Comings and Goings II

What an end to a season with City clinching the Trophy at the very last gasp of the league.  Things are shaping up now as to whom Argyle will be playing next season, with just the play-offs left.  We already know that Swindon, Shrewsbury and Crawley have gone up, and Hereford and Macclesfield wont feature due to their relegation.  Old foes Exeter on the other hand will be a feature, along with other ex-League One clubs Wycombe, Chesterfield and Rochdale.  Likewise we know that a trip to Blackpool's neighbours, Fleetwood, is guaranteed but who out of Wrexham, Mansfield, York or Luton will be joining them?

(C) Manchester City

----------------------

Bolton

Blackburn

Wolves

Championship

­ ­Reading

­­Southampton

? West Ham

? Birmingham

? Blackpool

? Cardiff

----------------------

Portsmouth

Coventry

Doncaster

League 1

­Charlton

Sheffield Wednesday

? Sheffield United

? MK Dons

? Huddersfield

? Stevenage

----------------------

Wycombe
Chesterfield

Exeter

Rochdale

League 2

­Swindon

­Shrewsbury

Crawley

? Torquay

? Cheltenham

? Crewe

----------------------
Hereford

Macclesfield

Conference Premier

Fleetword

? Wrexham

? Mansfield

? York

? Luton 

Comings and Goings

Last week we started to see who found be celebrating and weeping as the season ends, with a few clubs crowned champions or relegated.  However, following this week the picture of who will be playing who next season has become more clear.

Championship

­ ­Reading

­Southampton

? West Ham

? Birmingham

? Blackpool

? Cardiff

----------------------

Portsmouth

Coventry

Doncaster

League 1

­ Charlton

? Sheffield Wednesday

? Sheffield United

? MK Dons

? Huddersfield

? Stevenage

----------------------

Wycombe
Chesterfield

Exeter

Rochdale

League 2

­ Swindon

­ Shrewsbury

? Crawley

? Torquay

? Cheltenham

? Crewe

----------------------

Macclesfield

There's still a lot in it for some clubs, though Argyle will be playing Exeter next season in league 2, it still remains to be seen if Torquay will be there too.

Not even Vale can help

Port Vale seek to enter administration on Friday. Normally such an announcement would be welcomed by other clubs in the league purely on a points/league position basis. But unfortunately for Argyle, Vale are currently sat on 50 points, so even with a 10 point deduction from the FL, they still sit way above Argyle who are on only 29. Even if Vale get extra deducted for their second time in admin, they still wouldn't do the Greens any favours.

Ticket Prices 2011/12

Argyle have released the ticket prices for pay on the day for the forthcoming season.

There will be no POTD levy, thus all prices are set at:

Adult - £20
Over 65 - £15
Under 18 - £7
Family (1+1) - £25

for anywhere in the stadium, except the disabled stand.

This has simplified the POTD structure, whereby before you used to get a discount for buying in advance and pay more for premium compared to standard seating, however, like the season ticketing there had been losses and cuts to previously available tickets. For example a family ticket has shrunk to 1 adult + 1 child (from 2+2), there are no student or under 21 discounts, and the under 18 and under 10 tariffs are the same. This has already caused annoyance at previous ST holders who came under these brackets, and thus will cause more outrage that they cannot even get a POTD discounted ticket.

The Squad 2011/12

The squad as it stands so far:

1 Romain LARRIEU
2 Durrell BERRY

3 Robbie WILLIAMS
4 Carl FLETCHER
5 Stephane ZUBAR
6 Curtis NELSON
7 Luke DALEY
8 Simon WALTON
10 Tom HITCHCOCK
12 GREEN ARMY
13 Ladjie SOUKOUNA
14 Onismor BHASERA
15 Luke YOUNG
16 Jamie RICHARDS
17 Jared SIMS
18 Jordan COPP
23 Jake COLE

That is just 5 first team players left from last season.

Season Tickets 11/12

Details of the season tickets for 2011/12 have been released:

Adult: £240
Over 65s: £260
10-17 year olds: £120
Family (1+1): £380

for anywhere in Home Park (different prices apply for the disabled stand)

Under 10: Free, when sat in the Family Stand (block 1), maximum of 2 children per adult

There will be no STs sold in blocks 15-19. The deadline for renewal of an existing seat is Fri 22 July.

Thus, in comparison to last season there has only been a £20 reduction in price to reflect the relegation in league, the family ticket has shrunk with the elimination of the 2+2 option. Once again Argyle have shown very little thought for its supporters, and, although better than the increase in prices last season following a relegation, supporters are still paying MORE than they were when watching Argyle TWO DIVISIONS higher.

10 Years

10 years ago in 2001/02 Argyle escaped from the 4th tier of football (then known as Division 3), 2 "5 year plans"' worth of time, just to end up back at square one (well, npower League 2, not quite Blue Square One - yet). In fact, Argyle's wikipedia entry has already been updated! Was it worth is? Has anything actually been learnt?

It took the Pilgrims 4 years following their relegation in 97/98 to climb back out of Division 3/League 2, then a consolidation year in Division 2/League 1 before reaching the dizzying heights of the Championship. How soon is the comeback going to happen this time? As we all know it is no one's god-give right to play at any expected tier of football (outside the more established Premier League teams where they have preferential treatment anyway); there were expecting a bounce-back on relegation to League One and no doubt the same are expecting an immediate come back this time. But Argyle are not like that as history foretells.

Meanwhile, the actual existence of Argyle in League 2 is still not guaranteed. Whoever updated wikipedia may have been too quick off the mark.