It's a Fix

League fixtures have been released and with all 3 Devon teams being in the same league after many years, there are quite a few highlights.  Old foes Exeter will be clashed with at home on Easter Saturday (30 March) and away preChristmas, whilst Torquay is the Boxing Day home game and an away trip early on in September (Sat 8th).  Both promise to be big gate games, and following trouble at the last Exeter-Argyle meetings, very dicey too.

The season kicks off home to Aldershot (Sat 18 August) and ends on one of the long away trips to Rochdale (Sat 27 April),  other long trips include York on Easter Monday (1 April) and Fleetwood (Sat 17 November).  Again, there are only a handful of Tuesday night games, most being in the first half of the season, and include Dagenham away (21 August), Rovers home (18 September), Wycombe away (2 October), Cheltenham away (23 October) and Burton home in November; whilst New Year's Day sees a trip to the other "Westcountry" rivals, Bristol Rovers.

Full fixtures here.

Battle of the Ports

Step back in time to when Gus v Pompey was a big event in dockyard terms, and it hasn't totally gone away even in football.  So this year's first round of the League Cup sees Argyle pitted against Portsmouth at Home Park taking place either 14th/15th August (is the fireworks championship night again?).  We've met 90 times and Argyle have only won on 36 of those occasions, the last meeting being the FA Cup in 2008 when Portsmouth won in spite of the Greens taking the lead.  I remember they did a great Chilli burger outside the ground.

Additionally, only 2 days to league fixtures are released this Monday.

Stourbridge the Revenge?

Tuesday 22 November, live on ESPN.

Stourbridge are the favourites, and probably quite rightly so., especially as they drew 3-3 and were leading for most of the match. At the moment, the might of the Pilgrims is as strong as a dead ant, and the FA Cup game has potential for an embarrassing morale damaging defeat, with suspensions and injuries. On the one hand the money is welcomed especially if the right draw comes along, but with Argyle sinking out of the league without a trace, the age-old cup vs league argument has even more precedence. Both teams will need drive and determination to win, and Stourbridge probably have more.

Fixtures

Some news!
After nearly a month of nothing except administration/mystery bidders/selling players/staff not being paid ... basically the same old crap. There's some news - something to look forward to. Well maybe not, because the fixtures came out today and all it does is remind you of how lowly Argyle have stooped.

First up is the league cup, which cause Argyle are unseeded, they've drawn Millwall at home (full list).
Second is the full league fixtures, which can be found here. Highlights include Rovers on Boxing Day, the Devon Derby I in November at Plainmoor the return being New Year Bank Holiday;first game is away to Shrewsbury followed by first home to Rotherham and ending at home to Cheltenham. Maybe the only plus is the travelling distance will be so much less, and there are just a handful of Tuesday night games.

This is assuming Argyle exist, as the bidders are still shrouded in secrecy - why? At this going rate, Argyle'll be starting on -10 points, and a further drop will be a potential reality.

1%

All 220 creditors owed by Argyle are to be offered 1p for every £1 of their investment - or even less! 75% of those companies need to agree to this Company Voluntary Arrangement to stop Argyle from being liquidated. Wonder how many will tell 'em to poke it?

Away FC Bournemouth

Argyle and Bournemouth have agreed to rearrange their postponed Boxing Day fixture to Saturday 8 January subject to FL approval. That's pretty quick!

UnBoxing Day

The game verses AFC Bournemouth was called off following a pitch inspection today. Another game to add to the postponement stack that may or may not get paid depending on whether Argyle exist by then.

Leyton Offient

Tomorrow's game verses Leyton Orient has been postponed due to the severe weather conditions.

Have a Break

The Greens are on international break today, meaning a postponement of the Brighton and Hove match (till Tuesday 21 September). Probably the only "big" thing that they've done in League One so far.

The transfer deadline passed a few days ago, and a last minute deal saw the addition of Stephane Zubar to the squad. The 23 year old French defender who plays full/centre back impressed Reid during pre-season against QPR and signed following international clearance. Although Stephane come into some what of a fragile squad at the moment.

The opening few games of the season haven't really set the footballing world alight, even counting the win verses Portsmouth B. The 'Argyle norm' has infected another season. That 'typical Argyle' play that affects anyone who pulls on a green shirt no matter who makes up the first XI and that no manager has seemed to eradicate in spite of however many loan players are added. Additionally going the other way very few players have left, leaving bloated pay packets hanging around the club doing bugger all but drain the coffers. At a time when there are numerous rumours that staff are not getting paid.

And there's a disgruntled movement afoot towards the board for their failures to take steps to reverse the decline of the end of the 'Stapleton years'. The World Cup bid is being viewed as a distraction and money maker at the expense of the day to day running of a football club. A distraction that is hinged on 2 decisions and could make or break the club. Or do both at the same time.

Of the three teams that were relegated to L1 last season, two are currently at the top of the table, whilst the other lingers down the bottom and dropping further by the game. It doesn't really take a genius to work out who's who. And why.

All Fixed

The League fixtures have now been released for next season.

Kicking off away at Southampton on 7 August, with the final away game being Exeter 30 April.
We are away over Christmas to Orient on the 18th and Bournemouth on Boxing Day, with Exeter home on the 11th, Notts County on the 28th and Yeovil on the 1st January. Whilst over Easter we play host to MK Dons on Bank Holiday Monday.
The longest away trips to Carlisle and Hartlepool are on Saturday 2 April and Saturday 2 October, while they make the trip on Saturday 14th August.
There is a distinct lack of Tuesday night away trips, which is a bonus, including just Swindon on 28 September and Yeovil on 1 February.

All in all not a bad list, certainly the lack of midweek away games plays in Argyle's favour especially for fans.

Fixing the Dates

The dates for various fixtures of the new season will start to be released soon.

First off the line is the 1st Round of the League Cup, verses Notts County at home week beginning 9th August (assuming the pitch is ready). Usually Argyle do crap in the League Cup, and considering for the past few years there's been a bye into the next round which we;ve then dropped out of, going back to the start does bode any better.

Tomorrow will see the release of the League fixtures, which starts on 7th August.

The pre-season timetable will hopefully come out very very soon! Except for the already known about Truro away on 10th July.

But the Johnstone Paint Trophy will not be drawn until August.

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.

3rd Round Bore

The 3rd round FA Cup draw will see Argyle play Newcastle at home. Now a few years ago this would have been an attractive fixture, but seeing as the Toon are now in the Championship, we've played them once already at theirs and they're due to come down once already, I don't really see anything that exciting. Some say it'll increase the gate, but if people come to see Newcastle win in the Cup, why should they come and see them win in the league? Either way I don't see the revenue from what will no doubt be Argyle's only FA Cup game being anything to get worked up about. Mind you it'll be a fair 'ol poke for 'em won't it - twice!

More Pre-Seasoning

A couple of additions to the pre-season schedule make the full list:

Monday 13 July. Truro City, Treyew Road
Wednesday 15 July, Torquay United, Plainmoor, 19.45
Saturday 18 July, Skelmersdale United, The Skelmersdale & Ormskirk College Stadium, 15.00
Sunday 19 July - Friday 24 July, Pre-season Tour, Scotland
Monday 20 July, Livingston, Almondvile
Wednesday 22 July, Unirea Urziceni
Saturday 25 July, Morecambe, Christie Park
Wednesday 29 July, (opposition to be confirmed), Home Park, 19.45
Saturday 1 August, Swindon Town, The County Ground, 15.00

Late Night Reading

The Tuesday evening game verses Reading at the Madjeski Stadium on the 9th February will now kick off at 8.00pm.

Very advanced warning there!

Newsround 28/06/09

Its been so quiet that Newsround missed a week.

Season Ticket Prices

Prices for White and Pilgrim Memberships have been released:

White membership
Main ground: adults £154, over-65s and under-23s, £101, under-18s £47.
Mayflower Enclosure: adults £100, over-65s and under-23s £77, under-18s £35.

Pilgrim membership
£30

Player News

Nothing to get excited about, Sturrock's one in one out policy hasn't really gone anywhere, Stack is now 3rd choice goalkeeper, trialists are going to be sought using an X Factor format (I mean come on!!) whereby we have no trialists (now that is worrying) for preseason and Sturrock will see them all during a closed doors game, and Romain Larrieu is now club captain so congratulations to him.

Takeover News

Phil Gill resigned (which I somehow pre-emptively managed to report 2 weeks ago), making Kagami the majority shareholder.

Match News

The Boxing Day match at Cardiff's new ground has been changed to a 13.00 kick off. So the Heddlu can have an early night.

Kit News

The new home kit is now available in Argyle merchandise stockists. Still no sign of the away kit, so we shall probably be playing in skins. And come on what the hell is the hold up? Other clubs have had their kit on sale for weeks before the end of the season, by the looks of it the away kit will not be on sale to week after the start of the next.

A Bonnie Wee Game...

'gain' SPL side, Livingston on Monday 20 July at Almondvile and Romanian Champions, Unirea Urziceni on Wednesday 22 July (venue to be decided) is the line up for the pre-season tour to Scotland.

This is presuming the Livingston exist by the end of July.

Fixtures 2009/10

Today saw the release of the fixtures for next season and for once they are surprisingly kind to Argyle! They include:

We kick off the season away at Palace on 8 August and finish it at home with Peterbrough United on 2 May. The popular Blackpool away fixture will be in October.

Away games to Newcastle and Middlesbrough are on Saturday 19 September and 31 October respectively though we have to wait till April for the return fixtures for both. Over Christmas the Green play Cardiff away on Boxing day, again with no New Years Day match due to the FA Cup, rather kicking off the New Year at QPR on the 9th January.

The 5 away Tuesday matches are Peterborough United (September), Bristol City (October), Swansea (December) and Reading (February), Ipswich Town (March), which is not too bad considering, with just two long haul journeys.

Fixtures from The Herald

And the honour of beating Argyle goes to...

...Gillingham.

Argyle have drawn Gillingham away in the 1st round of the League cup to be played in the second week of the season. Last year the Pilgrims were beaten by (now non-league) Luton Town, which is no surprise really as Argyle traditionally don't do well in the Cup matches (except for the spell under Holloway when they progressed to round 3 drawing West Ham).

This is Argyle's history in the League Cup when they've got beyond the first round. It doesn't make happy reading:

League Cup - Semi Final
Season	Date	Match
1973	30 Jan 1974	Man City	2-0	Plymouth Argyle
1973	23 Jan 1974	Plymouth Argyle	1-1	Man City
1964	10 Feb 1965	Plymouth Argyle	0-1	Leicester City
1964	20 Jan 1965	Leicester City	3-2	Plymouth Argyle
League Cup - Round 5
Season	Date	Match
1973	19 Dec 1973	Birmingham	1-2	Plymouth Argyle
1964	25 Nov 1964	Plymouth Argyle	1-0	Northampton
League Cup - Round 4
Season	Date	Match
1973	20 Nov 1973	Q.P.R	0-3	Plymouth Argyle
1964	11 Nov 1964	Plymouth Argyle	3-1	Stoke City
1964	4 Nov 1964	Stoke City	1-1	Plymouth Argyle
1960	6 Feb 1961	Plymouth Argyle	3-5	Aston Villa
1960	19 Dec 1960	Plymouth Argyle	0-0	Aston Villa
1960	13 Dec 1960	Aston Villa	3-3	Plymouth Argyle
League Cup - Round 3
Season	Date	Match
2007	26 Sep 2007	West Ham	1-0	Plymouth Argyle
1992	11 Nov 1992	Scarborough	2-1	Plymouth Argyle
1992	27 Oct 1992	Plymouth Argyle	3-3	Scarborough
1990	31 Oct 1990	Plymouth Argyle	1-2	Notts Forest
1979	2 Oct 1979	Wimbledon	1-0	Plymouth Argyle
1979	25 Sep 1979	Plymouth Argyle	0-0	Wimbledon
1973	30 Oct 1973	Burnley	1-2	Plymouth Argyle
1964	14 Oct 1964	Bury	0-1	Plymouth Argyle
1960	16 Nov 1960	Plymouth Argyle	3-1	Birmingham
1960	14 Nov 1960	Birmingham	0-0	Plymouth Argyle

The full draw:

Accrington Stanley v Walsall
Huddersfield Town v Stockport County
Rotherham United v Derby County
Tranmere Rovers v Grimsby Town
Sheffield Wednesday v Rochdale
Bury v West Bromwich Albion
Notts County v Doncaster Rovers
Lincoln City v Barnsley
Scunthorpe United v Chesterfield
Coventry City v Hartlepool United
Darlington v Leeds United
Preston North End v Morecambe
Crewe Alexandra v Blackpool
Carlisle United v Oldham Athletic
Nottingham Forest v Bradford City
Macclesfield Town v Leicester City
Sheffield United v Port Vale
Cardiff City v Dagenham & Redbridge
Wycombe Wanderers v Peterborough United
Southampton v Northampton Town
Barnet v Watford
Hereford United v Charlton Athletic
Bristol Rovers v Aldershot Town
Millwall v AFC Bournemouth
Gillingham v Plymouth Argyle
Colchester United v Leyton Orient
Reading v Burton Albion
Exeter City v Queens Park Rangers
Cheltenham Town v Southend United
Brentford v Bristol City
Yeovil Town v Norwich City
Crystal Palace v Torquay United
Milton Keynes Dons v Swindon Town
Swansea City v Brighton & Hove Albion
Shrewsbury Town v Ipswich Town

Pre Season

Confirmed pre-season matches:

Monday 13 July. Truro City, Treyew Road
Wednesday 15 July, Torquay United, Plainmoor, 19.45
Saturday 18 July, Skelmersdale United, The Skelmersdale & Ormskirk College Stadium, 15.00
Sunday 19 July - Friday 24 July, Pre-season Tour, Scotland
Saturday 25 July, Morecambe, Christie Park