What would relegation to the conference do to this fine club as well as the lives of these devout fans? Thought we would tie a weekend break away with watching the match. We travelled by car and set off at half 4 the morning of the game, due to bank holiday traffic the service stops it took us until 1pm to get there, that's 8 and a half hours, It was therefore a hellish journey. We beat them last season in League Two so I hoping for a repeat. Plymouth Argyle - Home Park. This didn't distract from the impressively very good view from high up in the away end though. The train back home was full of Plymouth fans wondering whether if this team scored and that team lost, could Argyle still be playing football in the Football League when the 2013-2014 season begins. Over 65s and Students 16 Near to the pub is normally a van selling pasties, which looked to be doing a roaring trade on my last visit. I was watching children bounce off the diving boards like ping pong balls off a tennis table, splashing into the pool to the cheers of their mothers and fathers. Given that one side of the pitch was flanked by an incomplete, unoccupied stand, the atmosphere was understandably a little subdued, but with both sides trying to play football, it got going after a slow start. Getting out after the game was easy and the home fans were very honest with us and said we deservedthe win. The stewards friendly generally but a very large presence together with Police. In 1901, the Pilgrims settled at Home Park. I'd heard good things about Argyle, and have never met a nasty Argyle fan. The grandstand will be open at 50 per cent capacity when Argyle play Morecambe on December 14 and 75 per cent for the visit of Stevenage on December 29. The light house was being used for a wedding service so we were unable to climb for even better views. Think Twickenham pre its refurbishment in the 1990's and there you have it. Argyle chief executive Andrew Parkinson told Plymouth Live: We are looking at handover to us for towards the end of this week, so that will be great. Work is progressing quickly at the Mayflower stand at Home Park and the football club is so confident of hitting targets for the . The game was disappointing from a Cambridge perspective as although Argyle are already pushing up the League, we never really turned up, which is unacceptable after the long journey. There is scope for Argyle to hand their entire stadium to the NHS, with the majority of the clubs 70 full-time staff working remotely while a skeleton team tend to the stadium. I was really looking forward to visiting Plymouth, I have always wanted to visit Home Park, especially in this case as one more win from Saints last two games would seal promotion! 18,600 (all seated) Address: Plymouth Argyle FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website). Although Plymouth is a nice away trip, it's simply too far away for the majority of clubs in the UK, and unless staying over, a miserable trip home is a strong possibility due to Plymouth's strong squad. A big Derby match plus both teams trying to escape the relegation struggle. Only the the old "grandstand" stops it from becoming a another boring new stadium. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. Nonetheless, Parkinson has been pleased with the work that has been done by GL Events UK on transforming the grandstand, which is currently having solar panels fitted to the roof. I have never been to Argyle before but have been to Plymouth a few times. The game was always going to be a tight affair with both teams keen to stay unbeaten. They marched him out of the stand but within 10 minutes he was allowed to resume his seat. A ground that I hadnt been to before on my quest to Do the 92. With the upper tiers holding 5,300 spectators the entire stadium capacity will be raised to 18,200. 11m will come from Argyle with 7.3m coming through grant funding and the rest from Plymouth City Council. We had checked the message boards and been told that The St James Vaults was a safe bet for city fans and was only a 5 min walk from the station. Plymouth Live has launched a WhatsApp service dedicated to keeping you up to date with the latest Argyle news! We parked outside the Home Park Home Stay B+B where we had pre-booked for the night, and this is a very short way from the ground itself. "This is an extraordinary deal that will unlock millions of pounds of investment to provide incredible facilities to nurture talent in this city as well as expand the offer to local people," said Councillor Pat Patel, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture, Leisure and Sport at Plymouth City Council. What you did before the game pub/chippy. We mixed well with the Plymouth fans who were in the pub all friendlyand every one had a sing song, much to the unamused management who was trying to tell us to quieten down. Probably the best bet is the Britannia which is a sizeable Wetherspoons outlet and around a 10 minute walk away from the ground (from the car park outside the football ground, turn left and the pub is down the road on the right hand corner). We went the coastal route (M27, A31, A35, A30, M5 & A38) arriving at Home Parkat 12:45pm after a stop at Bridport. Going via coach obviously the journey was extremely long (313.27 miles to be exact!!) However for those who like a bit of old schoolthen there is the Main Grandstand. Frankly, there will be some things that will evolve over time. Plymouth Argyle are onto the final stage of the redevelopment of the Mayflower Grandstand at Home Park. Something went wrong, please try again later. Since some really good friends moved to beautiful South Devon a few years back, we have been regular visitors to this part of the world. I enjoyed it immensely, but unless it's for some sort of ridiculous scenario (win to go up, win to stay up, or FA Cup Final for some reason staged at Home Park and featuring Colchester) it's simply too far for me to go to again. Available to download from the App Store and Google Play . So a 2-2 drawand an entertaining game. I did see a lot of scuffles when sat back in the car. Everyone is missing football and desperate to get back playing but ultimately the most important thing is to save lives and stop this cruel virus., Football clubs' good deeds go a long way but shutdown exposes financial faultlines | Paul Wilson, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The result usually determines our thoughts so a hard earned draw was satisfactory, but the glorious sunny weather despite being cold and the visit to Plymouth Hoe ensured a memorable day. I took the supporters coach for the game with my friends and a 9am departure saw us get off the coach at Home Park just after 2pm. But the delivery of the project more or less on time, and we have still been able to operate a living and breathing stadium, I think is testament to a good job that they have done. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Around a 15 minute walk away from Home Park on St Gabriels Avenue is the Hyde Park Social Club. It is easy to think football is just a game but its so much more than that. "no" I lied. From personal knowledge, Home Park is well signposted from the self-styled Devon Expressway (the A38,) and should not be a struggle to find even for the most directionally challenged fan. The first of those will be when the grandstand is open at 38 per cent of its 5,403-seat capacity for an Argyle Ladies game against Watford on Sunday, December 8. I do recommend the Alma Guest House on Alma Road if staying after the game. Would go back but might be a while before Saints play there again! Most of the fan decamped from the train at Totnes and Newton Abbot and as I descended along the sea well through Dawlish, along probably the most picturesque stretch of railway line in the UK, I was left to think about a game that had been fun to watch but left me slightly uneasy in the sense that I had spent Saturday afternoon with a group of fans who were supporting a club on the brink. It has a capacity of 5,403. Supporters were sitting at the top of the stand and at the bottom was a bit open terrace that was just being used for flags and some advertising goals. Although away fan friendly, the pub doesnt tolerate away supporters singing their clubs songs and any who do are quickly ejected from the premises, so you have been warned. After a long 18 months, we are delighted to welcome the Green Army back to Home Park for the upcoming season. It's a long way to see your team lose a game they should have comfortably won. A brilliant breakfast the next morning before the six hourtrain journey back up north. Its how does the catering work, how does the welcome and reception work? When you are sitting amongst the anxious faithful, the clichs become nothing more than pointless vacuous statements. The atmosphere was great and a lot of noise was generated. If you want more information on signing up, or if this link doesnt work, click here. The leisure centre beside the stadium had a perfectly acceptable cafe so we ate there. Eventually arrived back in Carlisle at 5.30am. Papa John's Trophy. These young divers seemed to have endless energy to crash into the water, bounce out of the plunge pool, and then head back to the diving board without a care in the world. Indeed its only Charlton's complete unpredictability away that would stop me from returning next year. In the away stand there was a great atmosphere from the 87 who made the journey from Sussex. On entering Plymouth, turn left onto the A386 (towards Plymouth). A big game for Crawley Town and this was my 65th ground visit of the current 92. I can't necessarily say I was looking forward to this game as Plymouth is it least six hours journey time away from Cambridge on a coach. Smoking outside the ground was allowed at half time. Home Park is a stadium which clearly belongs in a league higher than the one that currently befits it. So please dont think about parking on a grass verge etc.. There is scope for Argyle to hand their entire stadium to the. Living in the New Forest, we headed down the A35, A30, and then the M5 and A38. We were in the Barbican area so did a bit of sight seeing and had a drink in a Wetherspoons near there called the 'Gog and Magog. English League Two football club Plymouth Argyle has revealed plans to redevelop its Home Park stadium. It is only right that it serves to be a community asset, particularly at this time.. Stunning architecture and design sit alongside cutting edge technology to deliver a venue that is befitting of an exclusive product launch, major conference or special event. I no longer live in Exeter so it wasn't the short hop down the A38 for me, but generally Home Park is a doddle to get to by train or road. PRE-ORDER. The stewards were unobtrusive and helpful. The club are teaming . 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An excellent day out which was made even more special by the well-organised trip by Newport County Supporters Club. Then it gets handed over to the club for its fit out process. This has included building new facilities behind the stand and replacing its roof, plus the fitting of seating to the lower terrace. They all seemed very friendly and helpful, although I thought it was absolutely pointless of them to wait until the 85th minute to tell me that I'm not allowed to take photographs of the game in progress. "Regenerating the site to provide first-class facilities for our Academy and other elite sports addresses a need, not only for Argyle, but other stakeholders, including Plymouth Albion RFC.". How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking? The journey along the south coast to Plymouth is not the best: mainly A roads all the way, although, once you're west of the M5, the A38 is a very good road, and makes up for the time lost negotiating the 30-odd roundabouts prior to that! Any new stadium or any new stand has to go through these things. Match preview: Plymouth Argyle (A) 17 February 2023. This friendly Club which welcomes visiting fans for Saturday matches from 11am and after the game as well, shows Sky and BT Sports. 'L' will indicate Lyndhurst Road Stand, and 'B' refers to the Barn Park End. Second half wasone of close chances. The 'Green Army' are meant to be a quality vocal support too, so I was looking forward to the atmosphere. Eventually we arrived at the Home Park ground at roughly 2pm. Despite being confident pre-match and fearing the worst at half time, we came out of it with a very creditable loss and have proven to ourselves that we can in fact give the league leaders a good scare on their own turf. Keep an eye out on our social media pages for more Argyle news - we are on Twitter @HeraldPAFC and on Facebook Plymouth Live - Argyle, You can follow Argyle reporter Chris Errington on Twitter @ChrisErrington1 and on Facebook HeraldChris. Family tickets bought on the day of the game cost 4 more (an additional Under 18 ticket rises to 8). We had not been to this ground before, plus both teams were in good form having not lost in the last four games, so it would be an interesting contest. Manufacturer:Puma Home Kit: I decided to walk the 2 miles down to the Hoe and have a look around, eventually deciding to get a pint of local ale at the waterfront pub on the harbour. Cheery programme sellers were flogging the match day brochure and you can buy a raffle draw ticket too, and you do feel that you need to buy something from one of the operatives for the sake of the clubs financial future. This pub has door security and ID may be required (I was asked for proof of age and I'm 24)! Plymouth were always a threat on the break. Capacity: 16,388. That will seat 440 diners comfortably, but could accommodate about 550 people for a conference. I am not too sure that there was much need to worry, but I felt that it would not be right for a fan of another club to intrude on another clubs end of season celebrations, especially in these particular circumstances that had greeted me that Saturday afternoon. Alternatively (except for night games) then Andrew Chapman suggests a more picturesque route: Finally I would recommend turning right into Central Park Avenue, at the roundabout just downhill from the station on the A386. Pasties were sold from a mobile pasty van (2.80) that was a must! Getting away was easy. It had some height on it which allowed for a great view. Plymouth City Council will retain ownership of the site, which will house Plymouth Albion and Argyle's women's team and youth sides. Home fans were okay, apart from a few dirty looks. I have been to 68 professional grounds in England and Wales. For example, a 'D4' on a match ticket will indicate entry is advised through Gate D4 in the Devonport End. Although the bank holiday traffic was horrendous! How to get to Home Park Where is Home Park? We are excited to reveal that the club will imminently embark upon a programme of planned stadium works to improve the look, feel, and visitor experience at Home Park. A great day out at Plymouthand after the game chatting with the family of Plymouth fans, we both agreed that football won the dayand we were both looking forward to the return game later in the season. This imposing looking two-tiered stand originally dates back to 1952, but has been totally modernised and has been given a new roof. The sunny weather at the start of the game justified an ice cream but by half-time with the sun behind the stands, the pasty was more welcome. 2019-2020: 10,338 (League Two) They are a bit like referees I guess, the best ones you don't notice. The old Mayflower Stand was being rebuilt and part of an old turnstile entrance was the only echo of the old-style ground. A similar distance away (but going in the opposite direction across the Park) is the Hyde Park Social Club which welcomes visiting supporters (see advert below). This was also the longest trip in the football league in the 2015/2016 season (A 780 mile round trip). They also want it to be done and delivered to a great standard so there are a lot of competing tensions that you will have any contractor, but I think they have responded really well to that. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. No problem just a quick right and your heading back through the park towards the railway station and city centre. But a great day out. Had a decent pie at half time at reasonable price with a Bovril. Responsibly, Map showing the location of Home Park, railway station and listed pub. Saturday 25 February 2023 17:42, UK. It's also the car park for a big Park and Ride scheme, and when I arrived at 1:30 for a 3pm kick off, it was already full. We have got a good relationship. Official Programme: 3 It is a lot nicer route than following the roads after all (apart from Aldershot) there are no other league clubs situated in a public park! Chris Bennett adds; Its a much nicer walk than going up Alma Road and quicker as well. Appeals to the stewards standing behind us hardly helped, as they didn't really take any action, which really spoilt the whole afternoon. The Club has a pool table and is family-friendly. Adults 21 And the long journey back began, eventually getting home by 11pm, what a day! Peterborough United are back in action at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday afternoon with in-form Plymouth Argyle the visitors in Sky Bet League One action (3pm) as Darren Ferguson's men look to build on last Saturday's 3-0 victory at Morecambe. If Plymouth won, league football could be guaranteed for the Pilgrims for another year. Only driving out of the Lakes to Carlisle comes anywhere close to this trip to a game. Please also note that for more popular games the club increase the basic ticket prices by up to 3 more ie Adults 24,Over 65s and Students 19 and 10 for Under 18s. The League Two side have spent 6.5m knocking down the old wooden structure and replacing it with a modern new 5,403 seater stand complete with private boxes and conference facilities. I took a diversion to Wembury beach for a couple of hours first to get some late summer sun and a swim. 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