Plymouth Argyle Vs Blackburn Rovers

Matchday 78 was our third EFL Championship fixture in just five days, and this time we had a long trek ahead of us as we aimed to tick off one of the most distant grounds on our 92-club challenge. We had an early start to get to Plymouth, the most south-western club in the English Football League. Due to engineering works on the railways, we opted to drive to Gloucester, about an hour away, to catch a direct CrossCountry train to Plymouth.

We left at 07:10 to give ourselves plenty of time, and because of some ongoing issues with my car, I decided to take Amanda’s car for the journey. This meant a quick stop to fill up the tank and check the tyre pressures before setting off on the motorway. We made good time, arriving at Gloucester station by 08:30 and parking in the station car park. I had a discount code, so the parking for the whole day came to a very reasonable £5.20—a great deal, especially for matchday parking!

Our train was already waiting at the platform, and the Train Manager was incredibly kind, allowing Liam and me to travel in first class. He even brought us some complimentary refreshments, which was a nice touch, and the Retail Service Manager stopped by later to top us up further into the journey. The trip down to Plymouth was smooth and relaxing. First class was fairly quiet, which made for a peaceful journey, but I did notice that Standard Class was much busier, especially after a number of football fans boarded at Bristol Temple Meads.

We arrived at Plymouth on time and, after a short wait at the station barriers, we decided to begin our day by ticking off the first Wetherspoons of our visit—The Union Rooms. It was about a 15-minute walk from the station, and once we got there, we were able to grab a table with a couple of bar stools. I ordered an IPA, while Liam opted for a pizza and some orange juice. As we settled in, a friendly gentleman sitting next to us noticed Liam’s jumper, which had details of our 92-club challenge, and started a great conversation about our journey. He was really interested in what we were doing, and it was nice to chat with him about football and the grounds we’ve visited. After he left, I pulled out my phone and streamed the first 30 minutes of Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace, which gave us a nice break to enjoy our lunch while watching our beloved Liverpool in action.

After finishing up at The Union Rooms, we made our way to the second Wetherspoons pub of the day, The Britannia Inn, which was about a 30-minute walk back along the same route we had taken earlier. When we arrived, we noticed a small queue to get in, but fortunately, we were let straight inside. However, once we were in, it took almost 20 minutes to get served as the bar seemed overwhelmed, and table orders were being prioritized. I was on the verge of leaving, but just in time, I was finally served, so we stayed for a quick drink before heading off to the ground.

With about 10 minutes left to spare, we made our way toward Home Park, the home of Plymouth Argyle. The ground was just a short 10-minute walk from the pub, but before heading inside, we decided to stop at the club shop to buy a program and our customary scarf. Once again, we found ourselves waiting in line, but after about 10 minutes, we got what we needed and set off to find our stand.

A huge thank you to Brad for helping us secure tickets for this game. Unfortunately, as has been the case at a few grounds, it wasn’t immediately clear where our stand was located, so I quickly searched on Google and discovered we were sitting in the Barn Park End, which was on the opposite side of the stadium. We had to push through the crowd to get to the other side of the ground, but on the way, I was relieved to see a line of portaloos and took the opportunity to use one.

When we finally reached the right side, we encountered a bit of a holdup at security. A slightly overzealous guard was checking bags at a table, which caused a small queue, and a few fans weren’t too happy about the delay. Once we got through security, our tickets were scanned, and we were finally inside the stadium.

We made it to our seats with about 20 minutes to spare before kick-off. Our seats were fantastic, positioned behind the goal with a great view of the pitch. The stadium was filling up nicely, and the atmosphere was electric. The Green Army—Plymouth’s loyal supporters—were in full voice, and this was easily one of the noisiest grounds we’ve visited in terms of home support.

The game itself was very entertaining. Plymouth had the better of the possession and managed to take a well-deserved 1-0 lead into half-time. They had several chances to increase their lead, but couldn’t quite convert them. The second half saw Blackburn Rovers start to gain more control, and they equalized in the 88th minute, much to the dismay of the home fans. To add to the drama, Plymouth’s manager, a former Manchester United player, was shown a red card. I assumed it had something to do with his reaction to the equalizer, but it was an amusing sight nonetheless.

With the game level at 1-1 and the manager sent off, Liam and I decided to leave a little early to make sure we caught the 17:22 train back to Gloucester. As it turned out, we missed a 97th-minute winner from Plymouth! It would have been fantastic to see the last-minute drama unfold, but we were still glad they took all three points. The fans absolutely deserved the win, considering the incredible level of support they provided throughout the game.

We briskly walked back to the station, and to our surprise, we arrived at 17:10—just in time for the train. The same kind Train Manager allowed us to travel first class again, which made for a comfortable journey home. There was a slight delay at the station due to a female trespasser on the line, but the station staff and British Transport Police quickly resolved the situation.

The rest of the journey was smooth and uneventful, and after a short drive home, we finally arrived back at 10:10 p.m., 15 hours after we had left.

Next up on our adventure is Matchday 79, where we’ll be heading on another long journey to see Crawley Town vs. Shrewsbury Town. Stay tuned!

5 Facts About Plymouth Argyle FC:

1. Unique Name: Plymouth Argyle is one of the few football clubs with the name “Argyle.” It’s believed that the name is derived from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, a British Army regiment, or possibly from a local street named Argyle Terrace.
2. Home Park: Plymouth Argyle’s home ground is Home Park, a stadium with a capacity of around 18,600. Often referred to as the “Theatre of Greens,” it is located in Central Park, and the stadium has undergone several redevelopments, most recently in 2019.
3. The Green Army: The club’s fans, known as the Green Army, are famous for their passionate support. Plymouth’s location makes it one of the most isolated football clubs in the UK, and their loyal fans regularly travel hundreds of miles for away games.
4. Historic FA Cup Runs: Plymouth Argyle has reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup twice—in 1984 and again in 2007. Their 1984 run is particularly memorable because they were in the Third Division (now League One) at the time, punching well above their weight.
5. Geographical Isolation: As one of the most geographically remote clubs in English professional football, Plymouth Argyle’s away trips are often the longest in the league. The nearest away game is against Exeter City, but many other away games involve journeys of 200 miles or more.