A well-grounded football education - Plymouth Argyle FC

*Ground Name: Home Park (opened 1901)
*Address: Home Park Stadium, Plymouth, Devon, PL2 3DQ
*Main Club Number: 01752 562561
*Club Founded: 1886
*Club Nickname: The Pilgrims
*Ground Capacity: 19,500
*Current League status: Npower League One
*Official Club Website: www.pafc.co.uk

*Email address: argyle@pafc.co.uk

*Record Attendance: 43,596 vs Aston Villa, Division Two, 10th October 1936
*Record League Victory: 8-1 vs Millwall, Division 2, 16th Jan 1932 & 8-1 vs Hartlepool Utd, Division 2,
7th May 1994
*Nearest Train Station: Plymouth station is about a 15-20 min walk from the ground. On exiting the station, turn right, down the hill under the railway bridge and follow this road to the ground, which is on the right.
*Pubs for away fans: The Britannia in Wolseley Road, which is a ten minute walk from the ground. Alternatively there is a good variety of pubs in the city centre. Beer is also available inside the ground

The Ground:
Originally built in 1893, Home Park was extensively redeveloped in 2001/02 at a cost of £11 million. Three sides of the ground are now a modern well-proportioned and comfortable stadium, with the remaining side due for redevelopment. The Grandstand is the only side of the ground that is underdeveloped. The lower tier, which stretches the length of the pitch, is open, a legacy of the open terrace that used to be there and is uncomfortable in wet and windy weather. The upper tier is covered but only stretches three-quarters of the pitch. The dressing rooms are located below The Grandstand and there is a scoreboard between it and The Devonport End. A new, multi-tier stand, with a capacity of 6,000 is planned, though no date has been fixed for the commencement of this development. The Devonport Stand was the first of the new stands to open and is home support only, including a family enclosure. Like the other two stands it forms one continuous sweep around the ground in a single tier, allowing for a real atmosphere to be generated. The Lyndhurst Stand is a single tier, which continues the sweep around the ground, joining the two ends. The louder Plymouth fans sit in the Barn End corner which generates an excellent atmosphere between opposing supporters. The Barn Park End houses away support that takes up a varying amount of the stand, depending on the fixture. The views & facilities are very good.

Home Park - home of Plymouth Argyle FC

Rivals:
Fiercest - The club's traditional rivals is fellow Devon side Exeter City, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers and Portsmouth (the Plymouth-Portsmouth game is known as the Dockyard Derby). Although the rivalry with Exeter City has been blunted for a while due to a difference in Divisions, Argyle's relegation into League One at the end of the 2009/10 season, coupled with Exeter City's survival has reignited the tensions. Welsh sides Cardiff City and Swansea City are also seen as local rivals. A distinct rivalry arose between Argyle and Luton Town after inflammatory comments made by Joe Kinnear who was manager of The Hatters during the 2001–02 promotion season, although this mutual antipathy has now somewhat abated. Similarly, after the departure of Ian Holloway to Leicester City in November 2007 a noticeable mutual dislike arose, although this mutual antipathy has now similarly subsided.

Famous/Celebrity fans:
Michael Foot - Former Labour Party Leader
The late Sir Clement Freud - Broadcaster and former MP

Legends that have worn the shirt:
Jack Chisholm - 1949–1954
Johnny Williams - 1955–1966
Colin Sullivan - 1968–1974
Jim Furnell - 1970-1976
Paul Mariner - 1973-1976
Kevin Hodges - 1978–1992 (Manager 1998-2000)
Tommy Tynan - 1983-1985 & 1986-1990
Paul Wotton - 1994-2008
Also Paul Sturrock (Manager): 2000-2004 & 2007-2009

Argyle Villans:
Taribo West - 2005-2006
Ian Holloway (Manager)- 2006-2007
George Reilly - Reilly scored the winning goal for Watford against Plymouth Argyle in the 1984 FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park. Nearly 20 years later, Reilly was working as a bricklayer on a building site in Corby, when he was attacked by another worker who bit part of his right ear off, before whispering "Plymouth" in his other ear by way of explanation.

Trivia/Facts:
The city of Plymouth is now the largest in England never to have hosted top-flight football. They are the most southern and western League club in England.

At the height of the Cold War in the sixties, Argyle went on a tour of Eastern Europe, which included a match against Legia Warsaw, played in front of 100,000 fans.

In 2006 Viz magazine ran a one-off comic strip 'The Pirates of Plymouth Argyle' based on the team.

On 21st February 2011, the club issued a notice of intention to appoint an administrator and were immediately docked 10 points by the Football League which dropped them to the bottom of the League One table.
The club officially went into administration on the 4th March 2011.


# Next time I shall be picking another English Football League club at random, in my efforts to give all my readers the opportunity of 'a well-grounded football education.'

Maverick Mal - A Short Biography of Malcolm Allison

Malcolm Allison was born in Dartford, Kent on the 5th September 1927.

'Big Mal' became one of British football's most colourful, charismatic and controversial characters to have ever graced the game, as well as being an incredibly innovative coach of his era.

His naturally flamboyant, outspoken and brazen nature made him the maverick character that he indeed was.

He played football for Erith & Belvedere before signing for Charlton Athletic in 1945.
He only played two first-team games for the club before Ted Fenton signed him for West Ham United for a fee of £7,000 in February 1951.

Allison had a poor relationship with Ted Fenton and openly described Fenton as a "useless manager."
The under pressure Fenton eventually agreed that Malcolm Allison should take over the training sessions, where he in turn he acted as mentor to a young Bobby Moore. He introduced all-day training which included weights in the afternoons. In fact he more or less ran the playing side of things, and the fans enjoyed the style of football introduced by Allison.

His playing career was cut short when on 16th September 1957, at the age of 30 Allison was taken ill after a game against Sheffield United. Doctors discovered he was suffering from tuberculosis and he had to have a lung removed. He made well over 200 appearances in his time with the East London club.

Allison took on a coaching role at Cambridge University, and moved into management at non-league Bath City in 1963. His moderate success at Bath City had alerted a number of Football League clubs, and in May 1964 he took up the position of manager of Plymouth Argyle. He soon returned to Bath to sign full-back Tony Book. However, Allison knew the Plymouth board would be reluctant to permit the purchase of a player with no League experience, who was approaching his thirtieth birthday. Allison encouraged Book to doctor his birth certificate, making him appear two years younger.

However all his trophy wining success in English football was crammed into a four year spell at Manchester City in the late 1960's.
Joe Mercer was named City manager in July 1965, but due to poor health Mercer sought a younger, energetic man to be his assistant. He offered the position to Allison, who he knew from coaching courses at Lilleshall.

The Mercer-Allison era is believed to be strongest in Manchester City's history. Renowned for a free-flowing style of football, developed by Allison in their first season City they won the Second Division championship. Two years later (1967-68) they won the First Division league title. The club won the FA Cup (1969), the League Cup (1970) and European Cup-Winners Cup (1971).
Allison was also responsible for introducing a red and black away kit because he wanted his side to look like AC Milan.

The following year Allison took over from Mercer as manager of the club, with a team including such greats as Bell, Summerbee and Lee.

City nearly won the League in Allison's first full season but lost key matches after the balance of the side was disrupted by the signing of the flamboyant Rodney Marsh, along with Allison's repeated desire to tinker with the side to little effect.
Although Allison resigned the following year he had left a lasting impression. It was said that during his time at City, "His influence was felt throughout the club and his approach was refreshing. His charisma and style brought excitement to sixties Manchester."

On the 31st March 1973 Allison was appointed manager of Crystal Palace. Despite his arrival the Eagles were relegated, losing five out of their last seven games.

Malcolm immediately instigated a huge stylistic shift both on and off the field, raising Palace's profile with his charismatic media appearances, rebranding the club’s rather homely nickname ‘The Glaziers’ as ‘The Eagles’ and ending the club’s 68-year association with claret and blue kits. Palace’s highly recognisable red and blue striped home kit was introduced, and later, the all-white strip with red and blue sash, changes which still reflect in the character of the club today.

The following season (1974-75)was even more disastrous because of a second successive relegation.

However the 1975-76 was Allison's most successful season at Selhurst Park as he spurred his side onto a fantastic FA Cup run. Brilliant victories against higher league opposition in the shape of Leeds United, Chelsea and Sunderland lead to the club's first ever FA Cup semi-final. Palace lost the semi-final to eventual winners Southampton at Stamford Bridge, with Allison resembling a Chicago gangster in his fur or sheepskin coat, 'lucky' fedora hat, and a cigar never far away.
With the team failing to reach Wembley and win promotion Allison resigned in May 1976.

Despite two successive relegations during his tenure, Palace supporters will always remember the mid 1970s as the era of FA Cup runs and Allison's fedora hat. His period at the helm of 'The Eagles' was not the most successful but during his time in charge the seeds were sown for the success that would follow under Terry Venables.

Much in line with his flamboyant persona, his career was shrouded in numerous controversies. His outspoken nature and 'laddish womanising antics' were ideal for the tabloids but nothing topped Allison's decision in 1976 to invite the famous porn star Fiona Richmond to Palace's Park Langley training ground for a photo shoot with a cameraman from the News of the World.

Richmond went in goal while Palace's slightly bemused but uncomplaining players took penalties at her, and the session ended with the club's goalkeeper Paul Hammond covering the former Playboy model in mud.

But that was just the start of it. Moments later, Richmond appeared in the dressing rooms wearing only a fur coat, which she promptly whipped off before jumping in the players' communal bath, along with Allison.


Then Crystal Palace player, Terry Venables later said of the incident, "I was in the bath with all the players and we heard the whisper that she was coming down the corridor." So far, so good. "We all leapt out and hid, because we knew there'd be photos and that wouldn't go down too well. Malcolm and Fiona dropped everything and got in the bath."

Allison received a Football Association disrepute charge after a photograph was published in the News of the World showing him in the Crystal Palace players' bath with the porn star.

Among Big Mal's 'other women' were Roger Moore's ex-wife Dorothy Squires, 1950's movie legend Jane Russell, Profumo scandal hooker Christine Keeler, two Miss UK's! and a Playboy Club employee called Serena Williams!

After Palace, Allison had short managerial stints at Galatasaray in Turkey, and back at Plymouth before Allison returned to Manchester City as manager in 1979. It was an unmitigated disaster and he left for Palace again in 1980.
Stints with a number of other clubs never saw Allison scale those giddy City heights again, apart from a golden period out of the British spotlight where he won the Portuguese league and cup with Sporting Lisbon.
Allison’s final spell in management came at Bristol Rovers in the early 1990's, where he introduced a tactical concept called the 'Whirl' which involved players regularly swapping positions on the field of play.

Allison settled into semi-retirement as a radio pundit on Teeside, despite being 'accidentally' caught on air using an array of expletives!

With his enthusiasm for expansive football, Allison would have made a fine director of coaching at the FA, but his extravagant lifestyle seemed to colour his approach to club management - he couldn't be left alone with a chequebook!
He remains the only English football manager to have published an autobiography that sounds like a psychedelic LP, 'Colours of My Life.'

Sadly his health is in decline. In 2001 it was revealed by his son that Allison was suffering from alcoholism, and he is now in a care home suffering from Alzheimer’s. It's a heart-rending end for one of football's greatest entertainers.

As a football manager, he was moderate, his achievements as a coach far outweighing his titles as a number one.

But as a PR guru, he was simply peerless!





Friday 15th October 2010, only four days after writing my short biography on Malcolm Allison -
I am truly saddened to say that today Malcolm Allison passed away, aged 83.
God bless you 'Big Mal' and may your rest in peace.