2009–10 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season
Encyclopedia
The 2009–10 season
was the 115th season in the history of Plymouth Argyle Football Club
, their 85th in the Football League, and 41st in the second tier of the English football league system
. Their 21st place finish in the 2008–09 season meant it was their sixth successive season playing in the Championship
. Their campaign ended disappointingly as they were relegated to League One
with 11 wins, 8 draws, and 27 losses from 46 matches. The club exited both domestic cup competitions at the first stage, being eliminated by Newcastle United
in the third round of the FA Cup
and by Gillingham
in the first round of the League Cup
. The club changed managers in December due to a string of poor results as Paul Sturrock
was replaced by Paul Mariner
.
The club began their league campaign with two draws, but defeat to Cardiff City
marked the beginning of a seven game losing streak. Results improved in October and November before three more successive defeats saw Sturrock replaced by Mariner. Performances gradually improved and the club won both of their fixtures during the Christmas period, including a 4–1 win against Reading
; their best of the season. The club signed Damien Johnson
in the winter transfer window from Birmingham City
and made a number of signings on loan, including Kenny Cooper
and David Stockdale
, in order to try to improve their league position. A succession of draws and narrow defeats followed in February, which prompted Mariner to make more signings.
Argyle lost three of their next nine matches to give themselves a chance of avoiding relegation, but their win at Doncaster Rovers
proved to be the last game that they would collect any points in. Defeats at home to Middlesbrough
and away to Watford
left the club on the brink of a return to England's third tier, and that was confirmed in their next game. Newcastle United
won 2–0 win at Home Park
to secure the Championship title, and relegated the home side at the same time. The club finished 23rd in the league table after defeat to bottom club Peterborough United
on the final day of the season, eight points adrift of safety. Jamie Mackie
finished as the club's top scorer with eight goals in all competitions, and captain Carl Fletcher was voted Player of the Year
.
was Paul Sturrock
's first full campaign in his second spell as the club's manager. The club secured their status in the second tier of English football for a sixth season after finishing 21st in the league table, five points above Norwich City
. A number of players returned to their parent clubs at the end of the season after successful loan spells, including Craig Cathcart
, David Gray, Alan Judge
and Paul Gallagher. Sturrock wanted to bring Gallagher back to the club on a permanent basis, but was eventually unsuccessful after admitting before the season finished that the transfer fee and wages were an issue. Three apprentices of the club's youth system were offered professional contracts in May, including Irish youth international Joe Mason
. The club's first signing of the summer was Carl Fletcher, who returned to Home Park
permanently after signing on loan in February. Fletcher replaced Karl Duguid
as the team captain, and Romain Larrieu
was named club captain. Sir Roy Gardner was confirmed as the club's new chairman in July, replacing Paul Stapleton
who remained on the new board as vice-chairman. The club added to their squad that month with the permanent signings of Bradley Wright-Phillips
, Kári Árnason
and Réda Johnson
, while Jermaine Easter
and long-serving Frenchman Mathias Kouo-Doumbé
were among the players who left. Doumbe was released from his contract by mutual consent in August after five years with the club.
Plymouth Argyle began their campaign at Selhurst Park
on 8 August against Crystal Palace
, with Carl Fletcher captaining his new side against his former club. An early goal from Hungarian international centre-back Krisztián Timár
put Argyle ahead but the home side responded in the second-half to give both teams a share of the points. Argyle faced Queens Park Rangers
in their first home game of the season and an injury-time own goal
from Kaspars Gorkšs
salvaged a point after the visitors had taken the lead in the first-half. Alan Gow's first goal for the club in their next match against Cardiff City
was merely a consolation, as a hat-trick
from Michael Chopra
consigned Argyle to their first league defeat of the season. A stoppage time goal from Derby County
's Miles Addison
denied Argyle their third draw of the season after they had taken a first-half lead through Alan Judge
, and a second 3–1 home defeat followed a week later, this time against Sheffield Wednesday
. A first-half goal from Jamie Mackie
gave Argyle hope of their first victory of new the season at The Hawthorns
against West Bromwich Albion
, but the home side responded with three goals either side of half-time to claim a comfortable win.
The club's poor run of form continued in their next home match against Watford
, as they suffered their fifth straight defeat and slipped to the bottom of the league table. Another 3–1 defeat, against Newcastle United
, was followed by a second successive 1–0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest
, to leave Argyle with just two points from their first seven matches. Paul Sturrock kept faith with the young defensive pairing of James Chester
and Shane Lowry
for their next game against Peterborough United
, and two second-half goals Mackie and Rory Fallon
secured Argyle's first three points of the new season. "It's nice to get three points, but now we have to build on it," said Sturrock. "There's no point in us getting this result and then kicking ourselves in the teeth again." Argyle earned their first home win of the season four days later against Scunthorpe United
. A penalty
from Judge gave the hosts a 2–1 win after Fallon's opening goal was cancelled out by Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper
. Their upturn in results was halted by Blackpool
, who won 2–0 at Bloomfield Road
. The hosts opening goal was scored by Marcel Seip
, a player on loan from Argyle. He took part in the match following a request from former manager Ian Holloway
, a decision which was criticised by supporters but defended by senior Argyle officials. "I suppose it was bound to happen that Marcel would score the goal, but I don't think we should look on it as anything other than probably the cover should have been better," said executive director Keith Todd. "We understood exactly what we are doing."
An Argyle Hall of Famer returned to Home Park
on 18 October 2009, when former England
international Paul Mariner
was appointed as the clubs new head coach. "In football, there is not much sentiment. But, if sentiment is involved in this scenario, then they gave me my very first chance as a player so I grabbed it with both hands," said Mariner on the New England Revolution
website, the club he left to rejoin Argyle. "Plymouth Argyle are in my blood. Obviously the teams you're associated with are the ones you look for every week, and when they came knocking on my door asking me to be employed there, I was delighted." His first match in the dugout
alongside Sturrock ended in disappointment as Argyle lost 3–1 to Bristol City
at Ashton Gate. They faced Ipswich Town
, another side struggling for form, at home in their next match and a first-half goal from Fletcher put Argyle ahead, but their hopes of claiming three points were dented when the visitors equalised through striker Jon Stead, who capitalised on a poor back pass from Gary Sawyer
. Welshman Darcy Blake
, on loan from Cardiff City, was shown a straight red card late in the game as it ended all square. Their final game of October took place on Halloween
against Middlesbrough
, in Gordon Strachan
's first game as their new manager. Argyle came away from the Riverside Stadium
with all three points, in a game that saw Adam Johnson miss from the penalty spot, thanks to a second-half goal from Mackie to lift them to 22nd in the league table, within three points of Doncaster Rovers
.
but were denied by a 94th minute goal from midfielder Andy King. Another home defeat, this time to Sheffield United
followed, which left Sturrock desperate to improve morale among his squad, but a third consecutive 1–0 defeat at Swansea City, during which Lowry was sent off, signalled the end of Paul Sturrock's second spell as manager. Paul Mariner was placed in charge until further notice. "It's a sad day, but obviously a happy day for me because I'm getting my chance to be a manager in the league," said the former striker. "He's a great friend of mine. The bond that we have together is quite remarkable and we have a mutual respect for each other." His first match was a 2–0 defeat at Preston North End
, but he took positives from the performance.
John Carver
, right-hand man to former Barcelona
manager Sir Bobby Robson
at Newcastle United, arrived as the clubs new assistant manager on 17 December 2009, but the club suffered another 1–0 defeat at home, against Coventry City
, two days later. Argyle travelled to Cardiff
on Boxing Day
to play Cardiff City at their new stadium, and came away with an important three points thanks to a late goal from Sawyer. They recorded their biggest win of the season two days later against Reading
. A brace from Judge, and first goals of the season for Kári Árnason
and Ashley Barnes
secured a 4–1 win at Home Park and six points from their two games over the Christmas
period. Argyle returned to league action after their FA Cup ties on 16 January, looking for another three points against Crystal Palace
but an early goal from young striker Victor Moses
won the game for the visitors. Another must-win home game followed against Derby County
and a fifth goal of the season from Jamie Mackie boosted their survival bid. A defeat to fellow struggler's Sheffield Wednesday
, coupled with other results going against them, left Argyle five points from safety, with a tough match to come against West Bromwich Albion
a week later. A single goal from striker Simon Cox kept Albion in touch at the top of the table and left Argyle deep in relegation trouble again, six points from safety.
A stoppage time penalty from Shane Long
earned a crucial 2–1 win for Reading
in Argyle's next match, but they came from a goal behind to claim a 3–1 victory at Barnsley
four days later, which included a 35 yard effort from former Barnsley player Fallon. Paul Mariner was full of praise for his team and singled out youngster Yannick Bolasie, who made his debut for the club. "We played with intellect. We got the ball down, rather than panicking a little bit; we stroked it around; we retained position at vital times," he said. "The introduction of Bolasie was a breath of fresh air. I think even the Barnsley fans would probably say they liked to see what he was doing. He brought a lot to the table for us." A double-header of home matches were next on the agenda for Argyle, against Swansea City and Leicester City
, and they both ended in 1–1 draws. New signing Damien Johnson
scored late on against Swansea, and Craig Noone
scored his first goal of the season to earn a point against Leicester. An end-to-end game at Bramall Lane
against Sheffield United
ended in a 4–3 defeat, which included a number of defensive mistakes. Argyle went 3–0 before finally sparking into life, scoring twice thanks to Bolasie and a first for young Irish striker Joe Mason
. A lapse in concentration from David Stockdale
, on loan from Fulham
, gifted the hosts a fourth goal before a 20 yard volley from Mackie set up a frantic finale. In the aftermath, Paul Mariner heaped praise on Mason, describing him as "an incredible talent."
at the start of March, but remained in serious trouble at the bottom end of the table, seven points adrift of safety with 13 matches remaining. A 2–0 defeat followed at Queens Park Rangers
, with Adel Taarabt
playing a part in both of the home sides goals. Draws at Home Park were proving to be an Achilles' heel
for Argyle, but they secured a creditable 1–1 draw at play-off
chasing Coventry City
, having taken the lead through a glancing header from Árnason. Three days later, a 20 yard strike from captain Fletcher earned Argyle their fifth home win of the season in a 3–2 thriller against Bristol City
. They had taken a 2–0 lead through Chris Clark
and an overhead kick from Bradley Wright-Phillips
, his first for the club. However, the visitors responded in the second-half with two goals from Nicky Maynard
before former Welsh
international Fletcher scored with seconds to spare. Argyle travelled to play Scunthorpe United
looking to keep up the momentum, but threw away a lead to be defeated by a deflected effort from Martyn Woolford
.
They were on the road again three days later when they faced Ipswich Town
at Portman Road
. Argyle came away with all three points courtesy of goals from Wright-Phillips and Mason on what was a special night for Paul Mariner. "It was pretty special and I was a little choked up," he said. "It was a special night. When I moved to the States 20 years ago, I didn't think it would come to fruition but it was a tremendous reception from the fans, and I can't thank them enough. Bringing Plymouth Argyle here in my present role was a special occasion." Former manager Ian Holloway returned to Home Park for the first time since his departure in November 2007 in the clubs next game, and he left happy as Blackpool
side claimed all three points after a 2–0 victory, with Charlie Adam
at the heart of their attacking threat. Argyle played out an entertaining 0–0 draw at home with Barnsley
three days later, but it did little to help in their battle against relegation, still five points away from safety. They produced another rousing away performance against Doncaster Rovers
to earn a 2–1 win, coming from behind with second-half goals from Mason, and an injury time header from Wright-Phillips. In order to stay up, Argyle knew that they had to make the most of their remaining home games, but they went down 2–0 on 5 April to an efficient Middlesbrough
side, which left them four points adrift with four games left. A solitary goal from Watford
's Heidar Helguson dealt Argyle's survival hopes an almost fatal blow at Vicarage Road
, but vice-captain Karl Duguid
remained upbeat about their chances of defeating the league leaders in their next game. "We'll be upbeat, and we'll go for the win against Newcastle next Monday."
It was a night of contrasting emotions at Home Park. A 2–0 win for the visitors confirmed Argyle's relegation to League One
and Newcastle's promotion back to the Premier League as champions at the first attempt. Hours after the match, the clubs board declared that it remained determined to steer it to the top flight of English football
. Paul Mariner reaffirmed his commitment to the club, vowing to put things right. "I feel the pain of the supporters because this is the club that gave me my first start," he said. "The reason I came here was because of the vision that the club can get into the Premiership. Now we've got another couple of hurdles before we do that but I firmly believe that we can do it." Argyle's penultimate game of the season took place at the City Ground
against Nottingham Forest
, who had already qualified for the play-off's, and they secured a comfortable 3–0 victory against the relegated side. The club signed off their campaign with another home defeat against Peterborough United
on 2 May. Argyle took the lead in the first-half from a fine individual goal from Wright-Phillips but conceded two goals after the break to Craig Mackail-Smith
. Four days later, the club announced that they would be searching for a new manager, with Paul Mariner reverting to his original role as head coach. He said: "I am disappointed that we could not produce the results we wanted last season. I am a realist and understand why and how the board came to the conclusion they have done. I am committed to this club and want only to help it regain Championship status as soon as possible and build on that." Work on a new state-of-the-art Fibrelastic pitch at Home Park began the following week.
Colours: Green = Plymouth Argyle win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
paired Argyle with Newcastle United
, which left assistant manager John Carver
with mixed emotions. Neither side could break the deadlock in a competitive contest at Home Park
. Argyle striker Rory Fallon
forced a good save from Tim Krul
before the visitors had chances of their own, the majority of which went to Fabrice Pancrate
. Newcastle looked likely to win the game late on but were denied by goalkeeper Romain Larrieu
, who tipped a looping volley from Nicky Butt
over the crossbar. The match saw the return of Chris Barker
to the Argyle defence after a lengthy spell on the sidelines because of injury, and manager Paul Mariner
was full of praise for his performance. "For him to come and do what he did against such a high powered, attacking team as Newcastle and playing 90 plus minutes was pretty remarkable. He's a very strong character and very experienced." The replay at St James' Park
was Argyle's next match due to the wintry weather, and they were on the wrong end of a 3–0 scoreline. Newcastle striker Peter Løvenkrands
gave the home side a two goal lead at half-time and completed his hat-trick
after 72 minutes. "His timing of his runs is pretty special and for the first goal, his finish was fantastic," said Mariner. The match on Tyneside
was to be the last in an Argyle shirt for Cillian Sheridan
who returned to Celtic
in Scotland the next day when his loan spell with the club finished, having made 13 appearances, scoring no goals.
in the first round of the League Cup
, the clubs manager, Paul Sturrock
, planned to make a couple of changes to the team that faced Crystal Palace
on the opening day of the new season, with youngster Joe Mason
included in the squad. Two first-half goals were enough to take the hosts into the second round. Simeon Jackson
put Gillingham ahead after 42 minutes and Andy Barcham
scored a second just before the half-time break. Argyle reduced the deficit four minutes into the second-half when Luke Summerfield
from a direct free kick
, but they couldn't find an equaliser. The visitors should have forced extra time
but Jamie Mackie
spurned a chance when he pulled his shot wide with only the goalkeeper to beat. The defeat extended Sturrock's unfortunate run in the League Cup as a manager, having won just once in nine attempts. "I must have the worst record of all managers in cup competitions, it's unbelievable," he said. "One or two of my defenders didn't defend properly tonight. It's not proper to name people but there were some glaring attempts to clear the ball and that's where we had problems."
side Truro City
. In a match which featured trialist Kári Árnason
, Argyle scored a goal in each half to earn a comfortable win. A youthful Argyle team headed across the city of Plymouth
the next day to take on Plymouth Parkway
. The visitors fell behind to an early goal but responded with three of their own in an entertaining friendly, including a brace from Republic of Ireland
youth international Joe Mason
. The first team were in action again the next day, against Torquay United
. The visitors went behind twice but looked like leaving Plainmoor
with a win until Torquay converted a penalty
in the 90th minute. The squad then departed for a tour of Scotland
, and stopped off in the north of England on the way in order to play a friendly against Skelmersdale United
on 18 July 2009. Argyle came away with a 2–0 win after scoring a goal in each half. A picturesque setting greeted the squad as they took to the field against Livingston
on 20 July 2009. An 81st minute penalty from Luke Summerfield
wasn't enough to save Argyle from their first defeat of the season.
Hungarian
international Zoltán Szélesi
joined the squad in training ahead of their next match against Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni. They came from behind to record a 2–1 win in a feisty encounter, with Steve MacLean
scoring the decisive goal. Argyle returned to England to play against Morecambe
on 25 July 2009, and included a triallist called Réda Johnson
in their defence, who appeared in the match under a pseudonym
. Two second half goals ensured that they left Christie Park with a win. The clubs only pre-season friendly to take place at Home Park
was against Scottish club Heart of Midlothian
on 29 July 2009. Neither side could break the deadlock in a dour 0–0 draw. Swindon Town
were the opposition for Argyle's penultimate friendly. A goal from Marcel Seip
after 57 minutes set the visitors on their way to a 2–0 victory at manager Paul Sturrock
's old club. Argyle's final pre-season match took place on 3 August 2009 against Tiverton Town
. A young team containing only two senior professionals, Yoann Folly
and Simon Walton
, secured a 1–0 win at Ladysmead.
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
was the 115th season in the history of Plymouth Argyle Football Club
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, their 85th in the Football League, and 41st in the second tier of the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
. Their 21st place finish in the 2008–09 season meant it was their sixth successive season playing in the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. Their campaign ended disappointingly as they were relegated to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
with 11 wins, 8 draws, and 27 losses from 46 matches. The club exited both domestic cup competitions at the first stage, being eliminated by Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in the third round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and by Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
in the first round of the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
. The club changed managers in December due to a string of poor results as Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
was replaced by Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner is an English football coach, manager, and retired player, who is currently with Toronto FC.A striker during his playing days, Mariner began his career with Chorley. He became a professional player in 1973 with Plymouth Argyle, where he scored 61 goals in 155 appearances and is...
.
The club began their league campaign with two draws, but defeat to Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
marked the beginning of a seven game losing streak. Results improved in October and November before three more successive defeats saw Sturrock replaced by Mariner. Performances gradually improved and the club won both of their fixtures during the Christmas period, including a 4–1 win against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
; their best of the season. The club signed Damien Johnson
Damien Johnson
Damien Michael Johnson is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Plymouth Argyle, but as of 19 July 2011 he is on loan at Huddersfield Town for a second consecutive season....
in the winter transfer window from Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
and made a number of signings on loan, including Kenny Cooper
Kenny Cooper
Kenneth Scott Cooper, Jr. is an American soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer....
and David Stockdale
David Stockdale
David Adam Stockdale is an English footballer who plays for Ipswich Town as a goalkeeper, on loan from Fulham.Stockdale started his career with the Huddersfield Town youth system before joining York City's youth system in 2000, where he became a trainee in 2002. He made his first team debut on the...
, in order to try to improve their league position. A succession of draws and narrow defeats followed in February, which prompted Mariner to make more signings.
Argyle lost three of their next nine matches to give themselves a chance of avoiding relegation, but their win at Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
proved to be the last game that they would collect any points in. Defeats at home to Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
and away to Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
left the club on the brink of a return to England's third tier, and that was confirmed in their next game. Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
won 2–0 win at Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
to secure the Championship title, and relegated the home side at the same time. The club finished 23rd in the league table after defeat to bottom club Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
on the final day of the season, eight points adrift of safety. Jamie Mackie
Jamie Mackie
James Charles "Jamie" Mackie is a professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Premier League club Queens Park Rangers...
finished as the club's top scorer with eight goals in all competitions, and captain Carl Fletcher was voted Player of the Year
Plymouth Argyle F.C. Player of the Year
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English association football club based in Plymouth, Devon. Founded in 1886 as Argyle Football Club, they became a professional club in January 1903, and were elected to the Southern League ahead of the 1903–04 season...
.
Background
The 2008–09 season2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
was Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
's first full campaign in his second spell as the club's manager. The club secured their status in the second tier of English football for a sixth season after finishing 21st in the league table, five points above Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. A number of players returned to their parent clubs at the end of the season after successful loan spells, including Craig Cathcart
Craig Cathcart
Craig George Cathcart is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a centre back for Blackpool and the Northern Ireland national team...
, David Gray, Alan Judge
Alan Judge (Irish footballer)
Alan Judge is an Irish footballer who plays for Football League One club Notts County as a winger, having previously played for Blackburn Rovers and Plymouth Argyle. He has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level....
and Paul Gallagher. Sturrock wanted to bring Gallagher back to the club on a permanent basis, but was eventually unsuccessful after admitting before the season finished that the transfer fee and wages were an issue. Three apprentices of the club's youth system were offered professional contracts in May, including Irish youth international Joe Mason
Joe Mason
Joseph "Joe" Mason is an Irish footballer who plays for Cardiff City as a striker.-Plymouth Argyle:Mason began his career as a youth player with home-town club Plymouth Argyle at the age of 10...
. The club's first signing of the summer was Carl Fletcher, who returned to Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
permanently after signing on loan in February. Fletcher replaced Karl Duguid
Karl Duguid
Karl Anthony Duguid is an English footballer who plays primarily as a midfielder for Colchester United.He began his career with Colchester United and made his senior debut in 1995. He helped the club win promotion to the Second Division in 1998, via the play-offs, and the Championship in 2006, by...
as the team captain, and Romain Larrieu
Romain Larrieu
Romain Larrieu is a French footballer who is currently a goalkeeper/first team coach for Plymouth Argyle. Having joined them in 2000 from Valence, he is their longest serving current player and club captain.-Playing career:...
was named club captain. Sir Roy Gardner was confirmed as the club's new chairman in July, replacing Paul Stapleton
Paul Stapleton
Paul Stapleton is the vice-chairman of Plymouth Argyle and senior partner in the Plymouth based accountancy practice Parkhurst Hill. He was previously the chairman at Plymouth from August 2001 to July 2009, and has been a director of the club since 1998...
who remained on the new board as vice-chairman. The club added to their squad that month with the permanent signings of Bradley Wright-Phillips
Bradley Wright-Phillips
Bradley Edward Wright-Phillips is an English footballer who plays for Charlton Athletic as a striker.He is the son of former Arsenal and England player Ian Wright, and younger half-brother to Queens Park Rangers and England international Shaun Wright-Phillips; Ian's adopted son, with whom he used...
, Kári Árnason
Kári Árnason
Kári Árnason is an Icelandic international footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club . He has also played for Víkingur, Djurgården, AGF Aarhus, Esbjerg fB and...
and Réda Johnson
Réda Johnson
Réda Johnson is a footballer who plays for Football League One club Sheffield Wednesday as a defender, having previously played for Gueugnon, Amiens and Plymouth Argyle...
, while Jermaine Easter
Jermaine Easter
Jermaine Maurice Easter is a Welsh international footballer currently playing as a striker for Crystal Palace.-Early career:...
and long-serving Frenchman Mathias Kouo-Doumbé
Mathias Kouo-Doumbe
Mathias Kouo-Doumbé , often nicknamed Mat Doumbé, is a French association football defender who currently plays for the Milton Keynes Dons, having signed for them on August 7, 2009....
were among the players who left. Doumbe was released from his contract by mutual consent in August after five years with the club.
August–October
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
on 8 August against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, with Carl Fletcher captaining his new side against his former club. An early goal from Hungarian international centre-back Krisztián Timár
Krisztián Timár
Krisztián Tímár is a Hungarian footballer who plays as a centre back. He has represented Hungary at international level, gaining four caps.-Playing career:...
put Argyle ahead but the home side responded in the second-half to give both teams a share of the points. Argyle faced Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
in their first home game of the season and an injury-time own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
from Kaspars Gorkšs
Kaspars Gorkšs
Kaspars Gorkšs is a Latvian footballer who plays for Reading as a defender. He is also a regular with the Latvia national team.-Club career:...
salvaged a point after the visitors had taken the lead in the first-half. Alan Gow's first goal for the club in their next match against Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
was merely a consolation, as a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
from Michael Chopra
Michael Chopra
Rocky Michael Chopra is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Ipswich Town. He is of mixed Indian and British descent....
consigned Argyle to their first league defeat of the season. A stoppage time goal from Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
's Miles Addison
Miles Addison
Miles Vivien Esifi Addison is an English footballer who currently plays for Barnsley from Derby County in the Npower Championship. Addison can play as both a central defender or a central midfielder....
denied Argyle their third draw of the season after they had taken a first-half lead through Alan Judge
Alan Judge (Irish footballer)
Alan Judge is an Irish footballer who plays for Football League One club Notts County as a winger, having previously played for Blackburn Rovers and Plymouth Argyle. He has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level....
, and a second 3–1 home defeat followed a week later, this time against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
. A first-half goal from Jamie Mackie
Jamie Mackie
James Charles "Jamie" Mackie is a professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Premier League club Queens Park Rangers...
gave Argyle hope of their first victory of new the season at The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, Sandwell, England, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C. since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League ground to be built in the...
against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, but the home side responded with three goals either side of half-time to claim a comfortable win.
The club's poor run of form continued in their next home match against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, as they suffered their fifth straight defeat and slipped to the bottom of the league table. Another 3–1 defeat, against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, was followed by a second successive 1–0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, to leave Argyle with just two points from their first seven matches. Paul Sturrock kept faith with the young defensive pairing of James Chester
James Chester
James Grant Chester is an English footballer who plays for Hull City as a centre back. He has also played on loan for Peterborough United, Plymouth Argyle and Carlisle United.-Career:...
and Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry (footballer)
Shane Thomas Lowry is an Irish-Australian professional football player who currently plays as a centre defender or left fullback for the Australia national football team and Millwall, on loan from Aston Villa...
for their next game against Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
, and two second-half goals Mackie and Rory Fallon
Rory Fallon
Rory Michael Fallon is a New Zealand footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen as a forward. He has previously played for Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Swindon Town, Yeovil Town, Swansea City, Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town. He has been capped by New Zealand at international...
secured Argyle's first three points of the new season. "It's nice to get three points, but now we have to build on it," said Sturrock. "There's no point in us getting this result and then kicking ourselves in the teeth again." Argyle earned their first home win of the season four days later against Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
. A penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
from Judge gave the hosts a 2–1 win after Fallon's opening goal was cancelled out by Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper
Gary Hooper
Gary Hooper is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League club Celtic.Hooper started his career at non-League Grays Athletic in 2003. While there he won the 2004-05 Conference South, as well as the FA Trophy twice in 2005 and 2006. After this Championship club...
. Their upturn in results was halted by Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, who won 2–0 at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
. The hosts opening goal was scored by Marcel Seip
Marcel Seip
Marcel Seip is a Dutch footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bradford City as a defender, having previously played for Veendam, Heerenveen, Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool, Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic.-Veendam:...
, a player on loan from Argyle. He took part in the match following a request from former manager Ian Holloway
Ian Holloway
Ian Scott Holloway is an English football manager and former player. He became the manager of Blackpool in May 2009. Holloway is well-known amongst football fans for his off-the-wall interviews, with a wide selection of quotes and soundbites being printed. Holloway's playing career spanned 18...
, a decision which was criticised by supporters but defended by senior Argyle officials. "I suppose it was bound to happen that Marcel would score the goal, but I don't think we should look on it as anything other than probably the cover should have been better," said executive director Keith Todd. "We understood exactly what we are doing."
An Argyle Hall of Famer returned to Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
on 18 October 2009, when former England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner is an English football coach, manager, and retired player, who is currently with Toronto FC.A striker during his playing days, Mariner began his career with Chorley. He became a professional player in 1973 with Plymouth Argyle, where he scored 61 goals in 155 appearances and is...
was appointed as the clubs new head coach. "In football, there is not much sentiment. But, if sentiment is involved in this scenario, then they gave me my very first chance as a player so I grabbed it with both hands," said Mariner on the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
website, the club he left to rejoin Argyle. "Plymouth Argyle are in my blood. Obviously the teams you're associated with are the ones you look for every week, and when they came knocking on my door asking me to be employed there, I was delighted." His first match in the dugout
Technical area
A technical area in association football, is where a manager, other coaching personnel and substitutes are allowed to occupy during a match.The area, where people may stand or sit, includes the dugout, bench and a marked zone adjacent to the pitch....
alongside Sturrock ended in disappointment as Argyle lost 3–1 to Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
at Ashton Gate. They faced Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, another side struggling for form, at home in their next match and a first-half goal from Fletcher put Argyle ahead, but their hopes of claiming three points were dented when the visitors equalised through striker Jon Stead, who capitalised on a poor back pass from Gary Sawyer
Gary Sawyer
Gary Dean Sawyer is an English footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bristol Rovers as a defender, having previously played for Plymouth Argyle, Weymouth, Exeter City and Bristol City.-Playing career:...
. Welshman Darcy Blake
Darcy Blake
Darcy James Blake is a Welsh professional footballer currently playing for Cardiff City in the Football League Championship. He is also a Welsh international, having made his debut in October 2010.-Cardiff City:...
, on loan from Cardiff City, was shown a straight red card late in the game as it ended all square. Their final game of October took place on Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, in Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
's first game as their new manager. Argyle came away from the Riverside Stadium
Riverside Stadium
The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough F.C. since it opened in 1995...
with all three points, in a game that saw Adam Johnson miss from the penalty spot, thanks to a second-half goal from Mackie to lift them to 22nd in the league table, within three points of Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
.
November–February
The club began November in the same fashion they ended the previous month – with a win. Judge and Fallon scored again to secure a 2–1 home victory against Doncaster Rovers, and pull Argyle clear of the relegation zone. They looked like earning a valuable point when they travelled to play Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
but were denied by a 94th minute goal from midfielder Andy King. Another home defeat, this time to Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
followed, which left Sturrock desperate to improve morale among his squad, but a third consecutive 1–0 defeat at Swansea City, during which Lowry was sent off, signalled the end of Paul Sturrock's second spell as manager. Paul Mariner was placed in charge until further notice. "It's a sad day, but obviously a happy day for me because I'm getting my chance to be a manager in the league," said the former striker. "He's a great friend of mine. The bond that we have together is quite remarkable and we have a mutual respect for each other." His first match was a 2–0 defeat at Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, but he took positives from the performance.
John Carver
John Carver (footballer)
John William Carver is a former English footballer and current assistant manager of Newcastle United.-Biography:...
, right-hand man to former Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
manager Sir Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
at Newcastle United, arrived as the clubs new assistant manager on 17 December 2009, but the club suffered another 1–0 defeat at home, against Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, two days later. Argyle travelled to Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
to play Cardiff City at their new stadium, and came away with an important three points thanks to a late goal from Sawyer. They recorded their biggest win of the season two days later against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
. A brace from Judge, and first goals of the season for Kári Árnason
Kári Árnason
Kári Árnason is an Icelandic international footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club . He has also played for Víkingur, Djurgården, AGF Aarhus, Esbjerg fB and...
and Ashley Barnes
Ashley Barnes
Ashley Luke Barnes is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion as a striker, having previously played for Paulton Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Oxford United, Salisbury City, Eastbourne Borough and Torquay United...
secured a 4–1 win at Home Park and six points from their two games over the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
period. Argyle returned to league action after their FA Cup ties on 16 January, looking for another three points against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
but an early goal from young striker Victor Moses
Victor Moses
Victor Moses is a footballer who plays for Wigan Athletic. Moses can play in a variety of positions, but in the first-team games he has taken part in so far, Moses has mostly played as a left winger...
won the game for the visitors. Another must-win home game followed against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and a fifth goal of the season from Jamie Mackie boosted their survival bid. A defeat to fellow struggler's Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, coupled with other results going against them, left Argyle five points from safety, with a tough match to come against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
a week later. A single goal from striker Simon Cox kept Albion in touch at the top of the table and left Argyle deep in relegation trouble again, six points from safety.
A stoppage time penalty from Shane Long
Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League team West Bromwich Albion and the Republic of Ireland national football team. With Ireland he was part of the team that secured qualification for UEFA Euro 2012.Long began his career at Cork City...
earned a crucial 2–1 win for Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
in Argyle's next match, but they came from a goal behind to claim a 3–1 victory at Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
four days later, which included a 35 yard effort from former Barnsley player Fallon. Paul Mariner was full of praise for his team and singled out youngster Yannick Bolasie, who made his debut for the club. "We played with intellect. We got the ball down, rather than panicking a little bit; we stroked it around; we retained position at vital times," he said. "The introduction of Bolasie was a breath of fresh air. I think even the Barnsley fans would probably say they liked to see what he was doing. He brought a lot to the table for us." A double-header of home matches were next on the agenda for Argyle, against Swansea City and Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, and they both ended in 1–1 draws. New signing Damien Johnson
Damien Johnson
Damien Michael Johnson is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Plymouth Argyle, but as of 19 July 2011 he is on loan at Huddersfield Town for a second consecutive season....
scored late on against Swansea, and Craig Noone
Craig Noone
Craig Stephen Noone is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion as a winger, having previously played for Skelmersdale United, Burscough, Southport, Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City....
scored his first goal of the season to earn a point against Leicester. An end-to-end game at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
ended in a 4–3 defeat, which included a number of defensive mistakes. Argyle went 3–0 before finally sparking into life, scoring twice thanks to Bolasie and a first for young Irish striker Joe Mason
Joe Mason
Joseph "Joe" Mason is an Irish footballer who plays for Cardiff City as a striker.-Plymouth Argyle:Mason began his career as a youth player with home-town club Plymouth Argyle at the age of 10...
. A lapse in concentration from David Stockdale
David Stockdale
David Adam Stockdale is an English footballer who plays for Ipswich Town as a goalkeeper, on loan from Fulham.Stockdale started his career with the Huddersfield Town youth system before joining York City's youth system in 2000, where he became a trainee in 2002. He made his first team debut on the...
, on loan from Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, gifted the hosts a fourth goal before a 20 yard volley from Mackie set up a frantic finale. In the aftermath, Paul Mariner heaped praise on Mason, describing him as "an incredible talent."
March–May
Argyle salvaged a late point against Preston North EndPreston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
at the start of March, but remained in serious trouble at the bottom end of the table, seven points adrift of safety with 13 matches remaining. A 2–0 defeat followed at Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, with Adel Taarabt
Adel Taarabt
Adel Taarabt is a Moroccan footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as an Attacking midfielder and can also be used as a winger....
playing a part in both of the home sides goals. Draws at Home Park were proving to be an Achilles' heel
Achilles' heel
An Achilles’ heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, that can actually or potentially lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, metaphorical references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.- Origin :In Greek...
for Argyle, but they secured a creditable 1–1 draw at play-off
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
chasing Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, having taken the lead through a glancing header from Árnason. Three days later, a 20 yard strike from captain Fletcher earned Argyle their fifth home win of the season in a 3–2 thriller against Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
. They had taken a 2–0 lead through Chris Clark
Chris Clark (footballer)
Christopher "Chris" Clark is a Scottish professional footballer who plays in the Scottish Premier League for Aberdeen, having previously played for Plymouth Argyle...
and an overhead kick from Bradley Wright-Phillips
Bradley Wright-Phillips
Bradley Edward Wright-Phillips is an English footballer who plays for Charlton Athletic as a striker.He is the son of former Arsenal and England player Ian Wright, and younger half-brother to Queens Park Rangers and England international Shaun Wright-Phillips; Ian's adopted son, with whom he used...
, his first for the club. However, the visitors responded in the second-half with two goals from Nicky Maynard
Nicky Maynard
Nicholas David "Nicky" Maynard is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bristol City.-Crewe Alexandra:...
before former Welsh
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
international Fletcher scored with seconds to spare. Argyle travelled to play Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
looking to keep up the momentum, but threw away a lead to be defeated by a deflected effort from Martyn Woolford
Martyn Woolford
Martyn Paul Woolford is an English footballer who plays for Bristol City as a winger.Woolford started his career with Glasshoughton Welfare after progressing through their youth system. After three seasons at Glasshoughton, he moved to the Northern Premier League with Frickley Athletic and scored...
.
They were on the road again three days later when they faced Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
. Argyle came away with all three points courtesy of goals from Wright-Phillips and Mason on what was a special night for Paul Mariner. "It was pretty special and I was a little choked up," he said. "It was a special night. When I moved to the States 20 years ago, I didn't think it would come to fruition but it was a tremendous reception from the fans, and I can't thank them enough. Bringing Plymouth Argyle here in my present role was a special occasion." Former manager Ian Holloway returned to Home Park for the first time since his departure in November 2007 in the clubs next game, and he left happy as Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
side claimed all three points after a 2–0 victory, with Charlie Adam
Charlie Adam
Charles Graham "Charlie" Adam is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liverpool and the Scotland national football team....
at the heart of their attacking threat. Argyle played out an entertaining 0–0 draw at home with Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
three days later, but it did little to help in their battle against relegation, still five points away from safety. They produced another rousing away performance against Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
to earn a 2–1 win, coming from behind with second-half goals from Mason, and an injury time header from Wright-Phillips. In order to stay up, Argyle knew that they had to make the most of their remaining home games, but they went down 2–0 on 5 April to an efficient Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
side, which left them four points adrift with four games left. A solitary goal from Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
's Heidar Helguson dealt Argyle's survival hopes an almost fatal blow at Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...
, but vice-captain Karl Duguid
Karl Duguid
Karl Anthony Duguid is an English footballer who plays primarily as a midfielder for Colchester United.He began his career with Colchester United and made his senior debut in 1995. He helped the club win promotion to the Second Division in 1998, via the play-offs, and the Championship in 2006, by...
remained upbeat about their chances of defeating the league leaders in their next game. "We'll be upbeat, and we'll go for the win against Newcastle next Monday."
It was a night of contrasting emotions at Home Park. A 2–0 win for the visitors confirmed Argyle's relegation to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
and Newcastle's promotion back to the Premier League as champions at the first attempt. Hours after the match, the clubs board declared that it remained determined to steer it to the top flight of English football
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
. Paul Mariner reaffirmed his commitment to the club, vowing to put things right. "I feel the pain of the supporters because this is the club that gave me my first start," he said. "The reason I came here was because of the vision that the club can get into the Premiership. Now we've got another couple of hurdles before we do that but I firmly believe that we can do it." Argyle's penultimate game of the season took place at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, who had already qualified for the play-off's, and they secured a comfortable 3–0 victory against the relegated side. The club signed off their campaign with another home defeat against Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
on 2 May. Argyle took the lead in the first-half from a fine individual goal from Wright-Phillips but conceded two goals after the break to Craig Mackail-Smith
Craig Mackail-Smith
Craig Anthony Robert Mackail-Smith is a footballer who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion as a striker. He has also played for England C and at full international level for Scotland...
. Four days later, the club announced that they would be searching for a new manager, with Paul Mariner reverting to his original role as head coach. He said: "I am disappointed that we could not produce the results we wanted last season. I am a realist and understand why and how the board came to the conclusion they have done. I am committed to this club and want only to help it regain Championship status as soon as possible and build on that." Work on a new state-of-the-art Fibrelastic pitch at Home Park began the following week.
Results
Colours: Green = Plymouth Argyle win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United F.C. Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One.... |
46 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 62 | 84 | –22 | 52 |
| 21 | Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... |
46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 50 | 53 | –3 | 49 |
| 22 | Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the... |
46 | 11 | 14 | 21 | 49 | 69 | –20 | 47 |
| 23 | Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle F.C. Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the... |
46 | 11 | 8 | 27 | 43 | 68 | –25 | 41 |
| 24 | Peterborough United Peterborough United F.C. Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is... |
46 | 8 | 18 | 28 | 46 | 80 | –34 | 34 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Results summary
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal differenceResults by round
Summary
The third round draw for the FA Cup2009–10 FA Cup
The 2009–10 FA Cup was the 129th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. As in the previous year, 762 clubs were accepted for the competition. One club, Newcastle Blue Star, folded before the fixtures were released...
paired Argyle with Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, which left assistant manager John Carver
John Carver (footballer)
John William Carver is a former English footballer and current assistant manager of Newcastle United.-Biography:...
with mixed emotions. Neither side could break the deadlock in a competitive contest at Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
. Argyle striker Rory Fallon
Rory Fallon
Rory Michael Fallon is a New Zealand footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen as a forward. He has previously played for Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Swindon Town, Yeovil Town, Swansea City, Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town. He has been capped by New Zealand at international...
forced a good save from Tim Krul
Tim Krul
Timothy Michael "Tim" Krul is a Dutch footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Newcastle United and the Netherlands national team.-Newcastle United:...
before the visitors had chances of their own, the majority of which went to Fabrice Pancrate
Fabrice Pancrate
Fabrice Pancrate is a French football player who is currently playing for FC Nantes.-Club career:Pancrate started his professional career in Louhans-Cuiseaux in 1999 where he played two matches. He then went to Guingamp from 2000 until 2002 playing six matches...
. Newcastle looked likely to win the game late on but were denied by goalkeeper Romain Larrieu
Romain Larrieu
Romain Larrieu is a French footballer who is currently a goalkeeper/first team coach for Plymouth Argyle. Having joined them in 2000 from Valence, he is their longest serving current player and club captain.-Playing career:...
, who tipped a looping volley from Nicky Butt
Nicky Butt
Nicholas "Nicky" Butt is an English footballer. He began his career with Manchester United and spent 12 years in their first-team before moving to Newcastle United in 2004. He spent one season on loan to Birmingham City in 2005–06...
over the crossbar. The match saw the return of Chris Barker
Chris Barker
Christopher Andrew "Chris" Barker is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Southend United. He has also represented Barnsley, Cardiff City, Stoke City, Colchester United, Queens Park Rangers and Plymouth Argyle since beginning his career in 1997...
to the Argyle defence after a lengthy spell on the sidelines because of injury, and manager Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner
Paul Mariner is an English football coach, manager, and retired player, who is currently with Toronto FC.A striker during his playing days, Mariner began his career with Chorley. He became a professional player in 1973 with Plymouth Argyle, where he scored 61 goals in 155 appearances and is...
was full of praise for his performance. "For him to come and do what he did against such a high powered, attacking team as Newcastle and playing 90 plus minutes was pretty remarkable. He's a very strong character and very experienced." The replay at St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
was Argyle's next match due to the wintry weather, and they were on the wrong end of a 3–0 scoreline. Newcastle striker Peter Løvenkrands
Peter Løvenkrands
Peter Rosenkrands Løvenkrands is a Danish footballer who plays for Newcastle United in the Premier League, and for the Danish national team. He is a striker who can also play as a left winger and is known for his pace....
gave the home side a two goal lead at half-time and completed his hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
after 72 minutes. "His timing of his runs is pretty special and for the first goal, his finish was fantastic," said Mariner. The match on Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
was to be the last in an Argyle shirt for Cillian Sheridan
Cillian Sheridan
Cillian Sheridan is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a forward for St. Johnstone on loan from CSKA Sofia. Sheridan is an international for the Republic of Ireland...
who returned to Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in Scotland the next day when his loan spell with the club finished, having made 13 appearances, scoring no goals.
Results
Colours: Green = Plymouth Argyle win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.Summary
Having been drawn to face GillinghamGillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
in the first round of the League Cup
2009–10 Football League Cup
The 2009–10 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs....
, the clubs manager, Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
, planned to make a couple of changes to the team that faced Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
on the opening day of the new season, with youngster Joe Mason
Joe Mason
Joseph "Joe" Mason is an Irish footballer who plays for Cardiff City as a striker.-Plymouth Argyle:Mason began his career as a youth player with home-town club Plymouth Argyle at the age of 10...
included in the squad. Two first-half goals were enough to take the hosts into the second round. Simeon Jackson
Simeon Jackson
Simeon Alexander Jackson is a professional footballer who plays for Norwich City.He has previously played for Rushden & Diamonds and Gillingham. Jackson was born in Jamaica but plays internationally for Canada.- Early years :...
put Gillingham ahead after 42 minutes and Andy Barcham
Andy Barcham
Andrew "Andy" Barcham is an English footballer who plays for Scunthorpe United. He plays as a striker or winger.-Career:...
scored a second just before the half-time break. Argyle reduced the deficit four minutes into the second-half when Luke Summerfield
Luke Summerfield
Luke John Summerfield is an English footballer who plays for Cheltenham Town as a midfielder.He began his career with Plymouth Argyle, following in the footsteps of his father, Kevin, who played for the club in the 1980s and later managed the team...
from a direct free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
, but they couldn't find an equaliser. The visitors should have forced extra time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
but Jamie Mackie
Jamie Mackie
James Charles "Jamie" Mackie is a professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Premier League club Queens Park Rangers...
spurned a chance when he pulled his shot wide with only the goalkeeper to beat. The defeat extended Sturrock's unfortunate run in the League Cup as a manager, having won just once in nine attempts. "I must have the worst record of all managers in cup competitions, it's unbelievable," he said. "One or two of my defenders didn't defend properly tonight. It's not proper to name people but there were some glaring attempts to clear the ball and that's where we had problems."
Results
Colours: Green = Plymouth Argyle win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.Summary
Pre-season for Plymouth Argyle began on 1 July 2009 when the first team squad returned to Harpers Park. A week of intense training followed, before the clubs first match of the new season took place on 13 July 2009 against CornishCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
side Truro City
Truro City F.C.
Truro City F.C. are an English professional football club based in Truro, Cornwall. They currently play in the Conference South following five promotions in six seasons. They were founding members of the South Western League in 1951 and won the title five times in their history...
. In a match which featured trialist Kári Árnason
Kári Árnason
Kári Árnason is an Icelandic international footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club . He has also played for Víkingur, Djurgården, AGF Aarhus, Esbjerg fB and...
, Argyle scored a goal in each half to earn a comfortable win. A youthful Argyle team headed across the city of Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
the next day to take on Plymouth Parkway
Plymouth Parkway F.C.
Plymouth Parkway Football Club is a football club based in Plymouth, Devon, England. The club was a founding member of the Devon County League in 1992. Founded as Ex-Air Flyers F.C., the club changed its name to E.A.F.Plymouth in 1992 then Plymouth Parkway F.C. in 1993. As of the 2011-12 season,...
. The visitors fell behind to an early goal but responded with three of their own in an entertaining friendly, including a brace from Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
youth international Joe Mason
Joe Mason
Joseph "Joe" Mason is an Irish footballer who plays for Cardiff City as a striker.-Plymouth Argyle:Mason began his career as a youth player with home-town club Plymouth Argyle at the age of 10...
. The first team were in action again the next day, against Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
. The visitors went behind twice but looked like leaving Plainmoor
Plainmoor
Plainmoor is a suburb of Torquay, Devon, but is best known as the name of the stadium in which Torquay United Football Club currently play.-History:...
with a win until Torquay converted a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
in the 90th minute. The squad then departed for a tour of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and stopped off in the north of England on the way in order to play a friendly against Skelmersdale United
Skelmersdale United F.C.
Skelmersdale United F.C. are a football club from Skelmersdale, West Lancashire competing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. The club is a member of both the Liverpool F.A. and the Lancashire County Football Association.-The first 75 years:...
on 18 July 2009. Argyle came away with a 2–0 win after scoring a goal in each half. A picturesque setting greeted the squad as they took to the field against Livingston
Livingston F.C.
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...
on 20 July 2009. An 81st minute penalty from Luke Summerfield
Luke Summerfield
Luke John Summerfield is an English footballer who plays for Cheltenham Town as a midfielder.He began his career with Plymouth Argyle, following in the footsteps of his father, Kevin, who played for the club in the 1980s and later managed the team...
wasn't enough to save Argyle from their first defeat of the season.
Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
international Zoltán Szélesi
Zoltán Szélesi
Zoltán Szélesi is a Hungarian footballer who plays as a defender for N.E.C. in the Dutch first division.-Career:After being released by French club RC Strasbourg Szélesi signed for Hungarian champions Debreceni VSC in August 2009....
joined the squad in training ahead of their next match against Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni. They came from behind to record a 2–1 win in a feisty encounter, with Steve MacLean
Steve MacLean (footballer)
Steven George "Steve" MacLean is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker for Football League One side Yeovil Town.-Early Days:...
scoring the decisive goal. Argyle returned to England to play against Morecambe
Morecambe F.C.
Morecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. It plays its football in League Two, the fourth division of English football, having been promoted in 2007 for the first time in their history to the Football League. They played their home matches at Christie Park...
on 25 July 2009, and included a triallist called Réda Johnson
Réda Johnson
Réda Johnson is a footballer who plays for Football League One club Sheffield Wednesday as a defender, having previously played for Gueugnon, Amiens and Plymouth Argyle...
in their defence, who appeared in the match under a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
. Two second half goals ensured that they left Christie Park with a win. The clubs only pre-season friendly to take place at Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
was against Scottish club Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
on 29 July 2009. Neither side could break the deadlock in a dour 0–0 draw. Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
were the opposition for Argyle's penultimate friendly. A goal from Marcel Seip
Marcel Seip
Marcel Seip is a Dutch footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bradford City as a defender, having previously played for Veendam, Heerenveen, Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool, Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic.-Veendam:...
after 57 minutes set the visitors on their way to a 2–0 victory at manager Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
's old club. Argyle's final pre-season match took place on 3 August 2009 against Tiverton Town
Tiverton Town F.C.
Tiverton Town Football Club are an English football club based in Tiverton. The club are currently members of the Southern Football League South & West Division and play at Ladysmead.-History:...
. A young team containing only two senior professionals, Yoann Folly
Yoann Folly
Yoann Folly is a French-born Togolese footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen. His previous clubs include Saint-Étienne, Southampton, and Sheffield Wednesday...
and Simon Walton
Simon Walton
Simon William Walton is an English professional footballer who plays for Plymouth Argyle.-Leeds United:Walton started his career at hometown club Leeds United. He came to attention after being sent off in a pre-season friendly against Valencia in 2004, whilst still just sixteen...
, secured a 1–0 win at Ladysmead.
Results
Colours: Green = Plymouth Argyle win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.Players
Statistics
| No. | Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League 2009–10 Football League One The Football League 2009–10 , was be the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010.... |
FA Cup 2009–10 FA Cup The 2009–10 FA Cup was the 129th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. As in the previous year, 762 clubs were accepted for the competition. One club, Newcastle Blue Star, folded before the fixtures were released... |
League Cup 2009–10 Football League Cup The 2009–10 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs.... |
Total | |||||||
| 1 | GK |  France Romain LarrieuRomain Larrieu Romain Larrieu is a French footballer who is currently a goalkeeper/first team coach for Plymouth Argyle. Having joined them in 2000 from Valence, he is their longest serving current player and club captain.-Playing career:... |
25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| 2 | DF |  England Karl DuguidKarl Duguid Karl Anthony Duguid is an English footballer who plays primarily as a midfielder for Colchester United.He began his career with Colchester United and made his senior debut in 1995. He helped the club win promotion to the Second Division in 1998, via the play-offs, and the Championship in 2006, by... |
42 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 1 |
| 3 | DF |  Scotland Jim PatersonJim Paterson James Lee "Jim" Paterson is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland Premier Division... |
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 4 | MF |  Wales Carl Fletcher |
41 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 4 |
| 5 | DF |  Hungary Krisztián TimárKrisztián Timár Krisztián Tímár is a Hungarian footballer who plays as a centre back. He has represented Hungary at international level, gaining four caps.-Playing career:... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 6 | MF | Scotland Chris Clark Chris Clark (footballer) Christopher "Chris" Clark is a Scottish professional footballer who plays in the Scottish Premier League for Aberdeen, having previously played for Plymouth Argyle... |
37 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 1 |
| 7 | MF |  Northern Ireland Damien JohnsonDamien Johnson Damien Michael Johnson is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Plymouth Argyle, but as of 19 July 2011 he is on loan at Huddersfield Town for a second consecutive season.... |
20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 |
| 8 | FW | England Jamie Mackie Jamie Mackie James Charles "Jamie" Mackie is a professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Premier League club Queens Park Rangers... |
42 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 8 |
| 9 | FW | Scotland Steve MacLean Steve MacLean (footballer) Steven George "Steve" MacLean is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker for Football League One side Yeovil Town.-Early Days:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 10 | FW | England Bradley Wright-Phillips Bradley Wright-Phillips Bradley Edward Wright-Phillips is an English footballer who plays for Charlton Athletic as a striker.He is the son of former Arsenal and England player Ian Wright, and younger half-brother to Queens Park Rangers and England international Shaun Wright-Phillips; Ian's adopted son, with whom he used... |
15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 |
| 11 | DF |  Iceland Kári ÁrnasonKári Árnason Kári Árnason is an Icelandic international footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club . He has also played for Víkingur, Djurgården, AGF Aarhus, Esbjerg fB and... |
32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| 13 | DF | Wales Darcy Blake Darcy Blake Darcy James Blake is a Welsh professional footballer currently playing for Cardiff City in the Football League Championship. He is also a Welsh international, having made his debut in October 2010.-Cardiff City:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 14 | FW |  New Zealand Rory FallonRory Fallon Rory Michael Fallon is a New Zealand footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen as a forward. He has previously played for Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Swindon Town, Yeovil Town, Swansea City, Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town. He has been capped by New Zealand at international... |
33 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 5 |
| 15 | DF | England Chris Barker Chris Barker Christopher Andrew "Chris" Barker is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Southend United. He has also represented Barnsley, Cardiff City, Stoke City, Colchester United, Queens Park Rangers and Plymouth Argyle since beginning his career in 1997... |
14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | Scotland David McNamee David McNamee David McNamee is a Scottish professional footballer who is currently a free agent. He has represented the Scotland national team on four occasions.-Playing career:... |
0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| 17 | MF | England Craig Noone Craig Noone Craig Stephen Noone is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion as a winger, having previously played for Skelmersdale United, Burscough, Southport, Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City.... |
17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| 18 | DF | England Gary Sawyer Gary Sawyer Gary Dean Sawyer is an English footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bristol Rovers as a defender, having previously played for Plymouth Argyle, Weymouth, Exeter City and Bristol City.-Playing career:... |
29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| 19 | DF |  Netherlands Marcel SeipMarcel Seip Marcel Seip is a Dutch footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bradford City as a defender, having previously played for Veendam, Heerenveen, Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool, Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic.-Veendam:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | MF | England Luke Summerfield Luke Summerfield Luke John Summerfield is an English footballer who plays for Cheltenham Town as a midfielder.He began his career with Plymouth Argyle, following in the footsteps of his father, Kevin, who played for the club in the 1980s and later managed the team... |
12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| 21 | FW | Cillian Sheridan Cillian Sheridan Cillian Sheridan is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a forward for St. Johnstone on loan from CSKA Sofia. Sheridan is an international for the Republic of Ireland... |
13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 21 | GK | England David Stockdale David Stockdale David Adam Stockdale is an English footballer who plays for Ipswich Town as a goalkeeper, on loan from Fulham.Stockdale started his career with the Huddersfield Town youth system before joining York City's youth system in 2000, where he became a trainee in 2002. He made his first team debut on the... |
21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 22 | DF |  Benin Réda JohnsonRéda Johnson Réda Johnson is a footballer who plays for Football League One club Sheffield Wednesday as a defender, having previously played for Gueugnon, Amiens and Plymouth Argyle... |
25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | England Richard Eckersley Richard Eckersley (footballer) Richard Jon Eckersley is an English footballer who plays as a full back for Canadian club Toronto FC in Major League Soccer, on loan from Burnley.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | FW |  Austria Ashley BarnesAshley Barnes Ashley Luke Barnes is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion as a striker, having previously played for Paulton Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Oxford United, Salisbury City, Eastbourne Borough and Torquay United... |
1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 25 | MF | Alan Judge Alan Judge (Irish footballer) Alan Judge is an Irish footballer who plays for Football League One club Notts County as a winger, having previously played for Blackburn Rovers and Plymouth Argyle. He has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level.... |
37 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 5 |
| 26 | FW | Scotland Alan Gow |
14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| 29 | DF | England Bondz N'Gala |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 31 | MF |  Togo Yoann FollyYoann Folly Yoann Folly is a French-born Togolese footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen. His previous clubs include Saint-Étienne, Southampton, and Sheffield Wednesday... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 32 | FW | Joe Mason Joe Mason Joseph "Joe" Mason is an Irish footballer who plays for Cardiff City as a striker.-Plymouth Argyle:Mason began his career as a youth player with home-town club Plymouth Argyle at the age of 10... |
19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 3 |
| 33 | FW |  United States Kenny CooperKenny Cooper Kenneth Scott Cooper, Jr. is an American soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 35 | DF |  Zimbabwe Onismor BhaseraOnismor Bhasera Onismor Bhasera is a Zimbabwean footballer who plays as a defender for Plymouth Argyle. He has been capped at international level by Zimbabwe, and is also adept at playing as a midfielder.-Early life and career:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 36 | MF |  Democratic Republic of the Congo Yannick Bolasie |
16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| 37 | DF |  Australia Shane LowryShane Lowry (footballer) Shane Thomas Lowry is an Irish-Australian professional football player who currently plays as a centre defender or left fullback for the Australia national football team and Millwall, on loan from Aston Villa... |
13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 38 | DF | England James Chester James Chester James Grant Chester is an English footballer who plays for Hull City as a centre back. He has also played on loan for Peterborough United, Plymouth Argyle and Carlisle United.-Career:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 39 | DF | Scotland David Gray |
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 40 | DF | England Ryan Leonard Ryan Leonard Ryan Ian Leonard is an English footballer who plays for Football League Two club Southend United, having previously played for Plymouth Argyle, Weston-super-Mare and Tiverton Town.-Playing career:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Discipline
| No. | Pos. | Name | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League 2009–10 Football League One The Football League 2009–10 , was be the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010.... |
FA Cup 2009–10 FA Cup The 2009–10 FA Cup was the 129th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. As in the previous year, 762 clubs were accepted for the competition. One club, Newcastle Blue Star, folded before the fixtures were released... |
League Cup 2009–10 Football League Cup The 2009–10 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs.... |
Total | |||||||
| 1 | GK | France Romain Larrieu Romain Larrieu Romain Larrieu is a French footballer who is currently a goalkeeper/first team coach for Plymouth Argyle. Having joined them in 2000 from Valence, he is their longest serving current player and club captain.-Playing career:... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | England Karl Duguid Karl Duguid Karl Anthony Duguid is an English footballer who plays primarily as a midfielder for Colchester United.He began his career with Colchester United and made his senior debut in 1995. He helped the club win promotion to the Second Division in 1998, via the play-offs, and the Championship in 2006, by... |
4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Scotland Jim Paterson Jim Paterson James Lee "Jim" Paterson is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland Premier Division... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | Wales Carl Fletcher |
9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | Hungary Krisztián Timár Krisztián Timár Krisztián Tímár is a Hungarian footballer who plays as a centre back. He has represented Hungary at international level, gaining four caps.-Playing career:... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | Scotland Chris Clark Chris Clark (footballer) Christopher "Chris" Clark is a Scottish professional footballer who plays in the Scottish Premier League for Aberdeen, having previously played for Plymouth Argyle... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | Northern Ireland Damien Johnson Damien Johnson Damien Michael Johnson is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Plymouth Argyle, but as of 19 July 2011 he is on loan at Huddersfield Town for a second consecutive season.... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 8 | FW | England Jamie Mackie Jamie Mackie James Charles "Jamie" Mackie is a professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Premier League club Queens Park Rangers... |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | England Bradley Wright-Phillips Bradley Wright-Phillips Bradley Edward Wright-Phillips is an English footballer who plays for Charlton Athletic as a striker.He is the son of former Arsenal and England player Ian Wright, and younger half-brother to Queens Park Rangers and England international Shaun Wright-Phillips; Ian's adopted son, with whom he used... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 11 | DF | Iceland Kári Árnason Kári Árnason Kári Árnason is an Icelandic international footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club . He has also played for Víkingur, Djurgården, AGF Aarhus, Esbjerg fB and... |
7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 13 | DF | Wales Darcy Blake Darcy Blake Darcy James Blake is a Welsh professional footballer currently playing for Cardiff City in the Football League Championship. He is also a Welsh international, having made his debut in October 2010.-Cardiff City:... |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | FW | New Zealand Rory Fallon Rory Fallon Rory Michael Fallon is a New Zealand footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen as a forward. He has previously played for Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Swindon Town, Yeovil Town, Swansea City, Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town. He has been capped by New Zealand at international... |
5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | England Chris Barker Chris Barker Christopher Andrew "Chris" Barker is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Southend United. He has also represented Barnsley, Cardiff City, Stoke City, Colchester United, Queens Park Rangers and Plymouth Argyle since beginning his career in 1997... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | Scotland David McNamee David McNamee David McNamee is a Scottish professional footballer who is currently a free agent. He has represented the Scotland national team on four occasions.-Playing career:... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | England Craig Noone Craig Noone Craig Stephen Noone is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion as a winger, having previously played for Skelmersdale United, Burscough, Southport, Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City.... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | England Gary Sawyer Gary Sawyer Gary Dean Sawyer is an English footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bristol Rovers as a defender, having previously played for Plymouth Argyle, Weymouth, Exeter City and Bristol City.-Playing career:... |
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | Netherlands Marcel Seip Marcel Seip Marcel Seip is a Dutch footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bradford City as a defender, having previously played for Veendam, Heerenveen, Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool, Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic.-Veendam:... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | England Luke Summerfield Luke Summerfield Luke John Summerfield is an English footballer who plays for Cheltenham Town as a midfielder.He began his career with Plymouth Argyle, following in the footsteps of his father, Kevin, who played for the club in the 1980s and later managed the team... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | GK | England David Stockdale David Stockdale David Adam Stockdale is an English footballer who plays for Ipswich Town as a goalkeeper, on loan from Fulham.Stockdale started his career with the Huddersfield Town youth system before joining York City's youth system in 2000, where he became a trainee in 2002. He made his first team debut on the... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | Benin Réda Johnson Réda Johnson Réda Johnson is a footballer who plays for Football League One club Sheffield Wednesday as a defender, having previously played for Gueugnon, Amiens and Plymouth Argyle... |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | England Richard Eckersley Richard Eckersley (footballer) Richard Jon Eckersley is an English footballer who plays as a full back for Canadian club Toronto FC in Major League Soccer, on loan from Burnley.... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 25 | MF | Alan Judge Alan Judge (Irish footballer) Alan Judge is an Irish footballer who plays for Football League One club Notts County as a winger, having previously played for Blackburn Rovers and Plymouth Argyle. He has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level.... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | FW | Scotland Alan Gow |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 36 | MF | Democratic Republic of the Congo Yannick Bolasie |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 37 | DF | Australia Shane Lowry Shane Lowry (footballer) Shane Thomas Lowry is an Irish-Australian professional football player who currently plays as a centre defender or left fullback for the Australia national football team and Millwall, on loan from Aston Villa... |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 39 | DF | Scotland David Gray |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Awards
| Name | Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year Plymouth Argyle F.C. Player of the Year Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English association football club based in Plymouth, Devon. Founded in 1886 as Argyle Football Club, they became a professional club in January 1903, and were elected to the Southern League ahead of the 1903–04 season... |
Wales Carl Fletcher |
|
| Young Player of the Year Plymouth Argyle F.C. Player of the Year Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English association football club based in Plymouth, Devon. Founded in 1886 as Argyle Football Club, they became a professional club in January 1903, and were elected to the Southern League ahead of the 1903–04 season... |
Joe Mason Joe Mason Joseph "Joe" Mason is an Irish footballer who plays for Cardiff City as a striker.-Plymouth Argyle:Mason began his career as a youth player with home-town club Plymouth Argyle at the age of 10... |
In
| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 June 2009 | MF | Carl Fletcher | Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... |
Free transfer | |
| 15 July 2009 | FW | Bradley Wright-Phillips Bradley Wright-Phillips Bradley Edward Wright-Phillips is an English footballer who plays for Charlton Athletic as a striker.He is the son of former Arsenal and England player Ian Wright, and younger half-brother to Queens Park Rangers and England international Shaun Wright-Phillips; Ian's adopted son, with whom he used... |
Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
Free transfer | |
| 20 July 2009 | MF | Kári Árnason Kári Árnason Kári Árnason is an Icelandic international footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club . He has also played for Víkingur, Djurgården, AGF Aarhus, Esbjerg fB and... |
AGF Aarhus | Free transfer | |
| 29 July 2009 | DF | Réda Johnson Réda Johnson Réda Johnson is a footballer who plays for Football League One club Sheffield Wednesday as a defender, having previously played for Gueugnon, Amiens and Plymouth Argyle... |
Amiens Amiens SC Amiens Sporting Club is a French association football club based in Amiens. The club was formed in 1901 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. The club plays its home matches at the Stade de la Licorne located within the city... |
Undisclosed | |
| 7 August 2009 | GK | Kyle Letheren Kyle Letheren Kyle Charles Letheren is a Welsh professional footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League club Kilmarnock... |
Barnsley Barnsley F.C. Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's... |
Free transfer | |
| 14 August 2009 | FW | Alan Gow | Rangers Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... |
Undisclosed | |
| 1 February 2010 | MF | Damien Johnson Damien Johnson Damien Michael Johnson is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Plymouth Argyle, but as of 19 July 2011 he is on loan at Huddersfield Town for a second consecutive season.... |
Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... |
Free transfer | |
| 29 March 2010 | DF | Onismor Bhasera Onismor Bhasera Onismor Bhasera is a Zimbabwean footballer who plays as a defender for Plymouth Argyle. He has been capped at international level by Zimbabwe, and is also adept at playing as a midfielder.-Early life and career:... |
Kaizer Chiefs | Free transfer |
Out
| Date | Pos. | Name | To | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 June 2009 | FW | Émile Mpenza Émile Mpenza Eka Basunga Lokonda "Émile" Mpenza is a Belgian footballer who plays for Neftchi Baku as a striker. He has been capped at international level by Belgium. His older brother, Mbo, was also a footballer who represented Belgium.... |
FC Sion FC Sion FC Sion is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home games at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and the Swiss Cup in each of their twelve appearances in the final, the most recent being in 2011.The first team also... |
Free transfer | |
| 14 July 2009 | FW | Jermaine Easter Jermaine Easter Jermaine Maurice Easter is a Welsh international footballer currently playing as a striker for Crystal Palace.-Early career:... |
Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons F.C. .Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire... |
Undisclosed | |
| 23 July 2009 | GK | Graham Stack | Hibernian Hibernian F.C. Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts... |
Free transfer | |
| 6 August 2009 | DF | Mathias Kouo-Doumbé Mathias Kouo-Doumbe Mathias Kouo-Doumbé , often nicknamed Mat Doumbé, is a French association football defender who currently plays for the Milton Keynes Dons, having signed for them on August 7, 2009.... |
Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons F.C. .Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire... |
Free transfer | |
| 31 December 2009 | DF | Ryan Brett | Plymouth Parkway Plymouth Parkway F.C. Plymouth Parkway Football Club is a football club based in Plymouth, Devon, England. The club was a founding member of the Devon County League in 1992. Founded as Ex-Air Flyers F.C., the club changed its name to E.A.F.Plymouth in 1992 then Plymouth Parkway F.C. in 1993. As of the 2011-12 season,... |
Free transfer | |
| 31 December 2009 | DF | Ben Gerring | Truro City Truro City F.C. Truro City F.C. are an English professional football club based in Truro, Cornwall. They currently play in the Conference South following five promotions in six seasons. They were founding members of the South Western League in 1951 and won the title five times in their history... |
Free transfer | |
| 31 December 2009 | GK | Kyle Letheren Kyle Letheren Kyle Charles Letheren is a Welsh professional footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League club Kilmarnock... |
Motherwell Motherwell F.C. Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998... |
Free transfer | |
| 30 January 2010 | MF | Jason Puncheon Jason Puncheon Jason David Ian Puncheon is an English professional footballer who is currently contracted to Queens Park Rangers. He is able to play on the left or right wing and sometimes plays just behind the striker... |
Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
Undisclosed | |
| 1 February 2010 | DF | Damien McCrory Damien McCrory Damien Paul McCrory is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Dagenham & Redbridge.First signing professional forms with Plymouth Argyle in 2008, he spent the next two years on loan at Port Vale and Grimsby Town, before joining Dagenham & Redbridge in 2010... |
Dagenham & Redbridge Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham... |
Undisclosed |
In
| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 August 2009 | MF | Alan Judge Alan Judge (Irish footballer) Alan Judge is an Irish footballer who plays for Football League One club Notts County as a winger, having previously played for Blackburn Rovers and Plymouth Argyle. He has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level.... |
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
End of season | |
| 13 August 2009 | FW | Cillian Sheridan Cillian Sheridan Cillian Sheridan is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a forward for St. Johnstone on loan from CSKA Sofia. Sheridan is an international for the Republic of Ireland... |
Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
Six months | |
| 28 August 2009 | DF | Darcy Blake Darcy Blake Darcy James Blake is a Welsh professional footballer currently playing for Cardiff City in the Football League Championship. He is also a Welsh international, having made his debut in October 2010.-Cardiff City:... |
Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... |
Four months | |
| 17 September 2009 | DF | Shane Lowry Shane Lowry (footballer) Shane Thomas Lowry is an Irish-Australian professional football player who currently plays as a centre defender or left fullback for the Australia national football team and Millwall, on loan from Aston Villa... |
Aston Villa Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder... |
Three months | |
| 18 September 2009 | DF | James Chester James Chester James Grant Chester is an English footballer who plays for Hull City as a centre back. He has also played on loan for Peterborough United, Plymouth Argyle and Carlisle United.-Career:... |
Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
Three months | |
| 18 September 2009 | DF | David Gray | Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
Three months | |
| 22 January 2010 | GK | David Stockdale David Stockdale David Adam Stockdale is an English footballer who plays for Ipswich Town as a goalkeeper, on loan from Fulham.Stockdale started his career with the Huddersfield Town youth system before joining York City's youth system in 2000, where he became a trainee in 2002. He made his first team debut on the... |
Fulham Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season... |
Three months | |
| 1 February 2010 | FW | Kenny Cooper Kenny Cooper Kenneth Scott Cooper, Jr. is an American soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer.... |
1860 Munich TSV 1860 München Turn- und Sportverein München von 1860, commonly known as TSV 1860 München or 1860 Munich, is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. The club's football team plays in the Second Bundesliga, after relegation from the Bundesliga following the 2003–04 season... |
End of season | |
| 5 March 2010 | DF | Richard Eckersley Richard Eckersley (footballer) Richard Jon Eckersley is an English footballer who plays as a full back for Canadian club Toronto FC in Major League Soccer, on loan from Burnley.... |
Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
End of season | |
| 16 March 2010 | DF | Bondz N'Gala | West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
End of season |
Out
| Date | Pos. | Name | To | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 July 2009 | MF | Yannick Bolasie | Barnet Barnet F.C. Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet.... |
Six months | |
| 4 August 2009 | MF | Jason Puncheon Jason Puncheon Jason David Ian Puncheon is an English professional footballer who is currently contracted to Queens Park Rangers. He is able to play on the left or right wing and sometimes plays just behind the striker... |
Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons F.C. .Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire... |
Six months | |
| 24 August 2009 | DF | Damien McCrory Damien McCrory Damien Paul McCrory is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Dagenham & Redbridge.First signing professional forms with Plymouth Argyle in 2008, he spent the next two years on loan at Port Vale and Grimsby Town, before joining Dagenham & Redbridge in 2010... |
Port Vale Port Vale F.C. Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as... |
One month | |
| 28 August 2009 | FW | George Donnelly | Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... |
One month | |
| 31 August 2009 | MF | Simon Walton Simon Walton Simon William Walton is an English professional footballer who plays for Plymouth Argyle.-Leeds United:Walton started his career at hometown club Leeds United. He came to attention after being sent off in a pre-season friendly against Valencia in 2004, whilst still just sixteen... |
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra F.C. Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club... |
End of season | |
| 10 September 2009 | MF | Craig Noone Craig Noone Craig Stephen Noone is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion as a winger, having previously played for Skelmersdale United, Burscough, Southport, Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City.... |
Exeter City Exeter City F.C. Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003... |
Three months | |
| 25 September 2009 | MF | Luke Summerfield Luke Summerfield Luke John Summerfield is an English footballer who plays for Cheltenham Town as a midfielder.He began his career with Plymouth Argyle, following in the footsteps of his father, Kevin, who played for the club in the 1980s and later managed the team... |
Leyton Orient Leyton Orient F.C. Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63... |
Three months | |
| 29 September 2009 | DF | Marcel Seip Marcel Seip Marcel Seip is a Dutch footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bradford City as a defender, having previously played for Veendam, Heerenveen, Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool, Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic.-Veendam:... |
Blackpool Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the... |
Three months | |
| 9 November 2009 | DF | Damien McCrory Damien McCrory Damien Paul McCrory is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Dagenham & Redbridge.First signing professional forms with Plymouth Argyle in 2008, he spent the next two years on loan at Port Vale and Grimsby Town, before joining Dagenham & Redbridge in 2010... |
Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town... |
One month | |
| 1 January 2010 | DF | Marcel Seip Marcel Seip Marcel Seip is a Dutch footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bradford City as a defender, having previously played for Veendam, Heerenveen, Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool, Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic.-Veendam:... |
Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
End of season | |
| 1 January 2010 | DF | Krisztián Timár Krisztián Timár Krisztián Tímár is a Hungarian footballer who plays as a centre back. He has represented Hungary at international level, gaining four caps.-Playing career:... |
Oldham Athletic | One month | |
| 29 January 2010 | FW | George Donnelly | Stockport County Stockport County F.C. Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport... |
End of season | |
| 1 February 2010 | FW | Steve MacLean Steve MacLean (footballer) Steven George "Steve" MacLean is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker for Football League One side Yeovil Town.-Early Days:... |
Aberdeen Aberdeen F.C. Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen... |
End of season | |
| 1 February 2010 | FW | Alan Gow | Hibernian Hibernian F.C. Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts... |
End of season | |
| 1 February 2010 | MF | Jim Paterson Jim Paterson James Lee "Jim" Paterson is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland Premier Division... |
Aberdeen Aberdeen F.C. Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen... |
End of season | |
| 9 February 2010 | FW | Ashley Barnes Ashley Barnes Ashley Luke Barnes is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion as a striker, having previously played for Paulton Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Oxford United, Salisbury City, Eastbourne Borough and Torquay United... |
Torquay United Torquay United F.C. Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley... |
One month | |
| 24 February 2010 | MF | Yoann Folly Yoann Folly Yoann Folly is a French-born Togolese footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen. His previous clubs include Saint-Étienne, Southampton, and Sheffield Wednesday... |
Dagenham & Redbridge Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham... |
One month | |
| 16 March 2010 | FW | Liam Head | Tiverton Town Tiverton Town F.C. Tiverton Town Football Club are an English football club based in Tiverton. The club are currently members of the Southern Football League South & West Division and play at Ladysmead.-History:... |
End of season | |
| 25 March 2010 | FW | Ashley Barnes Ashley Barnes Ashley Luke Barnes is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion as a striker, having previously played for Paulton Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Oxford United, Salisbury City, Eastbourne Borough and Torquay United... |
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.... |
End of season | |
| 25 March 2010 | DF | Gary Sawyer Gary Sawyer Gary Dean Sawyer is an English footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bristol Rovers as a defender, having previously played for Plymouth Argyle, Weymouth, Exeter City and Bristol City.-Playing career:... |
Bristol City Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City... |
End of season |