Plymouth Argyle
Formed 1886
Founder member of Division Three 1920
Kit History
1899-1901 a
1903-1904 a
1904-1907 a
1907-1911 a
1911-1915 a
1919-1921 a
1921-1922 a
1922-1934 a
1934-1937 a
1937-1938 a
1939-1940 d
1945-1946 a
1946-1947 a
1947-1948 a
1948-1949 a
1949-1951 a
1951-1952 a g
1952-1953 a
1953-1955 a
August 1955 b g
Dec 1955-1956 a g
1956-1959 a g
1959-1964 a g
1964-1966 a
1966-1968 a f
1968-1971 a
1971-1972 a
1972-1973 a
1973-1975 a
April 1975 b
1975-1976 a i
1976-1978 a i
1978-1979 a i
1979-1980 a
1980-1981 a
1981-1982 a
1982-1983 a k
1983-1984 b e k
1984-1986 a k
1986-1987 a k
1987-1989 a
1989-1990 a
1990-1991 a e h
1991-1992 h
1992-1994 a h
1994-1995 a h
1995-1996 b
1996-1997 a h
1997-1998 b
1998-1999 a b
1999-2000 a b j
2000-2001 a h
2001-2002 a h
2002-2003 a h
2003-2005 a h
2005-2007 c
2007-2009 c
Background
Although the club takes 1886 as the year of its foundation, it is now known that the original Argyle FC went out of existence in 1894. Formed by F Howard Grose and W Pethybridge, the team was made up of former public school boys and servicemen at a meeting in a house in Argyll Terrace. The club's website suggests a connection with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders who were at that time stationed in Plymouth and who had impressed Grose by winning the Army Cup but this version has been questioned. The club's unusual green and black colours are those of the Borough of Plymouth and not the the tartan worn by the Scottish regiment, as has been suggested.
The modern club was formed in 1897, inheriting both the name and colours of the original club. With financial backing from Clarence Newby Spooner, whose family owned a large department store in the town, Argyle became a football and athletic club, broadening its membership and purchasing a ground at Marsh Mill. In 1900 the club won its first honour, the Devon Senior League championship. That same year Argyle purchased the lease on Home Park, which remains their ground to this day. Two years later the club turned semi-professional and top League clubs were invited to play friendlies at Home Park. Such was the interest generated that when Argyle applied to join the Southern League in May 1903, they were voted straight into the First Division. Despite its isolated position, lengthy travel and competition from rugby union (a very popular sport in the West Country), Argyle thrived and won the Southern League championship in 1913, finishing as runners-up twice. The club are known as "the Pilgrims" because of local connections with the Pilgrim fathers who sailed in the Mayflower from Plymouth to New England in 1620.
In 1920 Plymouth Argyle along with the rest of the top Southern League clubs joined the new Third Division of the Football League. The club finished as runners-up no fewer than six times in succession between 1922 and 1927 but in those days only the champions of the regional divisions were promoted. The frustration ended in 1930 when the club were finally crowned champions of Division Three (South). After a stay of twenty years in Division Two, the Pilgrims were relegated in 1950 but returned to the Second Division only two years later. 1956 brought relegation once again and this time it took three years for the club to regain its Second Division status.
There was little to cheer during the 1960s although the club did adopt an elegant white strip with black and green bands, the first of many highly distinctive outfits worn by the club over the last 40 years. In 1968, Argyle dropped back into Division Three where they spent six seasons before winning promotion in 1975 only to suffer relegation once again in 1977.
Between 1982 and 1987 the club's kits were supplied by a local firm, appropriately called "Pilgrim" - a number of other teams in the south-west, notably Torquay also wore Pilgrim kits at this time.
In 1984, while still in the Third Division, Argyle reached the FA Cup semi-final where they were narrowly beaten by Elton John's Watford. Promotion to Division Two followed in 1986 but in 1992 they club was relegated yet again. In 1995 Plymouth dropped into the Nationwide Third Division (the old Fourth Division), the first time the club had ever been in the lowest division.
Although the club won promotion at the first attempt, they were back in the basement in 1998. However, after winning the Nationwide Third Division championship at a canter in 2002 and then the Nationwide Second Division in 2004, Argyle regained their traditional place in what is now called "The Championship" (the old Second Division.)
In 2001 the board decided to select a dark Racing Green shade (Pantone 3308) and the team have worn this ever since.
Sources
- (a) Semper Viridis Trevor Scanlon's site is an invaluable resource with a superlative collection of old photographs. Now merged with Greens on Screen
- (b) empics
- (c) Plymouth Argyle Official Website
- (d) Robert Salmon
- (e) Bjørn-Terje Nilssen
- (f) Paul Withers
- (g) Paul Blank
- (h) David King
- (i) Alick Milne
- (j) Chris Worrall
- (k) Leon Blake