JOIN THE PARTY!
Category: News
THE feelgood factor at Home Park is set to continue as Argyle prepare to celebrate a momentous week in the club’s history.
The Pilgrims’ match against Accrington Stanley on Saturday, October 8 marks the 125th anniversary of the club’s first ever game.
To celebrate their 125th birthday party, Argyle are cutting the cost of an adult match-day ticket to just £12.50 for adults, while under 18s will be able to gain admission for only £1.25.
Other one-off specials for the game – only the second time Argyle have ever entertained Accrington Stanley at Home Park – will include a special commemorative edition of the match-day Pilgrim programme.
The bumper 120-page issue will include the name of every single Argyle 125 Founder Member, block by block, which will stand as a permanent souvenir of their support of the club in its anniversary year.
Other items in the nostalgia-dripping magazine -which will retail at £5 – include a feature on 125 Argyle Greats; a reproduction of the programme on the only other occasion the Pilgrims played Accrington Stanley at Home Park; and a unique, one-off, wraparound cover.
As well as the reduced ticket prices and special match-day programme, the Pilgrims are reducing all sale items in the Argyle Superstore by a further 12.5%.
The club will also be sending out party invites to fans from Barclay’s Premier League and npower Championship clubs, who have the weekend off because of their players’ international commitments.
The Green Taverners group of Argyle supporters are staging one of their popular FanFests before the match and, together with the Argyle Trust, are hoping to recreate the atmosphere at the Pilgrims’ last home ‘Fans Re-United’ game.
They are already again expecting a contingent of visiting fans from Brighton & Hove Albion, who so helped raise the cracking atmosphere against Macclesfield Town, for Fans Re-United Re-Visited.
Argyle Acting Chairman Peter Ridsdale said: “We hope that, with the support of the Argyle Trust and Green Taverners, we can create a real party atmosphere for our 125th anniversary game.
“We’re not in a position to give too much away, but we have tried to make it easier for fans to come and celebrate our party, as well as getting behind Carl Fletcher and the lads, by setting these special 125 ticket prices.
“I hope they will respond by coming out in numbers to get behind Carl, Romain and the team – not to mention the Home Park staff, who, along with the players, stand to gain financially from a big party crowd.
“I know how much everyone was uplifted by the wonderful support when we beat Macclesfield, and it would be super in so many ways to see that bettered when we entertain Accrington.
“We will be keeping our promise we made to Argyle 125 Founder Members when they bought their season tickets, and printing the names of each and every one of them in the Pilgrim match-day programme.
“So it should be an unmissable event all round for all Argyle fans.”
Argyle’s very first match was played against Dunheved College at Launceston on Saturday, October 9, 1886.
According to Argyle historian Roger Walters, the Launceston Weekly News reported a 4-1 victory for the home side. That report would have been submitted to the newspaper by the home captain.
In Plymouth, a report submitted by the Argyle secretary in the Western Morning News gave the score as only 2-0 to the College.
The nature and rules of the game caused many disputed results. The crossbar was only tape stretched across two posts, and the officials came from both participating clubs. The referee did not decide when a goal was scored – the two umpires (one from each club) each raised a flag to signal their confirmation.
Deciding if the ball had travelled between the posts, and under the tape, was a difficult task, particularly in bad weather.
Dunheved College and Argyle have never met again since that first match.
You can download our special invite and psoter for the event by clicking on the links below.