Hyperventilation

Plymouth Argyle 4 (four) - 1 Reading

What? 4? 4 goals? For Argyle? No! Surely some mistake?

Well it wasn't a flash in the pan, and the boys went on to trounce Reading today in an unbelievable game that sees the Greens gain their biggest win for a long time. A penalty started the ball rolling followed by 3 goals within 5 minutes before the Pilgrims putting in a 4th just to seal the deal. Santa must have delivered a fairy godmother to Mariner (is her name Carver?) over Christmas because no one saw that coming.

Santa's Present

Cardiff City 0 - 1 Plymouth Argyle

My god, now I've only just got over the shock of an actual win, maybe Cardiff City Stadium will be a lucky ground - if we ever go back! The 450 Green Army (that's a shocking number really!) finally had something to celebrate thanks to a Cardiff defender, Fallon and Sawyer. Though the stats for the game are awful (2 v 8 on target for starters), a little bit of luck shone on the Greens for once, especially on the referee who gave Argyle a lot of leeway.

So that puts the Greens off the bottom for the moment, but will it be the start of a revival or a flash in the pan?

A Song for Christmas

A fantastic reworked version of Band Aid's Feed the World appeared in the latest edition of Rub of the Greens.

This Christmas time, there's every reason to be afraid;
This Christmas time, they won't do anything but they'll still get paid.
And in the league this season, we pray our games are called off,
Get the sprinklers on the pitch this Christmas time!

But say a prayer.
We won at Middlesbrough!
At Christmas time, it's hard but when Ipswich have won.

There are leagues below the Championship,
and it's a world we've been before.
Where the only match worth watching
is Leeds v Hartlepool,
and to Peterborough and Scunthorpe:
We thought you'd go back to League Two.
But it looks like it'll be us, instead of you!

And there won't be wins for Argyle this Christmas time (oh)
We hope the games get called off 'cos of snow (oh-oh)
Where no one ever scores,
Can't even get a draw,
Perhaps Home Park needs Chadwick after all!

Merry Christmas!

5 Year Plan

The 5 year plan has been announced, namely:

1. To reach the Premier League within 5 years by:
a. putting in place the necessary infrastructure
b. improve the training facilities
c. securing and developing playing staff
d. building on the youth development programme
e. improving the medical and physiotherapy activities
f. expand the scouting network

2. To create a sporting venue in Central Park by:
a. building the new stadium
b. working with international partners

3. To build the fan base by:
a. surveying the attitudes of Plymothians
b. expand communications
c. develop marketing in Japan
d. develop marketing in New England
e. launch Argyle Internet TV

4. To provide business infrastructure
a. reorganise the PAFC Holding group
b. improve technology
c. operate from modern facilities

Number 1 is only an aspiration, and at the current rate it will take more than 5 years, so that's a cop out already really. The rest cover all aspects of PAFC as a whole, including the stadium - which has already been announced - supporters and infrastructure. All in all, it's not really that surprising as all aspects needed addressing. Ok, so they've talked the talked, now let's see if they can walk the walk. So far, it doesn't seem like they have.

All Aboard the Polar Express

Ply,outh Argyle 0 - 1 Coventry City

I am writting today from France, where due to the wrong type of snow I am stuck for the forseeable future. However, unlike my present predicament I have been unable to muster much concern for the plight of the Greens, who, like Eurostar train are going nowhere fast. Well actually that's a lie, they are going backwards in the least.

It came as little surprise as I drank my £6.50 pint of Kronnenberg whilst watching Canal+Sport (Sunderland v Man City, The Scum v 'Ull) that French have no interest outside the Premier League and I somehow found the score, that there was yet another loss. Even worse that the apathy on the terraces has spread to the pitch, though not Mariner's head who must be under the Christmas spirit.

Apparently, the 5 year plan is due imminently, though what that 5 year plan might have contained could be being hastily rewritten in to a 50 year plan. Most supporters are now resigned to relegation, though there is still mathematical hope, but as Argyle trqditionally spend years in the lower leagues, the future does not look good. Unless you count all the 'new' old tradionally grounds to visit at a cheaper entrance rate in a league that places all the rivals virtually on the doorstep verses the loss of a lot of income for the club, zero publicity and a cat in hells chance of getting or keeping quality players (not that this lot can really be classified as such at the moment). Merry Christmas.

They've only gone and done it

Plymouth has been officially declared a host city for England's World Cup bid 2018.

Very surprising, but congratulations are in order for once!

Now it's up to FIFA to decide what country gets the competition, though that won't be decided until next year.

Home Park Stadium

The plans for new look Home Park were revealed today, though dependent upon the World Cup Bid.

Phase one of Phase two (keeping up?) will increase and finish the current stadium to a capacity of 27,000; this is not reliant on the bid and will start at the end of NEXT season (so 2011). Phase two and phase three of phase two will add an extra tier to phase one (you sure you got that?), which will add 8,000 seats and then make the full complement of 46,000.

Now even if Argyle get the bid the legacy is going to be a 46,000 seater stadium that is far too big for the South West, though it will be multi-purpose. But,the Olympic stadium in Stratford is being built to Olympic standards and the legacy will reduce it to a more manageable size. If half that stadium could be described as "temporary", then why can't the same logic be applied to Home Park?

Mariner Out

Swansea 2 - 0 Plymouth Argyle

Well that's what it should be surely? Sturrock Out/Mariner Out, same result? The only difference was the half time talk that saw a renewed performance from the Greens though the same mistakes were being made, but its a results driven business after all!

Now Mariner has inherited a mess from Sturrock, and he needs to be given time, especially for a head coach that has no managerial experience in the UK. So we're back to the beginning of another very long hard journey. And when "for the time being" ends, it will begin over once again.

[/sarcasm]

Thank you Mr Sturrock

Paul Sturrock was given the ultimate sanction today as he was axed as manager following the team's plummet down the league.

Fans have been calling for Sturrock to step down for some time and it has been confirmed today that Mariner will take over - for the time being, whatever that means - and Sturrock will have some business role - whatever that means!

Thank you Mr Sturrock for what you have done over the years, but your second tenure was a disaster and probably prolonged too long. Mariner now has a tough job to drag the Pilgrims out of the relegation zone and, not being a manager in the UK ever, it will be a very tough job. Hopefully there will be some positivity surrounding Home Park now which everyone should ride into the Christmas period and spark a revival.

Resurgam?

Leg-End

Swansea 1 - 0 Plymouth Argyle

Well that must be it for Sturrock - he has lost the fan base (well until the next win when he'll be a hero again, but when will that happen?). The Legend has turned into a true leg end but prolonging the agony and not admitting to the mistakes that have been made since he came back. The impossible situation is perpetuating into a downward spiral that is tearing the club apart from its roots.

Argyle fans have seen it all before and once again the New World has become the old world. If the new board do not act in a way different from what the Plymouth public have got used to, then why should they care about the club? Well they don't anyway, who can really blame them?

It's the Results that Count

Plymouth Argyle 0 - 1 Sheffield United

Another late goal, another game where its hard to see out a full 90+ minutes. A better performance from the boys in green who could have played them off the field, but it's not the performance but the score at the end of the day that counts, which is a big fat 0. And if a win against a poor team is never going to be forthcoming then what the hell is the point really? Sturrock has always been untouchable, and with Mariner, the two of them are even less likely to feel any comeuppance that would have befallen any other manager in the country. Strange player choices, baffling substitutions and excuses already in the bag before the game has even kicked off ("it's been raining"), words fail.

Blimey that was Quick!

The date for the rematch of the Great Injustice has been fixed for Tuesday 12th Juanuary, though dependant on the 3rd Round replays of the FA Cup. Normally it takes some months for a replay to come around, so the it's surprising that it's scheduled for just a months later. Maybe the FA are trying to avoid the situation where either club's future rests on a replay.

Those supporters with proof of purchase of a ticket from the original fixture will be able to attend for free.