The fanzine of the Argyle Fans’ Trust

Welcome to WEMBLEY

Play-off Special The Road to Wembley

Issue No. 5 Price £1

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2 Kick Off Welcome to this special, souvenir editi on of the Grass is Greener. It’s been a funny old season, patchy and unpredictable but a superb performance on the last day at Greenhous Meadow fi nally saw Argyle cement their play-off place—a last-minute goal confi rming Wycombe as the semi-fi nal opponents. We’ve assembled a stellar cast of contributors to this issue: John Sheridan and Neil Warnock—Argyle’s managers now and then; Player of the Year and Club captain, Luke McCormick and we have reminiscences from Gordon Sparks and, of course, from you—the fans. Hope you enjoy reading it at Home Park, Adams Park and then at Wembley on 23rd May. We’re almost there. COYG! Photo- Dave Rowntree Celia Ellacott - Editor REMEMBER 1996… Trust News The Argyle Fans’ Trust has been busy recently. We have presented Luke McCormick with our Player of the Year Trophy. Luke won with 63% of the vote; Anthony O’Connor was runner-up with 12%. We held the fi rst of a regular pitch at the GTs’ Sunday boot sale. (Watch the AFT website for the date of our next one and how you can off er items to sell). Trust member, Rod Lampen, presents Luke McCormick We voted, once again, to sponsor the Youth Teams’ with the AFT Player of the Year Award Milk Cup campaign to the tune of £1,000. You can make additi onal personal donati ons by visiti ng www.argylefanstrust.com We conti nue to support the RBL and the poppy shirt fund but more is sti ll needed. Visit the website if you would like to help us reach our fi nal target. We have two major fun and fundraising events planned for the summer—a cricket match on Sunday 28th June and a 1940s’ tribute night on Friday 31st July (see leafl et, the website and email fundraising@argylefanstrust for more details). Finally, a menti on for Trust member, Lewis Ridge. In March, Lewis completed 30 years of watching EVERY Argyle match home and away. Congratulati ons to him on an amazing achievement and we hope to talk to him for the next issue of the Grass is Greener. For more on the Trust and to join, visit www.argylefanstrust.com

3 The Road to Wembley The Teams in the Frame by Sam Down

Wycombe Wanderers Without wishing to tempt fate, Wycombe are the team heading into the play-offs on rather indifferent form. In spite of being in the top three throughout the season, they finally dropped out of the automatic promotion places with a gutwrenching 1-0 home defeat to Morecambe in their penultimate game. Despite a 97th minute winning goal at Northampton on the last day of the season, Bury’s win at relegated Tranmere meant that the Chairboys could only finish fourth, sneaking ahead of Southend to become Argyle’s opponents in the semi-finals.

Until the turn of the year, Wycombe looked less like a side battling Southend for third place and more like a side battling Burton for the title. In January however, two of their best performers moved to higher division clubs. Tenacious midfielder, Josh Scowen and former Argyle forward Paris Cowan-Hall, who had both been on fire for the Buckinghamshire Club, were sold to Barnsley and Millwall respectively. Since then, Wycombe have slowly declined culminating in the last home game loss to Morecambe. Wycombe’s resilience will be critical from hereon. However, it should not be forgotten that they surpassed all expectations in getting to such a lofty position in the first place. Last season, they only survived relegation on the final day. It is notable that Wycombe’s away form by far surpasses their home form and they tend to do much worse in front of the floodlights—that could be a factor in the play-off semis! Aggregate score vs Argyle this season: Argyle 2-1 Wycombe Argyle will play Wycombe at Home Park on Saturday 9th May, ko 1945 with the return leg at Adams Park on Thursday 14th May, KO 1945.

Southend United Southend are arguably the strongest team in the play-off shake-up and the one most to be feared. The Shrimpers missed out on automatic promotion on the last day with defeat at Morecambe, but have been on blistering form going into the business end of the season.

4 After two years in the job, Phil Brown has assembled a promotion-chasing side, their sturdiness in defence trumping even Argyle’s and with attacking players good enough to get the job done the majority of the time. Brown took over from former Argyle boss, Paul Sturrock, in April 2013 and, after consolidating the side to reach a play-off position last year, he went one closer this time, taking his side to the very cusp of automatic promotion. But will their good recent form be enough to see them through the play-offs? They boast the extraordinary record of not having conceded a home goal in the league since October and their goalkeeper Daniel Bentley was voted into the PFA team of the year. Southend are bound to be a very tough test. Aggregate score vs Argyle this season: Argyle 2-0 Southend.

Stevenage Stevenage are another side who only seriously entered into play-off contention around Christmas. The first half of their season was spent bobbling around mid-table. While not glamorous, that would have represented acceptable consolidation for a side back in League Two after four years in League One: in his second spell at the Club, manager, Graham Westley, was not able to save them from relegation last season. Many Stevenage fans expected a period of re-building with a budget modest even for League Two. However, as the season went on and the side began to gel, it became clear that they were capable of surpassing the expectations of many. They go into the play-offs in solid form and with a mean defensive record.

Westley is a marmite character. He has fallen out with numerous other managers during his career so far, including our very own John Sheridan in a row stretching back to the latter’s Chesterfield days, but he is clearly a man with a vision. You may not approve of their long-ball style and propensity for timewasting, but there’s no denying that they’re a squad who are eking the very most out of the ability they have. They also boast the penalty-taking record of former Green, Simon Walton. Aggregate score vs Argyle this season: Argyle 1-2 Stevenage.

Stevenage will play Southend at the Lamex Stadium on Sunday 10th May, ko 1835 with the return leg at Roots Hall on Thursday 14th May, KO 1945.

THE LEAGUE 2 PLAY-OFF FINAL IS AT WEMBLEY ON SATURDAY 23RD MAY, KO 1730

5 The Road to Wembley The View from the Terraces – Now and Then It’s been an odd season, for sure. In a promotion campaign there should be a buzz about the place and a rising crescendo of optimism and hope - but that is largely absent from Argyle this year. We appear to have landed in the playoffs almost by accident, without much momentum and with a manager who appears to have a distant relationship with the club and its fanbase. It’s been a campaign of ups and downs, with perhaps only a few matches that will live long in the memory - the two Exeter games, Portsmouth at home and Cheltenham away - maybe a couple of others if we’re being generous. But ultimately, promotion to a higher league and the slightly increased revenues that come with it are the only target that matters. Perhaps a successful playoff campaign will help to improve relations all round. We can only hope. John Lloyd

Argyle’s two previous play-off campaigns felt very different. This one already feels unique, mainly because many supporters enter it in a curious frame of mind. The first time, under Shilton in 1993-94, it was after narrowly missing out on promotion with an exciting, vibrant, attacking side. So we were both deflated after the gloriously fruitless 8-1 at Hartlepool, but rightly hopeful. With Warnock in 1995-96 we were glad to be there after a strong finish to the season, with only three defeats in 19 games, and a manager who was the play-off king. We had expectation only tempered by the Burnley experience. This time, we qualify off the back of a strangely uninspiring, underwhelming and largely flat season. We have stumbled clumsily across the line through adequate servings of our own defensive competence plus generous helpings of ineptitude from other teams. Rather than hope or expectation, many of us are experiencing disbelief and relief. And the question is, if we have been jammy enough to get here, is there more jam to come, or just footballing justice? I will be seated rather than huddled on a packed terrace home and away. I’m older, more sanguine. It’s bound to feel different. But will I experience similar devastation to that inflicted by John Francis after a proud performance at Turf Moor had given me hope? Or the thundering euphoria of Paul Williams tearing away from the Barn Park End as we finished off Colchester? Right now I can’t imagine such extremes of emotion being generated by this season’s basement teams, lumpen old Argyle included. Maybe it’s my age and another 20 odd years of Argyle attrition. Or perhaps now that we are there that can all change, the tension of the play-offs will take hold, the years will roll back. And for good or ill, I can add some other names to those of Burrows, Marshall, Francis, Joyce, Billy, Kinsella, Williams and (whisper it) Mauge when I look back at my play-off history. Toby Jones

A few weeks ago I didn’t really want Argyle to get in the play-offs. A season with a promotion push should be remembered with good times, positive results and enjoyable games. For a large part of this season, Argyle have been rubbish, tactically inept and lacking in determination, but so have all the other teams in the division which is fortunate for us. On the rare occasions when Argyle click they can be brilliant (Northampton away!). Well, now we’re in the playoffs which feels lucky and, surprisingly, pretty good after all. And I remember why I sat through all the dross, long journeys and bad weather and feel quietly hopeful about the future. Laura Naldrett

6 Whether or not our beloved Argyle achieve the (short-term) dream of escaping this poxy division (in the right direction), I plan no change to my outlook. I have always happily felt it wisest “ to go with the flow” and “enjoy the ride”, accepting that whatever happens I’ll always be green-blooded and live in hope. However even I, I must admit, despaired as to whether there was any hope on 17th March, as my immediate post-Dagenham text shows:- “I did not imagine that it could be worse than Stevenage or Oxford; it was! Nothing positive to report, I’m sorry to say. I won’t be wasting my Easter Monday. You may not even see me on the 28th; I will happily give my Cheltenham ticket to a good home. At least we’ve booked a cracking farm estate B & B for Shrewsbury, but I may well not bother to go to the match. Maybe, just maybe, I might feel less pissed off when I wake up in the morning.” I didn’t; indeed I remained seriously pissed off for many days. Now, of course, order is restored and I’m happily GreenTinted again! Ray Stidwell

Unlike the two previous occasions when we reached the play-offs, it’s been harder to get excited as League 2 is currently very poor and this has been such a stop-start season. Granted I have only seen six games (I live in Moscow) but with the possible exception of Burton & Southend away, we have been pretty woeful. We have reached 7th place largely due to other teams being as inconsistent as we are rather than down to pure merit. Yet as they say, the play-offs are a lottery and anything can happen, so who knows! And if we do reach Wembley, I’ll be flying back for the weekend – just as I did in ’96! Luc Jones

I really hoped that we wouldn’t have to face the playoffs. With the squad that we have we should easily have gained an automatic promotion spot. But oh well, this gives us a chance to go to Wembley and for me to see Argyle once more! Off course the double over bitter rivals Exeter City was the high point of the season, so far but Wembley might be even better. I have high hopes for our playoff campaign no matter whom we have to face, but I think Wycombe would be best for us. It’s a shame we won’t have our dream final at Wembley: Plymouth Argyle v Exeter City Din Dierendonck (Belgium)

Argyle fans have seen everything this season. Very good, average and very poor performances. After years of suffering it’s time Argyle’s fans had something to cheer and the play-offs could be just what the club needs to get itself out of the doldrums. I’m especially pleased for the travelling Green Army who spend a lot of time and money following the team around the country. Particularly the exiled fans from London and elsewhere who manage to find their way by car or train to Home Park for the majority of home matches, as well as numerous away games These fans deserve a special mention. Richard Blight

Living in Canada has lots of upside - beautiful scenery, spectacular seasons and friendly Canucks as neighbours. There’s even a great variety of sport to go see, especially here in Toronto where we have our very own MLS team, Raptors basketball and the famous Maple Leafs hockey legends. But come every Saturday, it’s really hard to be away from the UK, seeing Argyle edge ever closer to promotion. Somehow, sitting at home, watching the live updates every few minutes from the Herald website doesn’t quite match the passion of the Demport or the tension of 7 some dodgy away end. You can’t even get a proper pasty. Saturday’s fabulous win at Shrewsbury and the prospect of the play-off s brings back happy memories of Darlo at the old Wembley in ‘96 - but it also reminds me why I support the Greens. A mate of mine is a passionate - and genuine - Chelsea fan, so he is understandably chuff ed about another Premiership ti tle. But how excited can you really get when that’s the norm and when anything less than at least one trophy a season is a “failure”? Our rare successes are made all the more sweet because of the amount of disappointment we have endured over the years, blowing games we should have won and watching debacles like that defeat at Kidderminster, a match that was truly the nadir of both my ti me as a Green and the end of Jon Sheffi eld’s career at Home Park. So, here’s hoping we can overcome Wycombe and get back to Wembley. Just two more games “watching” the play here in Toronto then I’ll be straight on a plane across the pond for the big day out. Andy Byford

Of the fi nal itself there is litt le to write that others could not tell. We had not beaten Darlington in the regular season, and it was not much of a game. The Quakers, bett er team on the day, were beaten by a typical Warnock set piece, and all the memories are of 40,000 Greens and the history, grandeur and atmosphere of the old Wembley—something that cannot be replaced just with bett er faciliti es. Getti ng there though, was a journey there was far longer than even the previous 48 games that season… All the beer in the world could not wash away the bitt er taste. Peter Shilton’s magnifi cent team fell short in ‘94 aft er some of the best football witnessed from an Argyle side A journey from Sheffi eld, on the kind of dank grey day always associated with Turf Moor and Burnley, ended in a fi ghti ng, 10-man 0-0. Confi dence was high as we left and Wembley plans tentati vely made. This was all crushed as the restructured Greens were buried in the second leg. Cloistered alone in my room with a scratchy Radio 5 connecti on, and an essay due ignored, prayers for bett er news were only rewarded with worse updates. Beer may not have helped, but it didn’t stop me trying. Peter Swan had inspired Burnley to that win, but was the anti thesis of his ti me in a green and black shirt; his contributi on to the farcical 94/95 season makes Swann an Argyle villain to this day. So it followed that the 95/96 was Plymouth Argyle’s fi rst season in the bott om division. Hard to believe now. Neil Warnock was given some money, and a new team produced some memorable moments. But a poor start and some patchy away performances meant that the automati c promoti on charge came too late. A chance meeti ng in a Sheffi eld pub secured a ti cket and a lift to Colchester for the fi rst leg of the semis. A claustrophobic game in a the confi ned surroundings of Layer Road saw Argyle trail thanks to a fi ne Kinsella strike and a woeful miss by Chris Billy. The Green Army –packed onto a railway sleeper terrace, with toilet faciliti es for perhaps less than half the number admitt ed—left in bad odour. In more ways than one. Back in the same Yorkshire room, with the same radio, I followed, through the intermitt ent updates, our progress to the fi nal. To this day, the Colchester home leg is one of a handful of missed games always regrett ed and a small libati on was taken, with relief, at the end. And the rest is history. Matt Ellacott

We were living in Leicestershire at the ti me of the 1996 play-off fi nal & travelled down the M1, a lone green car running the gauntlet amongst hundreds of cars & coaches bedeckd 8 in black & white & full of Darlington supporters. Cannot tell you how sweet the return journey was! It was a fine warm day, but I was in a raincoat, because Argyle had won every time I’d worn it that season. If Wembley beckons again, this time I shall be the superstitious person wearing the oldest jeans on the planet . Linda Morris

I remember Darlington at Wembley when almost every coach in the city was booked and there were Argyle scarves and flags flying from every other car on the road from Plymouth to London as well as supporters in every service station en route. A 40,000 plus crowd –30,000 from Plymouth. Ronnie Mauge scored the only goal and kept his shirt much to the chairman’s disgust as I think he wanted it for the Argyle museum. I live in Carlisle now but still support the Greens and will be there with my son Matthew who is nearly 41 now and was with me in 1996 as well. COYG! David Trevorrow

No one would ever claim that the Astoria, overlooking the Octagon on Union Street, was a sophisticated night spot, but for a while in the Nineties its bass-heavy soundtrack and laissez-faire vibe made it stand apart from the meat-market functionality of its neighbours, and it became a favoured hangout. Ah, we had fun. There was the night that Dave was dancing too closely to a hair-sprayed blonde and accidentally set her hair alight with his cigarette. His frantic attempts to put out the flame by slapping the back of her head didn’t go down too well with her heavy-set boyfriend. Everyone emerged relatively unscathed, though. Dave always did. In the small hours of Thursday 16 May 1996, we were in the Astoria again, celebrating Argyle’s thrillingly tempestuous play-off semi-final victory against Colchester, when in strode the Greens’ midfield general Ronnie Mauge. Gold-tooth glinting, Ronnie was affable in the face of our drunken enthusiasm (“You were a tiger tonight, Ronnie. A tiger”) but didn’t stay long, wearing the look of a man who knew he probably shouldn’t have been there at all. Being in the wrong place was a habit he may have reflected on during his later spell in Exeter Prison. Ten days after our meeting, though, Ronnie’s sense of time and place was impeccable as he rose to meet Mark Patterson’s cross and head Argyle’s Wembley winner. He left 35,000 watching Pilgrims with an unforgettable memory, one rendered all the more vivid by the unfortunate scarcity of its like in the life of an Argyle fan. I can still picture much of that great afternoon now, which is surprising, seeing as a quick drink to calm the nerves the night before had somehow morphed into a another visit to The Astoria and a 5am finish; not ideal preparation for rising at 7 to pile into the back of a transit van and make the slow, arduous trek from PL4 to HA9. I blame Dave. During that night at the Astoria, I met a woman who – displaying the lack of confidence in her city that’s prevalent in too many Plymothians – didn’t even know that Argyle were playing at Wembley the following day and refused to accept they actually stood a chance of winning. We bet £5 on the outcome. I don’t think I ever caught up with her again to claim my winnings. So, 20 years on, and though I now live some 200 miles closer to Wembley and all-night drinking sessions are a thing of the past, such is my belief that John Sheridan’s unfailingly inconsistent team will replicate the Wembley glory of Ronnie and co that, should she be reading, I’m prepared to make another bold wager. Let’s see, shall we say, taking inflation into account... double or quits? 9 Nick Mee The Road to Wembley John Sheridan speaks How do you think the season has gone – have you achieved what you hoped for at the start? I always said that getting to the top seven was what we had to aim for. I don’t mind putting pressure on myself, and that’s what I did. It looks like we’ve done what we set out to do. All I – or anyone at this Club – should want to do is get out of this division. Will the preparations for the play-offs be any different than for a normal game? We take every game, every opponent, very seriously. I’ve said it before but there are no easy games in this League, so whether it is a team at the bottom or at the top, there isn’t much between them. We work hard every week on getting the players ready and picking a team we think will win the game. Which of the teams in contention do you fear most and why? It’s not about fear – I don’t think any of those teams will want us in the play-offs. It is basically a level playing field now, and I don’t care who we play. If we play our game, we are as good as anyone on our day. Argyle has had a number of loanees this season – some of whom have delivered really well for the Club. But there are some we have lost whom we didn’t want to lose – e.g. Andy Kellett. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the current loan system? I would much rather sign players permanently. It is really difficult to do that, because you are asking people to uproot, and they have families and so forth. If they are going to move, they want a length of contract that we might not be able to offer. However, I think our loan players have been really good for us this season. We have been able to bring in players that we would not have been able to get had it not been for the loan system. Lots of teams use it well, so we would be silly not to try to get it work for us, too. How does being a manager differ from being a player? Which do you find more rewarding? Being a player is much easier! Listen, nothing replaces being a player. It’s what you want from a young age and to get to play a game you love – nothing beats that. As a manager it can be frustrating because you watch from the sidelines and see things that someone could do better, or make a certain decision. I wish I could still be in there, affecting the play. I like being a manager, and I like the challenge – but nothing beats playing. Do you read fans’ forums and social media – what are your views of such sites? I don’t read them. Do you have any match-day superstitions? I try to wear the same match-day gear if we are on a winning run. How would you assess your time at Argyle so far? If you had your time again, is there anything you would have done differently? First of all, we haven’t achieved anything yet, really. We’ve done well to get to the play-offs, but the aim is to get out of the division and we’ve got a great chance to do that. I don’t know about doing anything different. There’s always one or two things you look back on and wish you’d done something different but I don’t regret things. That doesn’t get you anywhere. 10 And how do you see next season – if Argyle are in League 1 – what changes will there need to be to the squad? I don’t think that is really a question to answer now. There are players we would want to keep, and players that will be out there in the summer. There will be hundreds of players looking for clubs in a few weeks’ time. If we can find the right additions, whatever League we are in, we’ll be OK. Where do you see yourself as a manager in five years’ time? Just managing as high up the Leagues as possible, whether that is with Plymouth or not. I think every manager, every player, should aspire to be as good as they can be, and that means being as high up as possible. Where do you see Argyle in five years’ time? Again, hopefully as high as possible. Everything about this Club is there for it to be around the Championship. It’s a big Club with a big fanbase—the support we have had since I’ve been here is unbelievable. If the Club keeps progressing, then it has everything to get back to the Championship. With thanks to Rick Cowdery And Neil Warnock remembers The fact is we weren’t favourites. We were bottom of the League in September, having lost the first five games. We were at Home Park for the second leg, having suffered a 2-1 defeat at Colchester. That was disappointing but we then proceeded to have probably one of the most dramatic games of my whole career at Home Park. We took the lead. I remember Adrian Littlejohn going through and being pulled down. It was a certain red card but the referee gave only a yellow. I was absolutely appalled and it was compounded when the same player who should have been sent off ended up scoring what could have been the goal that took Colchester through. I protested and the referee came across and asked me to go into the stands. Without thinking—I was so furious—I just skipped over the fence and stood in with the fans. But all the frustrations thinking we were going to get knocked out and all that hard work paled into insignificance when somehow the left back ended up on the goal line and Williams scored. The feeling of euphoria was indescribable. Without doubt, play-offs are the most exhilarating times and managers are put through the ringer. As with this season, we weren’t favourites but I always thought we were the best team and John has the best team this season. Coming in late under the radar stands us in good stead. I was always confident in the final and it was doubly satisfying that we won with a set piece—a cross from a corner—that we had worked on during the week. I’ll never forget the journey home: I didn’t want it to end. There were green and white scarves everywhere; all ages from young kids up to oldies. The reception was phenomenal next day too with the open-topped bus. It’s an amazing memory and let’s hope we get another one this time. 11 The Road to Wembley According to Luke - by Bob Wright and thanks to Rick and Chris Hi Luke. How does it feel to be an Argyle player at such a critical time of the season and what’s the mood around the club? The mood’s great. Very optimistic. I feel very privileged really to be at this club at this time. The club’s progressing after the last few years- everyone knows where the club’s been. We’re finally pushing in the right direction and it’s great to be part of it. You don’t fear anyone in the play-offs then? I don’t think so, no. We’ve taken points off everybody in the play-offs. We’re here on merit and we deserve to be part of it. It’s like cup games- form goes out the window and it comes down to who’ll be able to hold their nerve. Tough games but we won’t fear them. Highlights of the season and toughest games? I think highlights are doing the double over Exeter. The games are of huge magnitude and not just to the lads. I know what the fans are after. As for the toughest games, I don’t know really. We’ve come unstuck a couple of times against Bury. I’d say them. Do you do any special preparation on opposition strikers and/or penalties? Without giving too much away, yeah we’re well drilled on who we’re coming up against. We receive information; we’re well rehearsed. We get snippets off Paul Wotton. The back five get a sheet on what we’re gonna come up against. As for penalties, the video analyst will provide us with any additional information that we might need. How did it feel coming back to Home Park as an Oxford player in 2013? It was absolutely bizarre, I must admit. It was good and bad really. Obviously I’d always considered myself a Plymouth player. Even when I was at Oxford, the club was always close to my heart. I came up through the youth ranks and I’ve been boy and man at this club. I had to put all that aside for 90 minutes so it was strange in that sense. What does a goalkeeper most appreciate from a back four in front of him? When they get me out of trouble! I’m lucky with the lads that play in front of me, in particular the three centre-halves. You know what you’re gonna get from them week in week out. A real grit and determination to keep the ball out of the net and if they get that from me as well then that’s all four of us working together. How much of a keeper’s training is general and how much is specialised? We usually have about 30/40 minute per session with the goalkeeper coach Rhys Wilmot. Then we’ll join in where we’re needed. We might do a bit of shape, small-sided games, passing and finishing practice. But it’s crucially important as a goalkeeper that you do get that separate time away from the lads to go over technique. Do you have any pre-match rituals or superstitions? No, I try not to buy into anything like that. I was quite superstitious the first time I was here but I’ve got myself out of that. You work all week for the Saturday- if you put one sock on before the other, it’s really not gonna make a difference. A lot is made each season of the team kit. Who chooses the keeper kit? It’s chosen each season by those higher-up who run the club. Obviously they have to think about the commercial side of it too- Puma put kits in front of them and they get to choose.

12 Did you always want to be a keeper? I used to play outfield when I was a young tyke but I sort of found my way into goal at about 11 years old. My dad first thought I was wasted in goal cause I could use my feet a bit outfield! Given that you’re from Coventry, how did your initial move to Argyle come about? I spent a bit of time at Derby when I was still at school. I thought I had a chance of getting something but they took Lee Grant in and I was just without a club really. I’d done my exams and options seemed to be fading. Then I had a call from John James and he invited me down for as trial. I didn’t even know where Plymouth was but it could have been in outer Mongolia as far as I was concerned. I wanted to play football. Do you think our location is a help or hindrance when it comes to attracting players? I think particularly for players with families when they first hear of the move, the geography may be an issue. I know how important it is to have family around you. But at the same time I know lads who’ve come down with families, stayed down here and never looked back. I can see both sides of the coin but for me it’s a beautiful place to live. What areHartley the best saves and worst mistakes in your career? & The mistake I always remember is the silly goal that Yeovil scored a few years back in the league cup. We kicked it out for a thrown in and they were meant to kick it back but they kicked it in the goal. They let us go up the other end and score. It was all a bit embarrassing. I can’t thinkMilk of any one save…maybe it’sCup still to come! & Where do you see the long-term future for yourself and Argyle? I believe that the future for Argyle is a bright one. I think within the next five years the club willAcademy be operating if not in League One than in the Championship. & Myself, I’d just love to play for this club for as long as I’m wanted. I’ll just keep putting in my best for the club. Do you plan on staying in football after your career as a coach or manager? No, to be honest. As soon as I’m done here, I think I’ll put my shades on and walk off into the sunsetFixtures. a happy man. My little boy’s an up and coming Argyle fan now so I’ll probably be taking him here on Saturdays and sitting in the Devonport End. PASOTI are proud to be; Full Kit Sponsors of Peter Hartley Annual sponsors of the Milk Cup Annual Sponsors of Youth Academy Joint Sponsors of the Fixture List

PASOTI.CO.UK 13 :(67:$5'352*5$00(6 &2035(+(16,9(3$*(&$7$/2*8( &RQWDLQVDZLGHVHOHFWLRQRI$5*Wembley Stadium, guided Plymouth Argyle to success. It had all started in disastrous fashion. Four League defeats, coupled with losses in both legs of the League Cup encounter with Birmingham City had not given much cause for optimism. But a 5-0 win at Bury saw fortunes change with a finishing position of fourth in Division Three and an extension to the season guaranteed. The semi-finals didn’t begin too well with a single goal defeat against the team that ended their regular season in seventh position—Colchester United. But, in front of over 14,000 at Home Park, the tide turned as Michael Evans, Chris Leadbitter and Paul ‘Charlie’ Williams all scored in a 3-1 victory on the night to progress to Wembley, 3-2 on aggregate. I was commentating on that match (I was then on Plymouth Sound Radio) and will never forget Williams’reaction. I can distinctly remember my words as he turned away in celebration, not knowing exactly what to do with himself as the left-back grabbed, what was for him, a rare goal. “He’s running like a hare!” Williams made it back to the halfway line in double quick time as the Argyle fans celebrated wildly. But there was one other episode that evening that those of us that were there will recall. Warnock showed his not uncharacteristic outrage when he felt a Colchester defender should have been sent-off for a professional foul on Adrian Littlejohn. Just a yellow was issued, and Neil’s northern tones were heard in no small manner. But was the referee’s request for him to leave the playing arena an official sending off? Apparently not. He certainly didn’t receive a touchline ban for the culmination of the promotion quest at Wembley. Instead of being sent to the stands, nimble Neil simply skipped over the fencing in front of the Mayflower terracing to watch proceedings among the fans, some of whom gave him a few yards’ berth. Even some of the home supporters were afraid of him! The trip to Wembley was surreal. I clearly remember appeals being made on local radio from fans desperate to ‘borrow’ mini buses for the day trip to London. All local rental companies were booked out immediately after the win over Colchester. Imagine the begging that occurred. One sight I shall always treasure was on the M4—a couple of mini buses bearing the names old retirement homes, complete with Plymouth addresses and phone numbers. Union flags hanging across the back windows and Argyle scarves blowing out of windows gave the game away. I won’t write about the game itself – you’ve heard it all before. But here are a few memory joggers for you: The awful Argyle shirts. The ones that Dan McCauley demanded he be given to put in the Argyle museum. Whatever happened to that idea? One player, whose identity I will not reveal, told me two days after the win over Darlington, that the chairman wouldn’t get his shirt. It was already at his father’s house awaiting a frame. 65th minute. Just in case you needed reminding. More than 30,000 Argyle fans. What happened to them all? Finally, a memory jogger for me. Andy Comyn was my summariser at Wembley. What a great bloke! Enjoy the play-offs. Or should that be endure? We shall see. Gordon Sparks 14 Extra Time Cursed by my father by A Yoof It was 2011. Plymouth Argyle were 2-0 down against Crawley Town in one of the worst footballing displays by any team ever. It was cold and miserable, yet the Argyle fans continued to watch in hope. But eventually we got bored and spontaneously, it seemed, spent the last 10 minutes pretending that we were watching a different match, one in which Argyle had made a phenomenal 4-2 comeback. We started cheering imaginary goals and singing ‘2-0 and you f***** it up’ to the bemused Crawley fans. That was fantasy and fun. The actual match was something that could barely be described as football; it was just a mass of people running aimlessly after a ball. Also that season, I was at Oxford United’s 5-1 demolition of the “mighty (but junior) Greens”. I worked out that half the team that night was young enough to be still doing homework for school the next day. Afterwards, as I was sitting with my Dad and a couple of his friends in the Frankie and Benny’s next to the Kassam, eating my spaghetti and listening to them discussing and debating the worst Argyle performances and players of all time (Kenny Cooper was the general consensus), it became apparent to me that I had somehow come to support a football team that was in a constant cycle of mediocre to bad. The highest level I have ever seen Argyle achieve was when we were nudging the Championship play-offs in 2008 and the lowest near the relegation zone of League 2. It was a constant source of amusement to my friends that we ‘did the double relegation’ and, in all honesty, it was pretty funny—to see the team narrowly beaten by Arsenal 3-1 in the FA Cup, now getting annihilated by a team who didn’t even have a full four stands at their stadium. And how a team that managed to beat Wolves (during their promotion season) 1-0 at Molineux, were playing on the cabbage-patch pitch that is Dagenham & Redbridge. The point is that I follow a less-than good football team. I do this for one simple reason: my Dad. I was born in London and live within supporting distance of Chelsea, Fulham, QPR and even Brentford. But there was no way that I would be allowed to support any other team than Argyle. My Dad was wearing an Argyle shirt when I was born and tells me that his first proud moment as a father was putting me in an Argyle babygro. He took me to my first match when I was six. Argyle lost and that’s been pretty much the pattern for the 10 years since. My father has doomed me to a life of supporting a team that loses to Dorchester and to Stourbridge on live TV (the latter a game so bad that the commentators actually started talking about the cricket instead). Or am I? Is it really gloom and doom? Actually, there are few things better than waking up at 7am to rush to Paddington and get the train down to Home Park for a game against Chesterfield. There are few things better than getting a pasty on the way to the ‘Theatre of Greens’. And there is nothing better than the feeling when something actually comes together on the pitch and for a brief (and I mean brief) moment it’s like watching a West Country version of Brazil in the 70s. That’s better than anything. I don’t think I’ve been cursed, I think I’ve been blessed. I could be supporting Chelsea but it would be so boring to always win. I could be supporting Fulham but I wouldn’t get the fantastic journeys to places I never thought I’d go. I love supporting Plymouth Argyle and I’m grateful that I have been given that opportunity. Nothing is better than watching the Green Army rise to its feet to celebrate a fumbled-in goal that puts us 1-0 up, for a moment at least. That’s what football is about and that’s why there is no better team to support than Plymouth Argyle.

ARGYLE LEGENDS 11 v ARGYLE FANS’ TRUST 11 ENJOY A NIGHT OF NOSTALGIA at T20 Cricket A TRIBUTE TO THE WARTIME 1940s Sunday 28 June 2015 2:30pm (gates open 2pm) Friday 31 July 2015 7pm - 11:30pm at THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION, CROWNHILL, PLYMOUTH at Filham Park, Filham, Ivybridge , PL21 0LE Sing and Dance to Sandy Sparkle as VERA LYNN Admission by programme or donation to & Graham Harding as GEORGE FORMBY the Royal British Legion Shirt Fund Tickets £10.00 which includes a traditional meal of Sausage and Mash Cash Bar and Barbecue - Bring the family Visit: www.argylefanstrust.com/events www.argylefanstrust.com Contact: fundraising@argylefanstrust Text/call: 07768 914934 15 16