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l, Fat 15.5g,

: Per 100g 1045kJ/251kca Salt 5.9g, Nutritional Information 21.1g, Sugar 1.7g, Protein

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Plymouth Argyle v Swindon Town Sky Bet League Two. Wednesday, January 1, 2020

SEVERAL years ago, we had a dream – to build a grandstand at Home Park that would be the pride, not just of Plymouth Argyle Football Club but also of the city of Plymouth. Our vision was to give the best football supporters in the country a match-day experience second to none and to provide the best city in the world with a first-class conference, hospitality and events venue all year round.

That dream becomes an exciting reality with the full and official opening of the new Mayflower Grandstand on New Year’s Day 2020 – a doubly significant date in that it is the beginning of the year in which the city of Plymouth celebrates Mayflower 400 and the pioneering spirit of the original Pilgrims. History, the present and the future, all wrapped up in one vision and displayed in one magnificent building.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE FOOTBALL CLUB Home Park Plymouth PL2 3DQ CHAIRMAN Simon Hallett BOARD OF DIRECTORS Paul Berne Jane Chafer Trevor East Richard Holliday John Morgan Andrew Parkinson Tony Wrathall CHIEF EXECUTIVE Andrew Parkinson

Main Office: 01752 562561 Ticket Office: 01752 907700 Superstore: 01752 606167 Email: argyle@pafc.co.uk Website: pafc.co.uk Facebook: /plymouthargyle Twitter: @Only1Argyle Instagram: @only1argyle Snapchat: only1argyle HOME PARK STADIUM Home Park Plymouth PL2 3DQ Telephone: 01752 302204 Website: homeparkstadium.com Email: info@homeparkstadium.com Facebook: /homeparkstadium Instagram: @homeparkstadium

Registered in England and Wales Company Reg. No. 00796376 VAT Reg. No. 270 4593 01 Registered Office: Home Park Plymouth PL2 3DQ

MAYFLOWER 400

www.mayflower400uk.org info@mayflower400uk.org

THE PILGRIM PROGRAMME TEAM EDITOR Rick Cowdery PHOTOGRAPHER Dave Rowntree Sponsored by the 50/50 society DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION The Graphic Bomb @thegraphicbomb

SIMON HALLETT

WELCOME

“WE ARE MOVING FROM A WELL-RUN CLUB BY FOOTBALL STANDARDS TO A WELL-RUN ORGANISATION BY ANY STANDARDS"

GOOD afternoon everyone, and welcome to the New Year and to Home Park. I am delighted to be here for the visit of Swindon Town, and to welcome all their fans and officials.

The sight of the Mayflower Grandstand is the most obvious achievement of the last year but there have been many others. In some ways, they are overshadowed by our most obvious failure – relegation to Sky Bet League Two – but I think they add up to a clear message to our fans that Argyle is a club with ambition, building a strong base for continued progress in coming years.

It is, of course, not just the New Year that we celebrate today, but also the formal opening of the renovated Mayflower Grandstand. Whether you are sitting in it, or looking at it, I hope you agree that everyone involved has done a wonderful job in getting it ready for 2020, and the city-wide celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower from Plymouth to ‘the New World’.

The grandstand and its accompanying facilities not only provide a better experience for supporters, but also provide an opportunity for us to generate increased revenues for investment in other facilities, and, of course, in the first team.

The New Year is a time for looking forward and for looking back.

The new facility continues the programme of investment on which we have embarked in the

It also provides a venue to attract visitors to Plymouth, thus providing an asset that will be of benefit to the whole city.

last few years that includes buying our stadium itself, and part of the land in Higher Home Park. We have executed this programme while, at the same time, repaying almost all of the club’s outstanding loans. We have not yet reached our goal of financial sustainability, but that goal is within sight, and the club is financially secure as we strive to get there. In the past year, we have increased the use of Home Park to provide other sources of entertainment for fans and members of the local community. Abba and Queen evenings were a great success and will be followed later in the year by even more ambitious plans to host Westlife and Little Mix concerts. These will be not just entertaining, but sources of revenue for Argyle. While on the subject of revenues, we extended our partnerships with two of our main sponsors, Ginsters and St Austell Breweries. We are very grateful to them for their continued support that extends beyond money to other areas of our activity. For supporters visiting Home Park, we have continued to improve the experience: We have introduced digital ticketing, so that you can buy and download a ticket to your ’phone in less than two minutes. There is no longer a need to queue for tickets for those deciding at the last minute to come along to watch the team. We have also upgraded the options for our ambulant disabled supporters buying tickets for away games. We have a new retail store. It is now well-stocked, well-lit and has proven very popular. I particularly note the introduction of the retro line of club shirts, which has been a big success. We have a new PA system! ‘At last’, you may say, but the need for proper audio in the conference facilities gave an opportunity to replace our dreadful existing system throughout Home Park. We are working on trying to make matchday more entertaining, with local schools participating on the pitch at half-time, and various activities taking place before kick-off. Thanks to the Green Taverners and their backers, we have a magnificent new facility for hundreds of fans before and after the match. The GT Suite is an amazing facility, and I thank everyone involved in bringing it to reality. It is not just the facility itself, but the welcome that is extended to fans from visiting clubs that makes this an Argyle institution of which we can be proud. For overseas fans who cannot make it to Home Park and who subscribe to iFollow, we have made significant investment to upgrade the service. We now offer four-camera coverage, replays and our own commentary. My thanks to Rick Cowdery, our Head of Communications, and to my old school friend Gary Lovejoy, who has had a successful career as a TV sports producer, for making this a success – and improving the quality of my Saturday mornings!

Our engagement with, and transparency to, our supporters has never been higher. We have had three Fans’ Forums at Home Park and visited our Cornish supporters at an event in Bodmin. I continue to write the Chairman’s Chat letters (though these notes replace December’s!) and engage with fans via Twitter, Facebook and email. At the summer Fans’ Forum, our director (and Ginster’s Finance Director) Paul Berne gave a terrific presentation outlining from where money has come in and to where money has gone out over the last three years. We will shortly publish full accounts for the first time, to our new year end, co-incident with the end of the football season, and consistent with the practice at most other clubs. Last year saw a lot of new faces in the team behind the team, as well as on the football side. We welcomed Ryan Lowe, and his team of Steve Schumacher, John Lucas, and the irrepressible Jimmy Dickinson. They have done a wonderful job creating the foundations for a successful first team, and building the confidence of our fans. Also on the football side, we welcomed Neil Dewsnip – one of the most experienced youth development people around. He has taken up a new role, that of Director of Football, being responsible for our Academy, for our player recruitment, and for the back-up services needed by the first team. His experience and his long relationship with Ryan and Schuey make him the ideal person for the job. That we have been able to recruit Neil speaks to the club’s ambition and, dare I say it, potential. Similarly, at board level, we have been joined by Trevor East, one of the most experienced TV and media people in football. His contact list is amazing (and so are his stories!). He is already putting that network to use for Argyle. Perhaps most importantly, we have a new CEO in Andrew Parkinson. He has already had a major and positive impact on how the club is run. We are moving from a well-run club by football standards to a well-run organisation by any standards. I am very grateful to Andrew for his hard work and extraordinary number of early accomplishments that enable me to step back and be a proper non-executive chairman. All of these achievements are with a single goal – to help us achieve our vision of being supported or respected by everyone in the South West, and many beyond. There are signs that it is working: morale among fans is extraordinary; attendances have held steady with last year, despite relegation; and our away support, in particular, is nothing short of a miracle! We thank you for your support, but please tell all your friends what is going on at Argyle. The football is terrific, and we have a club of which we can be proud.

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ANDREW PARKINSON CHIEF EXECUTIVE GOOD afternoon to everyone ahead of our first fixture of the New Year against our visitors Swindon Town. We are delighted to welcome all of you to Home Park, including the officials and fans who have travelled down from Wiltshire for what is both an important and historic game for Plymouth Argyle. After a busy fixture schedule during December, when we had seven games in the month, we now have turned the corner and enter the second half of the season’s campaign with everything to play for. Whilst, of course, this is an important game in its own right against one of our key rivals, it is a day that marks so much more than that, both for the club and the city: January 1, 2020 will be forever remembered as the first time that we were able to fully open the Mayflower Grandstand. After a number of test events during December, we are delighted to be able to open the new stand to its full capacity. This takes the overall capacity of Home Park to more than 18,200 and it is games like these where we will really be able to maximise the fantastic support of the club. Of course, we know that it has been a very long road to get to this point. From the depths of administration in 2011 and clinging to survival, the climb back up to stability has been long and, at times, difficult. We, though, enter the New Year with hope and optimism and embrace a new era in the club’s history. The transition has been very much determined by the ownership-lead and financial support that has been there over the past few years, with, initially, James Brent and, significantly, Simon Hallett, who has allowed the club to be in a position where it is virtually debt free. However, it is also down to the commitment and dedication of staff during these turbulent times. As the CEO of the club, I would like to thank all the staff, past and present, who have worked though the many challenges that the club has

faced and ensured that the club has functioned and then been allowed to grow again. We go into 2020 with a stadium that will provide a great backdrop to supporting all the football teams at the club; which will be aspirational for the first team and Academy players alike; and which will support our Argyle Ladies team. It really embodies a philosophy of Only One Argyle. The year 2020 is also an important one for the City, the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower from Plymouth. This will be marked with various events throughout the year in the city, and the club will be very much part of these events as a major player within the city. The grandstand will enable the club to hold functions and events throughout the year, which will be critical to our long-term aspirations as a club in all aspects. We already have large conferences and events, hosting more than 400 people, in the diary for this year. Home Park will be the venue of choice for many such events in future years, and it will stage big concerts such as the two we have in for June of this year , Westlife and Little Mix. It is truly an exciting time to be part of the club. I have recognised and thanked the great commitment of staff at the club over the years. However, most importantly, it is the support of the Green Army that has carried us to where we are now. The fantastic and enthusiastic following, both home and away, has been a constant theme over the years, as has the time and dedication that has been given by many in fundraising and other activities to help the club over the years. The Day of Action that was attended by so many of you in September is a great example of the togetherness and community of this great club. I would like to thank all of you in bringing us here. Enjoy the game and have a very Happy New Year. COYG! Best wishes. Andrew

“WE GO INTO 2020 WITH A STADIUM THAT WILL PROVIDE A GREAT BACKDROP TO SUPPORTING ALL THE FOOTBALL TEAMS AT THE CLUB"

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THE LOWEDOWN

TODAY is a big game for the club, on and off the field, and for the city. The new Mayflower Grandstand looks phenomenal; it has been a long process and, now that it is finally here, everyone involved deserves a huge pat on the back. The chairman has put a lot of money into the club to make it happen and, for League Two, it is unbelievable. We all know we are not in the right league, because of the stadium, the fanbase and everything else, but we are where we are and we are working very hard on that. Relegation was a low, of course, but my staff and I came in during the summer with the aim of lifting the place up and we I feel we have certainly done that. The most pleasing thing for me is that we have got this place bouncing. As the chairman said to me once: “Name me a happier chairman after being relegated.” He is obviously delighted with the grandstand being completed; the work that is going on with the team on the pitch; the restructuring of the Board; and with Neil Dewsnip coming in as Director of Football. It has been a good second half of the year in many ways. We have had a couple of lows and quite a few highs, which is why it is important not to get too carried away when

things are going well, or too down when they are not. The welcome that you have given to me, Schuey, Neil and the rest of the back-room team, including Jimmy Dickinson, John Lucas and Dave Galley, since we arrived – and to our families – has been second to none. We could not have done what we have done without the likes of Nance, Rhys, Paul Atkinson, when he was with us, Neil the kit man – people who were already here who have helped us become proper Janners, proper Pilgrims. It has been great. Everyone at the club is pulling in the same direction: fans, owner, the Board of Directors are all behind us and the players are buying into everything that we are doing. We know now we have got the trust in the boys. We have one or two blips, which is down to inconsistency, but we are generally happy. The football we are playing has been fantastic and, when we do find that consistency, we will win matches. If we keep performing to our levels of expectation, we will be there and thereabouts at the end of the season. Thank you to everyone for supporting us through thick and thin; for travelling up and down the country to support us; and, most importantly, believing in what me, my staff and the players are trying to do. That is the sort of support that we need throughout the season. On behalf of all of them, a Happy New Year to you and your family.

WELCOME TO MAYFLOWER 400 THE Mayflower 400 commemoration in 2020 will be an exceptional year of heritage and culture that explores arguably the most influential journey in western history â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a year that includes will include art, music, theatre, exhibitions, storytelling, digital innovation, literature, crafts, festivals, debates and more. Plymouth leads the national Mayflower 400 programme, with more than a hundred events planned for the year, from communities and club activities right through to world-class content such as the opening of the Box, the Mayflower Muster, the Four Nations Ceremony and the closing Illuminate festival.

This will be a year of culture for Plymouth, with many partners across the city and the Plymouth City Council events team each delivering different parts and working together. We are so pleased that Plymouth Argyle and Argyle Community Trust are within those leading partners. With the opening of the Mayflower Stand at Home Park, and with the great sports programme that they are leading with schools, clubs and communities, increasing physical activity, volunteering and engagement with our city and our heritage, they are key partners in Mayflower 400 in Plymouth. I encourage everyone to take part, to come to events or performances. The whole city is invited! Adrian Vinken, Chair, Mayflower 400

We are proud to be the official charity for Plymouth Argyle Football Club. Argyle Community Trust uses the prestige of football and the reach of the club to inspire, engage and help adults and children of all ages and abilities, achieve their full potential. Offering a range of courses and activities the Trust provides a way for people across Devon and Cornwall to learn, play and succeed.

Community Get Active Sessions

HERE at Argyle Community Trust, we are gearing up for the Mayflower 400 commemorations taking place in the city during 2020 by inspiring and coordinating a year-long calendar of sporting and community activity. As part of our Mayflower 400 Sport and Wellbeing programme, a series of Get Active sessions are being made available throughout Plymouth. Whether you are keen on fitness or have never tried a sport before, 2020 is the year for everyone to get up, out and active at their own pace and for fun. Each month will offer a flagship event, but there are many smaller activities running throughout the whole year for you and your family.

LEARN. PLAY. SUCCEED.

Events include the Mayflower Community Cup that invites DJM clubs to play at Home Park; Special Olympics for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities; a dedicated Euro 2020 Fan Zone; Rehabilitation Triathlon; as well as wellbeing activities such as walking groups, yoga and the big Sports Quiz, plus many more. No matter your age or your ability, there is something for everyone to enjoy. You can find activities, not only in sports centres, but in your local community centres, village halls or churches to make it easy to pop along and give it a try. Many sessions are free and are there to offer the people of Plymouth the chance to try something new and be part of the Mayflower 400 commemorations. To find out how to Get Active with Mayflower 400 visit: www.argylecommunitytrust.co.uk

Local schools are setting sail on a special Mayflower 400 journey with Argyle Community Trust’s free educational programme “Sporting Voyage”.

The first two weeks of the programme consists of classroom-based sessions that use custom made resources such as videos and activity booklets that provides the pupils with an understanding of the Mayflower story.

Aimed at Year 5 and 6 children, the programme brings together interactive classroom learning about the Mayflower ship and Plymouth Pilgrims, as well as engage children with physical activity relating to the story and modern America.

The remaining four weeks are focused on American sport such as basketball, football, baseball and athletics, delivered by the Trust coaching team and wider Mayflower 400 partners.

Mayflower 400 Engagement Coordinator Alice Young: “I have enjoyed delivering this programme so far and can’t wait to roll out the programme across the primary schools in Plymouth.

The Sporting Voyage programme offers children the chance to try a new sport and develop their skills and is there to provide support in literacy, numeracy, history, religion and sport education and so crosses many areas of the curriculum in a diverse way of learning. If you would like to find out how your school can jump on board email: Mayflower400@pafc.co.uk

“Sharing the Mayflower story and being a part of the commemorations for 2020 is great as well as working with the enthusiastic year 5 and 6s on the programme.” The Sporting Voyage six-week programme has already engaged 240 children so far, with a further 2,000 pupils engaged in whole school assemblies.

M400 Volunteers

Social Inclusion Manager Dan Hart said: “Volunteers are key to any large-scale event; they play a vital part in the sport and physical activity sector.

Mayflower 400 is a worldwide commemorative event made up of businesses, organisations and most importantly volunteers. In Plymouth UK, more than 80 young people have signed up and are taking part in the Mayflower 400 sporting programme.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Holidays are coming and the Christmas Cracker is back: January 1 Opening of the Mayflower Grandstand March 21-29 Sports Week April 3-5 Special Olympics April 7 Sports Quiz May 2-3 Mayflower Community Cup

“I have enjoyed working with such a talented and enthusiastic team of young people; they are a real credit to the community and city and I cannot wait to see them volunteering on the Mayflower 400 Sport and Wellbeing events throughout 2020. “I am impressed with their determination to be involved and passion to drive their city forwards.” If you see a volunteer today, please stop to say hello and ask about our Mayflower 400 Sport and Wellbeing Programme!

May 30 Mayflower Toddle June Euro 2020 Fan Zone June 17 Summer School Games September 17 Rehabilitation Triathlon And many more! For the full list of activities and events visit www.argylecommunitytrust.co.uk

Twitter: @PAFCCommunityTr Facebook: /argylecommunitytrust Instagram: /argylecommunitytrust

The enthusiastic team of volunteers has undertaken more than five hours of training around volunteer expectations, customer service and safeguarding as well as taking part in a Mayflower Makers workshop.

Phone: 01752 562 561, option 4 Email: community@pafc.co.uk Website: argylecommunitytrust.co.uk

Running for six weeks during any point of the school term, both the classroom and activitybased sessions combine sport, history and religion. Given the importance of the 2020 commemorations in the city, the Trust is proud to be able to commit to offering an amazing educational opportunity.

Schools Set Sail On A Sporting Voyage

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Happy New Year! The long awaited 2020 is upon us. For many, it is the opportunity to start again; do things a bit differently; a bit better than last time. January is the month of diets; no alcohol; gyms filled to capacity; joggers out in force; and ex-smokers getting to grips with their new vapes. For us here at the Theatre of Greens, a brand new stand to be grand in. Plymouth Argyle is a place full of optimism, hope and expectation – and rightly so. Fresh starts and new beginnings – how I love them! Are you using January 1 to give something up, change a habit, or take on a new challenge? Sometimes it does not go too well – we might even fall at the first hurdle – but do not let that stop you from having a go; and then having another go; and so on until you crack it. We have other reset moments available to us, too. Months like Stoptober; the season of Lent; that determination to sort things out when you get back from holiday. We have the weekly cycle of work and time off, perfect for a regular fresh start every Monday! In fact, we have the 24-hour rhythm that means every day can be a new day, and I have met people in recovery that do it hour by hour, setting a chime on their watches for just that purpose: they remind themselves of the 12 steps and recite the serenity prayer –‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can change; and wisdom to know the difference.’ In football, starting again is equally important. Different players have different responses to a loss or a bad performance. Some will shrug it off

and move on straight away; others will replay every move, every tackle, analyse every mistake. However, the key thing is to get it processed and move on, focus on the next game, the task in hand, and not let yesterday’s events dictate the narrative. Being able to reset is essential, not just after the game, either. Just as I sometimes find myself needing to start the day again mid-flow, the effective footballer can make any number of fresh starts within a game or a training session so as not to let mistakes or misfortunes affect them adversely. Similarly, a team that can change the course of a match, either by changing tactics and formation, an intelligent substitution, or by switching into gear and creating energy and passion where it was not evident before – that is a good team. The manager (who, five minutes before, was harangued for not having a clue) is hailed a genius for his tactical changes. So, as we go into 2020 with a new grandstand and a sense of renewed optimism, at a personal level, we all have the chance of a fresh start. Not just a new year thing, but a state of mind that we carry with us through each day. If you are embarking on personal change, do not be disheartened if your ‘rebirth’ doesn’t come as quickly and dramatically as you had imagined it might. As we say in this business, ‘people make small changes slowly’. The real power to change comes in the understanding that every moment is an opportunity to change, to restart, and to shape your destiny, often not in grand gestures and big decisions, but in small day to day, hour to hour ones. The important thing is do not give up not giving up! ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’ (Lamentations 3: 22,23)

with Club Chaplain Arthur Goode 15

On December 14, 2017, Plymouth City Council gave the go-ahead for Plymouth Argyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambitious multi-million pound Mayflower Grandstand project. For the subsequent two years, club photographer DAVE ROWNTREE followed the venture, chronicling every significant moment through his lens, from initial demolition to the final fit-out. This, then, isâ&#x20AC;Ś

To be continued...

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SEC’S FOOTBALL GOOD afternoon, happy New Year, and welcome to everyone for today’s Sky Bet League Two encounter against Swindon Town. The year of 2020 promises to be a momentous one for both the football club and the city, and it is fitting that, today, we mark the official opening of the Mayflower Grandstand, and the launch of the Mayflower 400 celebrations. It is fair to say that the last two years since we moved out of the old temporary club offices at Home Park has felt like a very long time, and, as pleasant as our temporary home at Plumer House has been, I, for one, will not miss the frequent five-mile roundtrip between the two bases. Despite the enforced separation, the magnificent end result has been well worth the wait, and very soon we will move back into the permanent new offices to the rear of the grandstand upper tier. The entire Mayflower Grandstand has been a project that everyone connected with is, and absolutely should be, justifiably proud. There have been many people and organizations involved in the process, and all deserve to be praised for their contributions in delivering a magnificent facility for the club and the city, and, despite the inevitable bumps along the road in a project of this size, and numerous hours discussing the colour green, it has been a real team effort. It has been a remarkable transformation, particularly internally, and has delivered a firstclass conferencing, hospitality and events venue whilst managing to preserve the unique ‘Leitch-ness’ of the original stand.

As we continue to strive towards our sustainability goal, the ability to generate revenues on non match-days will have a significant positive impact on this stated aim. I am confident that Home Park will quickly become the events destination of choice for Plymouth and the wider South West. Away from all the excitement surrounding the grandstand and Mayflower 400, today also marks the opening of the January transfer window, and I know that Ryan, Neil and the rest of the staff have been hard at work in the last few months to identify potential targets. As always, they will only bring someone in if it is thought that they will improve the existing squad, so it remains to be seen how busy the next month will be. Finally, later this month will see our second Fans’ Assembly of the season so, if you have any questions or observations about anything Argyle-related, please contact your representative who will ask the question on your behalf. We hope to publish the minutes of the meeting by the end of the month. Enjoy the match. COYG!

Zac

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First Ladies

Plymouth Argyle Ladies made history by playing the first competitive game in front of supporters in the new Mayflower Grandstand but could not mark the occasion with a win – falling narrowly short in a thrilling 5-4 FA National Women’s League South defeat to table-toppers Watford Ladies. The first half saw six of the nine goals, with Argyle going 2-0 up after two long-range strikes from Helen Bleazard and Bow Jackson within the first 24 minutes. However, within five minutes of Jackson’s rasping drive, Watford’s Ocean Rolandsen and Helen

Ward had levelled the scores. It did not stop there, though, a further goal each from Argyle’s Zoe Cunningham and Watford’s Emma Beckett brought a lively first half to an end with the scores level at 3-3. After the break, Rolandsen bagged a second goal from a free-kick, giving the Hornets the lead for the first time in the match, but Rebecca Dandridge drew the Pilgrims level shortly after the hour mark with a venomous drive from the edge of the area. The game looked to be turning the Pilgrims’ way when Watford were reduced to ten players, with Ryah Vyse serving a 20-minute sin-bin penalty for dissent. However, the visitors somehow found a way to snatch victory, despite their numerical disadvantage, when Andrea Carid converted a superb deep cross on 76 minutes.

Nostalgia Is Not What It Used To Be

It has been a long journey to get to where we are today, with a fantastic new multi-million pound grandstand that reflects the Argyle Vision and Values and is a jewel in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crown. How long? Over the next four pages, we look back, with fondness but no regret, at the way things used to be.

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AMERICAN EYE FOUR hundred years ago, the original Pilgrims embarked on an overseas tour that saw a massive result for the world. In celebration of Mayflower 400 and the city of Plymouth’s historical ties with the United States of America, we look at some football connections between the club and the country.

VERY few 30-year-old men have lived a life as rich and varied as former Pilgrim loanee Richard Eckersley. Having retired from the game at the relatively young age of 26, the Salford-born former defender returned to Devon, where he had previously enjoyed a brief loan spell under Paul Mariner’s stewardship, with his young family to start a zero-waste shop in the bohemian South Hams town of Totnes. Eckersley’s post-football lifestyle is a far cry from the glitz and glamour associated with the career of a promising Manchester United academy graduate – an evolution he puts down to, among other things, his time spent across the pond. “It was only when I went to North America and saw how those footballers were living that it changed,” Eckersley told the BBC in an interview. “They were being careful with their money – it didn’t matter what clothes or shoes they wore – and that awakened me.” Having joined the Red Devils’ set-up as a child, Eckersley made his Old Trafford bow as a substitute in United’s FA Cup victory over Tottenham in January 2009, before replacing Gary Neville in a 5-0 win over West Brom for his league debut that very same week. Just two months later, the full-back earned his first championship medal, having been an unused substitute in United’s EFL Cup triumph over Spurs at Wembley. Almost exactly a year later, Eckersley arrived at Home Park – on loan from Premier League newcomers Burnley, who he had joined that summer. The defender impressed on his debut in a 1-1 draw with Preston at Home Park, and his initial one-month deal was extended until the end of the season – but his impact was not sufficient enough to keep Argyle in the second tier. The flame-haired defender made seven appearances before returning to Turf Moor that summer. Domestic loans at Bradford and Bury followed in the 2010-11 campaign, before he took the plunge to join Toronto FC in the MLS, reunited again with Mariner, who headed up the Canadian side’s player-development strategy. Eckersley was traded to the New York Red Bulls in 2014, in exchange for a future fourth-round draft pick. In joining the East Coast club, the defender joined forces with his old Argyle team-mate Bradley Wright-Phillips, who was such a hit in the Big Apple that his signature #99 shirt was retired upon his departure at the end of the most recent campaign. For Eckersley, though, the move was not such a success. He made only nine appearances in an injury-hit spell, before flying back across the pond to join Oldham and then hanging up his boots to focus on his new venture with his wife, Nicola, and baby, Willow.

ATOMIC

M O D

On a personal level, how has this season been for you? It has not been great, personally, through injury, and I have not hit the ground running as much as I would have liked to, but it has been encouraging to see the lads gelling while I have not been in the fold. I’m hoping, now that I’m back amongst it, that I can start showing people what I can do. Despite the recent result at Cambridge, it must have been great for you to be involved in the team again? Yeah definitely, it was great. I was buzzing, walking out. I think it was about 10 weeks since my last start, so I was delighted with that but gutted about the result. How much credit does John Lucas deserve for helping you get back to fitness? He’ll tell you that it’s a lot! Seriously, he does deserve a lot of credit because it is always tough when you are spending days at the gym on your own and you might not be doing the exercises 100% spot on, but he has been great. It has been mostly oneto-one sessions with him. He’s there, making sure that I’m doing it properly and getting all the benefits from it that I should be. He has been brilliant. How did you enjoy your time at Blackpool? I enjoyed it. I had eight years there, so I came up through the ranks, and being in the first team was definitely an experience. It was brilliant to make my first-team debut there. I was only 17 at the time. I was a little scared on my debut, to be honest with you! I remember it was Nottingham Forest, away from home. I think there was something like 30,000 people there. I only came on for five minutes and I think I headed the ball once! It was great, surreal really. Looking back on that season, I can’t really remember much from it because it passed me by so quickly, but it was an unbelievable experience. We lost 2-0 in that game.

Any hidden talents?

“I can bend my thumb back; it’s horrible"

When you went to Stoke, did you feel more pressure because they were in the Premier League at the time? No, not really. I felt like I went to Stoke at the right time for me in my career. I had first-team experience by that time, but I probably needed to develop my technical side a little bit more. Given the quality at the club at that time, I feel like I definitely did improve. I had some great times away with the team in pre-season and things like that, but it did come to a point, after a couple of years, where I was just eager to get back playing first-team football again. I had gone from playing in the first team at Blackpool when I was 17/18 to playing Under-23s, which is alright for a certain amount of time but I was probably in my comfort zone a bit too much. I just needed to get out and start testing myself again. Do you feel you got a fair chance at Stoke? Good question. That is hard for me say because I was never a £15m player when I was there, and they had the money to spend that on players, so it’s a tough one. Looking back, I probably never had a chance, but I enjoyed the whole process and the journey to try and get that chance in the first-team, and I definitely improved from it. The way I see it is that I learned a lot and I had a good time there. How do you feel being compared to a certain Game of Thrones character? Tyrian! To be honest with you, I can’t even watch it because it’s the absolute spits. If I did watch it, I’d be looking at him the whole time thinking “oh, he looks just like me.” It’s just one of those things. I had it when I was at Stoke. It was the same when I went to Bristol Rovers on loan; I was only there five minutes and they were all giggling and laughing, asking me if I had seen Game of Thrones. I just thought “here we go again!” I had it after five minutes here and at Bury as well- you – just have to get on with it. What is your earliest footballing memory? When I was only a kid, about seven years old, I was at Manchester United, training there. I was only there for 18 months but those are my childhood memories of football basically. When I’m playing, I don’t really use much skill, like step-overs or anything like that, but anything that I did learn is when I was seven or eight at United. The best game you have watched live is…? That’s a good one. I used to go and watch Newcastle growing up because my dad is a Geordie. Every game, home and away, their fans are mental. Newcastle won 5-1 against Sunderland; Kevin Nolan scored a hat-trick and an overhead kick; and I was one of the ballboys. When he scored the overhead kick, I was behind that goal, jumping up to celebrate. >>>

rAndOm Qs If peanut butter wasn’t called peanut butter, what would you name it? Peanut spread In one word, sum up the internet Powerful What is the oldest thing you own? Probably my trackies; I’ve had them about five years and the lads hammer me. Pineapple on a pizza? 100%

August 10, 2019 v Colchester United H

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to two, two turned to three, then the next thing we know, we were in the knockout stages. It was a great experience to get that far. We played against some good teams and beat some good teams. Of those seven, which was the best? Probably Accrington Stanley away. I can’t remember what round it was in; I think it might have been the last 16, or maybe the quarter finals, but we were 2-0 down. We ended up winning 4-2 and I scored two; it was definitely a great game. Who do you room with on away games? Callum McFadzean. He snores, stinks, and is everything that you wouldn’t want in a room-mate, to be honest. He is a good lad. I roomed with him last year, as well, so we know each other like the back of our hands. I know that, when he starts heavy breathing, he’s about 10 minutes away from snoring so I have to get to sleep in those 10 minutes or I’m up all night. Me and Fadz are close – he used to stay at my house last season before home games and stuff – so we get on well. He’s the cook, as well; he’s not a good cook, but he does it so I can’t moan. >>> On the pitch last season, despite the troubles, you seemed to enjoy it? Off the pitch, it was definitely tough. The gaffer was good and helped us. He has had a great career and scored a lot of goals and that is something that I aspire to do and hopefully he can help me with that, but on the pitch last season I loved it.

rAndOm Qs What would be the funniest sport to play while drunk? Pool or snooker If you owned a themed hotel, what would the theme be? Music theme

Strikers these days come in all shapes and sizes, you are smaller but trickier, what are the advantages and disadvantages? The disadvantage is that you probably can’t play in every team, especially in the lower leagues because a lot of managers need a target man for the way they play. I love being smaller; I don’t love it away from football, but if you have big centre-halves, the last thing they want is a little nippy striker getting around them. Some of them like the fight, but I love it because I know that I’m probably quicker than them so I can get the upper hand on them. It must be a great help to you to have the same staff at Argyle as you had at Bury? Its brilliant. When I first came down here, it was almost like walking into the same set-up but somewhere else. Firstly, there are all good people and they are all good at what they do. How is Ryan Lowe as a manager? As a manager, he is very good tactically; I like it because it suits my style of play. The way we play is attacking football, and if you are doing the business and doing well, then you’ll play. I like it because its an incentive to make sure that you’re really at it. If you do that, then you will get your chance. You scored better than a goal a game for Bury in the Checkatrade Trophy last season – talk us through that? It was seven goals in five starts, I think. I don’t even know how it came about. I think, early doors, I had not started too many games last season, so when the Checkatrade games came up, I was thriving from them. One turned

What is your hobby outside of football? I like music: R&B and hip-hop all that sort of stuff, or old school jazz, any type of jazz really. Do you have a matchday routine? This is going to sound really strange. Obviously, I do all my stretching and activation stuff but I always have to cut my toenails before a game. It’s strange but it’s something I do. I feel like, if my feet are in good nick, then I’ll play better.

What is the worst thing you’ve ever smelled?

“It could be Fadz, when he wakes up in the morning"

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INTRODUCING…

THE team with the honour of being Argyle’s first opponents in front of the fully operational new Mayflower Grandstand were old and familiar adversaries…

impact, a statue of him has been erected at the Robins’ stadium, while a nearby road also bears his name. Fleming scored 202 goals in 332 games for Swindon between 1907-1924 and was capped 11 times by England.

HISTORY

Don Rogers scored twice in the 3-1 1969 EFL Cup final win over Arsenal and, in 1993, Town were back at Wembley to win a stunning promotion to the Premier League, defeating Leicester City in the play-off final. Swindon took a 3-0 lead and looked to be coasting to promotion at Wembley before the Foxes hauled themselves back into the game at 3-3. In the 84th minute, Paul Bodin converted a penalty to earn the Wiltshire side promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history in front of 73,000 supporters at Wembley.

Founded: 1879 Home: The County Ground Nickname: The Robins Rivals: Oxford United and Bristol Rovers SWINDON Town were founded in 1879 but did not turn professional until 1894. Two years later, they started playing their home games at the County Ground. In 1907, the club signed Harold Fleming, who would go on to transform the club’s fortunes. Such was Fleming’s

THIS SEASON

Manager: Richie Wellens Captain: Mathieu Baudry FA Cup: First round, L 0-1 v Cheltenham Carabao Cup: First round, L 0-3 v Colchester Leasing.com Trophy: Group, L 2-3 v Chelsea U23 H, L 0-3 v Argyle H, L 0-1 v Bristol Rovers A

HEAD TO HEAD Argyle wins: 47 Draws: 21 Swindon wins: 38

A ROBIN AND A PILGRIM Craig Taylor

THE first match in front of a fully open Mayflower was the 107th meeting of Argyle and Swindon Town since the two teams met each other at the County Ground in 1903, when Swindon won 2-0. One hundred years later, Argyle snatched a memorable 3-2 win at the County Ground â&#x20AC;&#x201C; then, remembers CHARLIE ROSE, lightning struck a second time.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2010, LEAGUE ONE

SWINDON TOWN

ARGYLE

THE TEAMS Swindon Town: David Lucas; Scott Cuthbert, Paul Caddis, Sean Morrison, Kevin Amankwaah, Alan Sheehan, Jonathan Douglas, Jon-Paul McGovern, David Prutton, Vincent Pericard, Thomas Dossevi. Argyle: Romain Larrieu; Marcel Seip, Bondz N'Gala, Reda Johnson, Jim Paterson, Craig Noone, Carl Fletcher, Kari Arnason, Onismor Bhasera, Joe Mason, Bradley Wright-Phillips.

THE BUILD-UP With just two wins in eight games, Peter Reid’s Pilgrims were looking sluggish in the early stages of the season. Standing between Argyle and their third win of the season was a Swindon Town side that had just won four games back-to-back. There was not a single player amongst the Pilgrim ranks who had represented Argyle the previous time they had gone toe-to-toe with Swindon Town on their turf – another famous game that the Green Army would never forget. Two up and cruising, the Pilgrims were pegged back twice, including a 90th minute equaliser for the Robins. Marino Keith’s stoppage-time smash and grab goal stole a victory just seconds before the referee blew the final whistle. The Green Army could only dream of a repeat.

THE MATCH In a game that saw five goals, six cards, including a sending-off apiece, the 1,151 members of the travelling Green Army definitely got their value for money. Argyle took the lead through the head of Reda Johnson in the fourth minute. Another four minutes later, and Bradley Wright-Phillips doubled the Greens’ advantage. The two-goal cushion stayed intact until David Prutton’s long range effort rifled into the top corner to claw one back for the home side. Swindon came out the second half the better, and in the 74th minute, they deservedly drew level through a Michael Rose free-kick. Argyle’s hopes of another victory at the County Ground were given a boost when Prutton was sent off for Town. However, this did not last long, as another goalscorer, Johnson, saw red for the Pilgrims shortly after. There was to be a last-gasp winner for Argyle, though. With five minutes of stoppage time played, WrightPhillips nodded home his second of the game in another classic Wiltshire finale.

ON THE DOUBLE After joining the Greens from Southampton, Bradley Wright-Phillips suffered a serious knee injury that ruled him out for large spells of the season. As a result, his truncated first season at Home Park saw him finish with four goals in 16 appearances. The following season, Bradley flourished. After scoring 13 goals in 17 league games, a Pilgrim side strapped for cash were left with no choice but to allow the forward to leave. Charlton Athletic were the side who put in the most generous bid. After 31 goals in 87 appearances, and then a loan spell to Brentford, the striker’s career path took him to New York Red Bulls, where he played alongside Thierry Henry. Wright-Phillips became an all-time MLS icon. The former Pilgrim won the Golden Boot for 2014 and 2016, setting an MLS record for fastest hat-trick (27 minutes) and became the fastest player in the league’s history to reach 100 goals, coming after just after 159 games.

RICHIES ROBINS Wellens returned to Boundary Park to take the reins as Oldham boss in September 2017, replacing former Pilgrims’ gaffer John Sheridan RICHIE Wellens’ playing career started at Manchester United in 1997 but made only one appearance for the Red Devils, as substitute in an EFL Cup game in 1999. In search of regular first-team football, he moved to Blackpool in 2000 and found a home at Bloomfield Road, making more appearances for the Seasiders than he was to make at any other club (226). During a successful five-year stay, he won promotion from Division Three through the play-offs in his first season, beating Leyton Orient 4-2 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff after the Seasiders had finished seventh. He was a standout in 200304, finding himself in the Second Division PFA Team of The Year. In 2005, he moved to Oldham Athletic. He made just over 100 appearances for the Latics and again won a place in PFA League One Team of the Year for the first of two consecutive seasons, repeating the feat after moving to Doncaster Rovers.

He was impressive in League One, gaining a series of individual awards as Doncaster were promoted to the Championship in 2008. Following what was to be his first spell at Rovers, he moved to Leicester City for a seven-figure fee and was voted the Foxes’ Player of the Year in 2010-11. Before a return to Doncaster, he joined Ipswich on loan in 2012, after which his second spell at the Keepmoat Stadium was similar to his first – consistent and reliable in the engine room as he took his appearance total to more than 170. He wound down his playing days at the Towns of Macclesfield and Shrewsbury, either side of a short stint at then non-league Salford City in 2016. He returned to Boundary Park to take the reins as Oldham boss in September 2017, replacing former Pilgrims’ gaffer John Sheridan. Although a positive move to appoint a new boss, Wellens was unable to help his side beat the drop. They were relegated in 2017-18 after finishing in 21st position on what might have been thought a safe haul of 50 points, but it was not enough. Following relegation, he stayed in the bottom tier, joining Swindon Town as manager. Eoin Doyle, who is now with Wellens at the County Ground, was Oldham’s top scorer with 12 goals in all competitions the year they went down. Swindon currently top the Sky Bet League Two standings on 36 points but are two points ahead of Forest Green and three points better off than Crewe. However, both rivals have played one game fewer so their lead at the top could be short-lived.

Football historian LEIGH EDWARDS selects ten post-war Swindon Town ‘Classic Campaigns’ 1962-63

Swindon Town won promotion to the Second Division for the first time in 1962-63. Bert Head’s young side won just one of their first six games, then top scorer Ernie Hunt netted a hattrick in a 5-1 victory over Brighton. Cliff Jackson scored three times in a 4-3 win at Millwall and Jack Smith did likewise in a 5-0 victory over QPR as Swindon overcame the Big Freeze to maintain their promotion challenge. They hammered Colchester 6-1 and clinched promotion with a 1-0 win at home to Shrewsbury. Keith Morgan and John Trollope were ever-present, while other stars included Mike Summerbee and Bobby Woodruff.

1968-69

Don Rogers starred as Swindon achieved an epic EFL Cup and promotion Double in 1968-69. Early pacesetters in the Third Division, they lost 1-0 at home to Watford in the title ‘decider’ watched by 28,898 and finished runners-up on goal average. Swindon defeated Torquay 2-1, Bradford City 4-3, Blackburn 1-0, Coventry 3-0, Derby 1-0 and Burnley 3-2 in the EFL Cup before beating Arsenal 3-1 after extra-time in the Wembley final. Team: Peter Downsborough, Rod Thomas, John Trollope, Joe Butler, Frank Burrows, Stan Harland, Don Heath, Roger Smart, John Smith (Willie Penman), Peter Noble, Don Rogers.

1969-70

Town challenged strongly for promotion to the top-flight in 1969-70. Fred Ford replaced Danny Williams as manager and Arthur Horsfield was signed from Newcastle, starring as Swindon were among the early leaders. Peter Noble grabbed a hat-trick as they beat Charlton 5-0 and maintained their promotion challenge with a 14-match unbeaten run. Swindon finished fifth in the Second Division, their highest position at the time. They also defeated Blackburn 4-0, Chester 4-2 and Scunthorpe 3-1 in the FA Cup before losing 2-0 to Leeds United in the sixth round, then beat Napoli 3-0 in the Anglo-Italian Cup final.

c i ss a Cl 1979-80

Bobby Smith guided Swindon to the EFL Cup semi-finals in 1979-80. Swindon had narrowly missed promotion the previous season and Alan Mayes scored twice in an early 4-0 win over Brentford. They defeated Portsmouth 3-1, Chester 2-1, Stoke City 2-1, Wimbledon 2-1 and Arsenal 4-3 in the EFL Cup before losing 4-3 to Wolves in the semi-finals. Andy Rowland and Alan Mayes formed an exciting partnership as Swindon gained four successive wins, then trounced Bury 8-0. They took Spurs to an FA Cup fourth round replay but finished mid-table despite signing David Peach and Glenn Cockerill.

1985-86

Town stormed to the Fourth Division title with a record 102 points in 1985-86. Lou Macari’s side made a poor start in the League but defeated Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday on route to the Milk Cup fourth round. Kenny Allen arrived from Torquay and Dave Bamber from Portsmouth as Swindon soared to the top of the table with 14 wins in 16 matches. They set a club-record of 13 consecutive home victories with a 3-1 win over Burnley and clinched the title with a 1-1 draw at Mansfield. Charlie Henry and Colin Gordon scored 35 goals between them, while skipper Colin Calderwood was ever-present.

1986-87

Lou Macari plotted Swindon’s 1986-87 Third Division play-off final triumph. Colin Gordon was sold to Wimbledon, while newcomers included Jimmy Gilligan, Mark Jones, Fraser Digby and Bristol Rovers pair Tim Parkin and Steve White. Six victories in eight games catapulted Swindon into the promotion race, then Jimmy Quinn returned from Blackburn and Phil King arrived from Torquay. They starred as Swindon gained seven straight wins and qualified for the play-offs in third position after remaining undefeated in their last 11 matches. Swindon beat Gillingham 2-0 in the play-off final replay after a 2-2 aggregate draw.

cCAMPAIGNS 1989-90

Town won the 1989-90 Second Division play-off final but were denied topflight status after an illegal payments scandal. Swindon had qualified for the play-offs the previous season and Ossie Ardiles replaced Lou Macari as manager. They soared into the promotion frame with seven wins in nine games including a 6-0 victory over Stoke and signed David Kerslake from QPR in November. Alan McLoughlin, Duncan Shearer and Steve White starred as Swindon maintained their challenge with just one defeat in 13 matches and finished in fourth position. They defeated Sunderland 1-0 in the play-off final at Wembley.

1992-93

Player-manager Glenn Hoddle was a key figure in Town’s 1992-93 First Division play-off final success. Swindon were early pacesetters and new signing Craig Maskell grabbed a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Cambridge United. They went second after a 5-1 demolition of Notts County, then overcame a lean spell with Ross MacLaren’s return inspiring a run of seven victories in

nine games. Dave Mitchell netted three times in a 6-4 win at Birmingham and Swindon qualified for the play-offs in fifth position. They defeated Tranmere 5-4 on aggregate, then gained a thrilling 4-3 win over Leicester in the Wembley final.

1995-96

Swindon stormed to the Second Division title under playerboss Steve McMahon in 1995-96. They had plummeted from the Premiership to Second Division and newcomers included Wayne Allison, Steve Finney and Mark Seagraves. Swindon were early leaders, winning seven of their first nine games, and Kevin Horlock netted a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory at Bristol Rovers. They remained in pole position and took Southampton to an FA Cup fifth-round replay. Ian Culverhouse and Mark Robinson were ever-present, while leading scorer Wayne Allison and Shaun Taylor also starred as they won the title by nine points.

2011-12

Paolo Di Canio managed Town to the League Two title in 2011-12. The Robins kicked off with a 3-0 win at home to Crewe but lost their next four games before just one defeat in 21 matches, including a club record ten successive wins, catapulted them to the top. They beat top-flight Wigan Athletic 2-1 in the FA Cup third round and reached the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final but lost 2-0 to Chesterfield at Wembley Stadium. Swindon clinched the League Two title in their penultimate match as two goals by Paul Benson plus others from Matt Ritchie, Aden Flint and Alan Connell defeated Port Vale 5-0 at the County Ground.

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ARGYLE IN THE EFL ON WEDNESDAYS Our record in regular League matches played on Wednesdays is: HOME: P104 W62 D28 L14 F240 A106 AWAY: P101 W25 D25 L51 F121 A183 OVERALL: P205 W86 D53 L65 F361 A289 In addition, we have also played two play-off matches on this day of the week, both at home: a 3-1 defeat to Burnley on May 18, 1994, and a 3-1 win over Colchester United on May 15, 1996. Our first Wednesday match in the EFL came at Crystal Palace on September 1, 1920 and ended in a 0-0 draw. Our first home EFL match on hump day came a week later, September 8, against the same opponents. Unfortunately, that game ended in a 1-0 defeat for Robert Jack’s Pilgrims. Following the Palace defeat, we won nine home EFL matches in a row on Wednesdays and did not concede a goal in the first six of those. Indeed, it was more than 14 years later, on February 6, 1935, that we next lost a match at Home Park on this day – a 1-0 defeat to Norwich City. Between the Palace and Norwich defeats, we played 24 games, winning 21 of them and outscoring our opponents by 82 goals to just 17. Our last Wednesday EFL fixture came on Boxing Day, 2018, a 2-1 defeat away to AFC Wimbledon. David Fox scored our goal. Fox only scored twice in 128 EFL appearances in a green shirt and both of his goals came against the Wombles! Prior to the game against the Dons, you have to go back to New Year’s Day, 2014 for our previous Wednesday EFL match – a 2-0 home victory over Torquay United. On-loan Sheffield Wednesday striker Caolan Lavery and Lewis Alessandra scored for John Sheridan’s team. Given the paucity of recent Wednesday EFL matches for the Greens, it may come as a surprise that in total we have played over 200 matches on this day of the week, at an

average of more than two per season. The answer to this conundrum is that we played our home midweek league fixtures on Wednesdays rather than Tuesdays up to the 1971-72 season. Our best Wednesday EFL victory came on August 22, 1962, when Ellis Stuttard’s men put Preston North End to the sword in a 7-1 victory at Home Park. Our goals were scored by Johnny Williams, together with braces from each of Wilf Carter, Micky Lill and Jimmy McAnearney. This was the third of three occasions in which three Argyle players have scored braces in the same league match. Away from home, our best win is 4-0 over Exeter City on Boxing Day, 1923. Percy Cherrett (2), Patsy Corcoran and Bob Preston were our scorers as we completed the 4-0 double over the Grecians, 24 hours after beating them at home. Our heaviest Wednesday defeat is 5-0, which we have endured three times, all away from home. The first time was on New Year’s Day, 1936, at Newcastle United during Robert Jack’s spell in charge of Argyle. The feat was repeated by Jimmy Rae’s men on September 10, 1947 at Leeds United. Finally, Derek Ufton’s Greens lost at Crystal Palace on September 6, 1967. At home, our heaviest Wednesday defeat is 4-2, which we have recorded twice. The first time was on March 4, 1959, when Jack Rowley’s promotion-bound Pilgrims were humbled by Accrington Stanley. Jimmy Gauld and Harry Penk scored our goals. The second time was rather more recently, when Barnsley beat Ian Holloway’s men on March 14, 2007. Lilian Nalis and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake scored our goals. Two facts to end with:

i) we have a higher win percentage (42.4%) on Wednesdays than on any other day of the week; and ii) all four of our 4-4 home draws in the EFL have occurred on Wednesdays.

LET'S GO ROUND AGAIN Football historian LEIGH EDWARDS profiles ten players who had more than one spell at Swindon Town DON ROGERS 82

England Under-23 winger Don Rogers scored twice in Swindon Town’s 1969 EFL Cup final success. Signing professional at the County Ground in October 1962, he featured in Swindon’s 1962-63 promotion campaign and was ever-present in four successive seasons. He starred as Swindon won promotion again in 1968-69 and the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1970, reuniting with Bert Head at Crystal Palace in November 1972. Moving to QPR in exchange for Terry Venables in September 1974, he rejoined Swindon in March 1976 and netted 148 goals in 412 league games overall for the Robins, then played for Yeovil Town. He ran his sports shop in Swindon.

DAVID MOSS

Winger David Moss was Town’s leading marksman in 1976-77. Initially with hometown Witney, he joined Swindon in July 1969 and starred in their 1974-75 promotion near-miss, also helping take eventual winners West Ham to an FA Cup fourth-round replay. He moved to Luton Town in May 1978 and was an important figure in their 1981-82 Second Division title triumph. Returning to Swindon Town in July 1985, he netted 60 goals in 234 league games overall for the Robins before hanging up his boots. He later assisted Brian Horton at various clubs and managed Macclesfield, becoming involved with youth development at Liverpool.

CHRIS KAMARA

Midfielder Chris Kamara had two spells at Swindon. Initially with Portsmouth, he moved to Swindon in August 1977 and starred in their 197980 EFL Cup run. He rejoined Pompey in May 1981 and was swapped for Brentford’s David Crown in October 1981. A Freight Rover Trophy finalist in 1985, he returned to Swindon in August 1985 and featured in their 1986-87 promotion success. He netted 27 goals in 234 EFL games overall before joining Stoke City in July 1988, then Leeds United, Luton Town and Sheffield United. Later managing Bradford City and Stoke, he is an analyst on Sky Sports and copresenter of ITV’s Ninja Warrior UK.

ALAN MAYES

Fast striker Alan Mayes was leading marksman as Town reached the EFL Cup semi-finals in 1979-80. Initially playing for QPR, he joined Watford in November 1974 and helped them to win the Fourth Division title in 1977-78. He moved to Swindon in February 1979 and formed an exciting partnership with Andy Rowland. Sold to Chelsea for £175,000 in December 1980, he rejoined Swindon in July 1983 and was top scorer in 1983-84, netting 65 goals in 151 EFL games overall for the Robins before joining Carlisle United in July 1985. He later played for Blackpool, Wycombe Wanderers and had a spell as Harrow Borough manager.

JIMMY QUINN

Northern Ireland international striker Jimmy Quinn was SwindoN’s top scorer in 1987-88. Starting with Oswestry, he joined Swindon in December 1981 and moved to Blackburn in August 1984. He rejoined Swindon in December

1986 and helped win promotion that season, joining Leicester in June 1988. Later with Bradford City, West Ham, and AFC Bournemouth, he was Reading’s joint player-boss, then had a spell at Peterborough before returning to Swindon as player-manager in November 1998. He netted 40 goals in 120 EFL games overall, then managed Northwich Victoria, Shrewsbury, Cambridge United, AFC Bournemouth and Nantwich.

MARTIN LING

Winger Martin Ling featured prominently as Town won promotion to the top-flight in 1992-93. He began with Exeter City and joined Swindon in July 1986. Moving to Southend United three months later, he was a promotion winner in 1986-87 and 198990, returning to Swindon in March 1991. He featured in their 1995-96 Third Division title campaign and netted ten goals in 152 EFL games overall prior to joining Leyton Orient in July 1996. Helping reach the Third Division playoff final in 1998-99, he then played for Brighton. He managed Leyton Orient, Cambridge United, Torquay and Swindon before returning to Orient as Director of Football.

PHIL KING

England B international left-back Phil King helped Swindon Town qualify for the Second Division play-offs in 1988-89. Initially with Exeter City, he moved to Torquay United in July 1986 and joined Swindon for £155,000 in February 1987. He was ever-present in 1987-88 and sold to Sheffield Wednesday for £400,000 in November 1989. Featuring in their 1990-91 promotion and EFL Cup Double success, he was Player of the Year in 1991-92 and moved via Aston Villa back to Swindon in March 1997, netting four goals in 121 League games overall. He joined Brighton in March 1999, then played for Kidderminster and Bath City, becoming a publican.

DAVID KERSLAKE

England Under-21 right-back David Kerslake featured in Swindon Town’s

1992-93 promotion campaign. Starting with QPR, he joined Swindon for £110,000 in November 1989 and helped them to win the Second Division play-off final that season. He moved to Leeds United for £500,000 in March 1993, then Tottenham Hotspur for £450,000 in September 1993. Loaned back to Swindon in November 1996, he joined Ipswich Town in August 1997 and returned to Swindon in March 1998. He scored once in 167 EFL games overall for the Robins and has since coached at Northampton, Nottingham Forest, Watford, Cardiff, Gillingham and Northampton again.

PAUL BODIN

Welsh international defender Paul Bodin had two spells at Swindon Town. A former Chelsea junior, he had spells with Newport County and Cardiff City before moving to Bath City in July 1985. He was twice leading marksman and rejoined Newport in January 1988. Moving to Swindon two months later, he was sold to Crystal Palace for £550,000 in March 1991 and rejoined Swindon in January 1992. He helped reach the Premier League in 1992-93 and win the Second Division title in 1995-96. Scoring 37 goals in 239 league games overall, he joined Reading in June 1996, then returned to Bath as player-boss and spent 12 years as Swindon youth coach.

ANDY GURNEY

Right-back Andy Gurney starred as Swindon Town reached the Second Division play-offs in 2003-04. Signing professional for Bristol Rovers in July 1992, he appeared in the 1994-95 Second Division play-off final and joined Torquay United in July 1997. He helped reach the Third Division play-off final in 1997-98 and was sold to Reading for £100,000 in January 1999. Joining Swindon Town in July 2001, he moved to Swansea City in September 2004 and featured in their 2004-05 promotion campaign. He returned to Swindon in August 2005, netting 21 goals in 160 League games overall, then played for Clevedon, WestonSuper-Mare and Newport.

EXCLUSIVE MAYFLOWER COLLECTION Wonderful winter warmers and stylish accessories in store and online at www.argylesuperstore.co.uk The Exclusive Mayflower Collection is a stylish, modern and co-ordinated brand, hallmarked with distinctive image of the Mayflower ship that features in the Argyle crest. The special collection features the latest trends in fashion and stunning accessories - offering the Green Army an alternative way of showing support to the Pilgrims.

Accessories 84

Rushton Hat £12 and Scarf £20

Tweed Flat Cap £20

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Clothing

Mayflower Cable Knit Jumper £40

Mayflower Hooded Sweat £45

Mayflower Polo Neck Jumper £37

Mayflower Half-Padded Jacket £55

Mayflower Hooded Wind Jacket £50

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