year's Day date for this game will also mean a non-standard timetable will be in effect. Check the National Rail Enquiries site for details of services. Current reports state that services from Paddington are being delayed by up to 60-90 minutes against the normal timetable, so allow some extra time for some delays and don't leave your arrival time too close to kick-off.

For those purchasing rail tickets, be aware that there is a fairly ridiculous bit of inconsistency in ticket prices across the network, that means that you may want to play around with the tickets that you purchase for this journey. For example, an adult standard class off-peak day return from Yeovil Junction to Plymouth will cost you £31.70 for New Year's Day. However, if you split out your journey into two sets of day returns, then you will find that your cost of travelling drops radically - for example purchasing the same type of ticket from Yeovil Junction to Axminster (£7.40) and combining that with another return from Axminster to Plymouth (£9.50) will cost you a total of £16.90, which is almost fifteen pounds cheaper than the most obvious day return ticket. Utterly farcical, but we're extremely grateful to one of our readers for pointing out this bargain. This may of course not be the only combination possible - have a play with the National Rail Enquiries site to see what you can get. Note that you do not have to leave the train at Axminster to do this - your two pairs of tickets will be valid for the whole journey.

When you get there, Plymouth station is situated on the south side of Central Park, whilst the ground is situated on the north side of Central Park. It's about a three-quarters of a mile walk, so 10-15 minutes, directly through the park. Come out of the station and turn right into Ford Park Road at the Pennycomequick roundabout, which is downhill from the station. Then take the second left into Holdsworth Street, heading up a steep hill and into the park.

Alternatively, from the Pennycomequick roundabout, you can stick to the main road by carrying on up Alma Road (A386) and then at the next major junction, following the A386 around to the right, which takes you into Outland Road. However, walking through the park cuts off that corner and is decidedly more scenic.

By Bus

Plymouth CityBus run a number of 'football special' services throughout the city that head to Home Park before the game, and do corresponding trips back in the same direction after the match. There are currently eight services, all numbered PA1, PA2 etc up to PA8. All buses leave after the game at 5.00p.m. whilst they all aim to arrive at around 2.10p.m. prior to a 3.00p.m. kick-off. The most relevant one likely to appeal to Glovers fans is service PA1 which leaves from Wembury and significantly takes in Drake Circus (Charles Street, 2.02p.m.) and the Railway Station (Saltash Road, 2.04p.m.) for those who are in the city centre and want a free ride to the game. There is one caveat to this - you'll need to have bought your matchday ticket in advance to be able to board the bus.

There is also a shuttle bus service that runs around a circuit between Home Park, City Centre, Railway Station and then back to Home Park. It's less clear here where the stops are. With all of these services, the drivers operate on a 'Request Stop Only' - i.e. if you see one, then make sure you flag it down or it will drive past. If you need to look at some of the other routes, the full timetables of all eight services can be found here.

By Taxi

A selection of Plymouth taxi companies can be found here.

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Stuck out near the far end of the country, Devon has some wonderfully picturesque pubs if you fancy getting off the beaten track and onto Dartmoor. In the city itself, the pubs are disappointingly dominated by the Bass brewery. You're far better off hunting for places that serve up from the more local brewers such as St Austell, Dartmoore (formerly Princetown Brewery), Summerskills and Butcombe. Specifically around the ground, the selection of pubs available is a little bit disappointing, with the Wetherspoon offering - The Britannia being the stand-out choice. If you were hoping for something a bit more Devon-authentic than a chain pub, you'll need to head a bit further afield.

This is Ginsters territory, right on the edge of Cornwall, and so you may fancy searching out some of the local Cornish Pasties (OK, so we're not in Cornwall, but the tradition of 'home' style pasty making does stretch into Plymouth). There is usually a van selling pasties close to The Britannia pub, although it's likely these are factory made.

Club Bar :

Alcohol is served to away supporters from within the Barn Park End. The concourse area is very cramped and crowded, so expect a bit of queuing. Obviously Football League regulations mean you can not take your drink into the seated areas. The concourse also serves the usual football club diet of pies, pasties and burgers.

Local Pubs :

Britannia: Wetherspoon pub that is the most likely destination for away supporters. It's halfway between the railway station and the ground, where Alma Road meets Outland Road. Obviously it gets very crowded and on certain occasions the doormen have insisted on having people queue outside. The format is what you'd expect of a Wetherspoon - Greene King Ruddles and Abbot, Marston's Pedigree and a selection of rotating guest beers. Also Weston's real cider and perry. All Wetherspoon outlets are cheap for drink and food so this will be a popular and convenient choice. Opening times are 8.00a.m. until midnight, with a one hour extension for Friday and Saturday nights, although don't be too surprised if they are only willing to serve coffees and breakfasts during the first few hours. Britannia, 1 Wolseley Road, Milehouse, Plymouth, Devon, PL2 3AA. Tel: 01752 607596. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

Fortescue: For the discerning real ale drinker, this is the pub to make a bee-line for. Mutley Plain is the B3250 that runs on the east side of Central Park and the pub is situated just north of where the the railway line crosses Mutley Plain. The pub has been given the title of local CAMRA pub of the year three years running and serves up nine real ales including local brewers Butcombe and Dartmoor, plus real cider in Thatchers Dry. Opening hours are 11.00am - 11.00pm with slightly shorter hours on a Sunday. Only snag is that apart from Sunday roasts, we can't see any evidence of them serving regular food. Children are welcome until 5.00p.m. Fortescue, 37 Mutley Plain, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 6JQ. Tel: 01752 660673. Map: Click Here.

Mannamead: A second Wetherspoon pub in Plymouth. This one is further from the ground than the Britannia is, and is on Mutley Plain (B3250) which is a mile or so east of Central Park. This will be a quieter choice than the Britannia, and may also help those who want to sample the real ales in the Fortescue, but also want a bite to eat. Opening hours are 8.00a.m. until midnight with an hour's extension on Friday and Saturday - expect them to only be doing coffees and breakfast during the first few hours of opening. Usual Wetherspoon food and drink prices and format apply. Children are welcome. Mannamead, 61-63 Mutley Plain, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 6JH. Tel: 01752 825610. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

Providence Inn: One of two pubs in the city that are owned by the South Hams Brewery (the other is the Thistle Park Tavern). Situated just off the B3250 on the north side of the city, and therefore relatively convenient for those coming in by train, or for those who have chosen to go pubbing on the Mutley Plain side of the city. Situated right at the top of a very steep hill (whichever way you approach it) called North Hill. Apparently serves Courage Best as a guest bitter, but quite frankly if you're going here, then you're going for the South Ham Devon Porter or XSB, or for the Thatchers real cider range, including Cheddar Valley. Providence Inn, 20 Providence Street, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8JQ. Tel: 01752 228178. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You :

Understand us? Arrr, we be near country cousins, moy dear!

Top-Tip :

Shout "Green Army!" a lot. No-one will ever suspect that you're an away fan.

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[No responsibility is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice.]

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