I’m writing this and wishing I was somewhere else. Anywhere with a telly and selling alcohol, ideally. But it wasn’t to be, and like many football fans I have found myself a victim of the grand overlords of Sky TV. This Saturday just gone, April 12th, I had originally intended to attend Plymouth Argyle’s scheduled match at Sheffield Wednesday, our 43rd Championship fixture of the season and potentially (certainly at the time of organising the trip) decisive in our play-off push. I booked my train tickets from my home in Gloucestershire four weeks in advance to avoid the ridiculous cost of on-the-day public transport, and waited for match tickets to go on sale. Alas, it was at this point that Rupert Murdoch’s media machine – generally about as interested in covering Argyle as a vegan is in eating veal – whirred into seemingly aimless action and had the game moved to Monday night for live transmission to subscribers. At the same time when my return travel, already purchased, was due to occur.
Thus here I am, tapping away on my laptop while almost anything could be happening at Hillsbrough. The bleddy train even went through Sheffield on the way down, but with it being nearly 9pm I considered jumping off, watching the rest of the game and spending the night in the station to be a little pointless, especially given recent events.
I’ve been somewhat absent from this site for a couple of weeks, for two reasons. Firstly, my University course has been rather more hectic and difficult than usual, but, far more pertinently, Argyle have managed almost entirely extinguish our greatest ever hopes of reaching the top flight of English football. First there was the embarrassing 3-1 loss at struggling Coventry, with the Greens 3-0 down before the much-maligned Steve McLean grabbed an admittedly impressive consolation. This left us needing, realistically, four wins from our last five matches going into the home tie with Charlton. I travelled down full of hope and expectation and, despite a dire showing by both teams, Jermaine Easter’s second-half goal looked likely to be the difference between them. Then Luke McCormick had one of those spells where everything goes wrong, twice fumbling in his own six-yard box and giving visiting striker Leroy Lita a pair of tap-ins. Heartbreaking.
Since then the crushing, numbing disappointment of losing to two poor sides has got the better of me, and I’ve attempted to hide from football – frequenting the BBC Sport website less often, shunning Focus and MOTD, skipping the sports pages. Still, the ‘beauty’ of the Argyle White Membership I have is you get six home match vouchers to use throughout the season, and I’ve got one left. So I’ll be there for the Preston game on Saturday, when Argyle will in all likelihood have little to play for but pride, and possibly a highest-ever league finish in my lifetime. That, at least, should whet the appetite for another crack next season.
RICH PARTINGTON
Showing posts with label Sky. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sky. Show all posts
Monday, 14 April 2008
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Mackie signing emphasise gulf between Devon 'rivals'
This morning, after weeks of protracted negotiations, Plymouth Argyle finally completed the signing of Exeter City striker Jamie Mackie, for £145,000.
Less than eight years ago, on March 11 2000, Argyle had struggled to a 1-1 draw at St. James’ Park in a LEAGUE fixture – now, three divisions above, we are buying the Grecians’ best player to bolster our reserves.
And Pilgrims fans have actually been generally split about whether Mackie is a worthwhile signing. Many don’t feel that 11 goals in the Blue Square Premier this season (14 in all competitions) are ample enough proof of Championship-level potential. But the pursuit of Mackie by Argyle boss Paul Sturrock has been dogged, with a series of bids, and the manager clearly rates him. At the moment, the price looks a touch on the steep side, but if the 21-year-old Blue Square December player of the month can score goals in the second tier it will look a snip.
It seems unlikely he will get his chance immediately. Steve McLean has just been signed for a club record fee and looks likely to shine. Rory Fallon shows signs of becoming a useful target man. Jermaine Easter has performed well and, you feel just needs a few goals to boost his confidence. And Lukas Jutkiewicz, on loan from Everton, is a top prospect who has come to Argyle for first-team football.
The primary impression created by the signing saga, though, is a huge reminder of the differences between these clubs who, at times during their histories, could have been described as rivals. Argyle have always been the bigger club – their crowds, fanbase, and legacy of success have always dwarfed City’s, unsurprsing given that the city of Plymouth is more than twice the size of its neighbour up the A38. But there is still a real hatred between the two sets of fans, particularly the younger element, who grew up with Plymouth having only a marginally better team.
Certainly, though, the hatred comes a lot stronger from one way – every Exeter fan I have ever met loathes Argyle with a passion. Once, at Exeter bus station, I came very close to a kicking from a pair of City lads returning from their Conference fixture, simply for wearing an Argyle shirt. We weren’t even playing them! I was only 16, not exactly threatening in appearance, and quietly minding my own business. But that’s to be expected. It’s not uncommon to see red-and-white striped shirts with ‘WE 8 ARGYLE’ printed on the back – I’ve witnessed them all over the country, and it always makes me chuckle. Sure, the Zoo Corner still sings of their mothers’ apparent order to ‘shoot the City scum’, but it’s more out of having no-one else to replace them with – Bristol City are more bothered about Rovers and Cardiff, and Torquay are essentially an irrelevance, who many Argyle fans support as a second team.
For many, of course – the old Navy boys, the Marines, and the dockyard workers, who once comprised the majority of Argyle’s fanbase, and still make up a decent chunk of present and exiled support – the big rivals are Saturday’s FA Cup Third Round opponents, Portsmouth.
The two south coast port currently host the south coast’s two best teams, and although Pompey fans are largely more bothered with Southampton, this match will be the main one for all men of sea and dock. In 1983, the enmity reached its peak when Portsmouth came to Argyle on the final day of the season, needing a win to seal the old Third Division Championship. They won 1-0, but the match was marred by hundreds of Pompey hooligans breaking through the barriers and charging through the Lyndhurst, causing many injuries among the Green Army.
Under Harry Redknapp, and backed by Alexandre Gaydamak’s shady millions, the Hampshire club are at their peak, European challengers for the past few seasons and currently sitting 8th in the Premiership. Despite the fantastic television spectacle and atmosphere Fratton Park’s ‘Battle of the Dockyards’ will surely provide, the BBC and Sky have yet again plumped for such irritating yawn-fests as Wigan v Chelsea, likely to be played in a half-empty stadium.
However, after requests from Navy and Marine personnel across the world, the match will be fed live to the forces, giving them a rare and welcome chance to watch their teams. This is a gesture which must be strongly applauded – but the question remains, why couldn’t ordinary British people have the same privilege? Portsmouth versus Plymouth has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?
With Pompey having the noisiest fans in the Premiership and a full ground every week, and Argyle arguably the best travelling support in the football league, this promises to be a cracker – in the stands, at least. On the pitch, the Pilgrims may struggle to deal with stars like Nico Kranjcar and Benjani Mwaruwari – unless all even are at the top of their game, or the hosts field an under-strength side. Argyle’s cause has been somewhat aided with several Pompey players, including Sulley Muntari, away at the African Cup of Nations. If David Norris for the visitors, it is likely to be his swansong in green. Hopefully he’ll want to go out with a banging cup upset.
RICH PARTINGTON
Less than eight years ago, on March 11 2000, Argyle had struggled to a 1-1 draw at St. James’ Park in a LEAGUE fixture – now, three divisions above, we are buying the Grecians’ best player to bolster our reserves.
And Pilgrims fans have actually been generally split about whether Mackie is a worthwhile signing. Many don’t feel that 11 goals in the Blue Square Premier this season (14 in all competitions) are ample enough proof of Championship-level potential. But the pursuit of Mackie by Argyle boss Paul Sturrock has been dogged, with a series of bids, and the manager clearly rates him. At the moment, the price looks a touch on the steep side, but if the 21-year-old Blue Square December player of the month can score goals in the second tier it will look a snip.
It seems unlikely he will get his chance immediately. Steve McLean has just been signed for a club record fee and looks likely to shine. Rory Fallon shows signs of becoming a useful target man. Jermaine Easter has performed well and, you feel just needs a few goals to boost his confidence. And Lukas Jutkiewicz, on loan from Everton, is a top prospect who has come to Argyle for first-team football.
The primary impression created by the signing saga, though, is a huge reminder of the differences between these clubs who, at times during their histories, could have been described as rivals. Argyle have always been the bigger club – their crowds, fanbase, and legacy of success have always dwarfed City’s, unsurprsing given that the city of Plymouth is more than twice the size of its neighbour up the A38. But there is still a real hatred between the two sets of fans, particularly the younger element, who grew up with Plymouth having only a marginally better team.
Certainly, though, the hatred comes a lot stronger from one way – every Exeter fan I have ever met loathes Argyle with a passion. Once, at Exeter bus station, I came very close to a kicking from a pair of City lads returning from their Conference fixture, simply for wearing an Argyle shirt. We weren’t even playing them! I was only 16, not exactly threatening in appearance, and quietly minding my own business. But that’s to be expected. It’s not uncommon to see red-and-white striped shirts with ‘WE 8 ARGYLE’ printed on the back – I’ve witnessed them all over the country, and it always makes me chuckle. Sure, the Zoo Corner still sings of their mothers’ apparent order to ‘shoot the City scum’, but it’s more out of having no-one else to replace them with – Bristol City are more bothered about Rovers and Cardiff, and Torquay are essentially an irrelevance, who many Argyle fans support as a second team.
For many, of course – the old Navy boys, the Marines, and the dockyard workers, who once comprised the majority of Argyle’s fanbase, and still make up a decent chunk of present and exiled support – the big rivals are Saturday’s FA Cup Third Round opponents, Portsmouth.
The two south coast port currently host the south coast’s two best teams, and although Pompey fans are largely more bothered with Southampton, this match will be the main one for all men of sea and dock. In 1983, the enmity reached its peak when Portsmouth came to Argyle on the final day of the season, needing a win to seal the old Third Division Championship. They won 1-0, but the match was marred by hundreds of Pompey hooligans breaking through the barriers and charging through the Lyndhurst, causing many injuries among the Green Army.
Under Harry Redknapp, and backed by Alexandre Gaydamak’s shady millions, the Hampshire club are at their peak, European challengers for the past few seasons and currently sitting 8th in the Premiership. Despite the fantastic television spectacle and atmosphere Fratton Park’s ‘Battle of the Dockyards’ will surely provide, the BBC and Sky have yet again plumped for such irritating yawn-fests as Wigan v Chelsea, likely to be played in a half-empty stadium.
However, after requests from Navy and Marine personnel across the world, the match will be fed live to the forces, giving them a rare and welcome chance to watch their teams. This is a gesture which must be strongly applauded – but the question remains, why couldn’t ordinary British people have the same privilege? Portsmouth versus Plymouth has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?
With Pompey having the noisiest fans in the Premiership and a full ground every week, and Argyle arguably the best travelling support in the football league, this promises to be a cracker – in the stands, at least. On the pitch, the Pilgrims may struggle to deal with stars like Nico Kranjcar and Benjani Mwaruwari – unless all even are at the top of their game, or the hosts field an under-strength side. Argyle’s cause has been somewhat aided with several Pompey players, including Sulley Muntari, away at the African Cup of Nations. If David Norris for the visitors, it is likely to be his swansong in green. Hopefully he’ll want to go out with a banging cup upset.
RICH PARTINGTON
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