THE DAILY DIARY

Argyle News Sites:

Greens on Screen's Daily Diary is a compilation of Argyle news, with help from these and other Argyle-related sites.

Plymouth Argyle FC

The Herald

Western Morning News

News Now

On This Day:

Also included on the three most recent days, facts from Argyle's history.

Saturday 22nd February 2025

On This Day:

1997: Argyle ended their game at Chesterfield with eight men on the field. Ronnie Mauge was dismissed in the first half after a rash challenge, and four more, including Tony James and Richard Logan, were shown the red card late in the game after a mass brawl.

21st

On This Day:

2011: The Directors of Plymouth Argyle Football Club issued a 'Notice of Intention' to appoint an administrator. Whilst the action did not mark the start of formal administration, it did trigger a ten-point penalty under the Football League's Sporting Sanctions rules and Argyle dropped to the bottom of League One.

20th

On This Day:

1971: Cornishman Richard Reynolds played his last game for Argyle, a 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury, to complete 140 appearances and 25 goals in the previous 6 years.

1981: David Norris was born in Peterborough, 44 years ago. He came to Home Park from Bolton in October 2002, making an instant hit with a goal on his debut (commentary): a 1-0 win at Crewe. Five years, 243 appearances, 28 goals and a player-of-the-season award later, Chuck broke the club record when he joined Ipswich Town for a £2.25 million fee.

1982: Chesterfield 2 Argyle 2. In an all-action game, packed with goalmouth drama, the most remarkable goal belonged to Chesterfield's Alan Crawford. From the second half kick-off he dribbled from the halfway line, evading tackle after tackle, no other player touching the ball, and nine seconds later chipped a stranded Geoff Crudgington for one of the goals of the season.

19th

Happy 24th birthday to our number 29 Matty Sorinola.

Argyle battled to a point away from home on Wednesday night, drawing 1-1 with Luton Town at Kenilworth Road. The hosts took the lead through a Jacob Brown header in the 55th minute, but a quarter of an hour later the Greens were level through Maksym Talovierov.

Argyle: Hazard, Houghton, Wright (Gyabi), Bundu, Puchacz, Randell, Katic, Al Hajj (Tijani), Sorinola (Szucs), Talovierov, Palsson. Substitutes (not used): Grimshaw, Mumba, Ogbeta, Obafemi, Boateng, Baidoo.

18th

Ticket arrangements for Argyle's fifth round FA Cup visit to Manchester City on Sunday 2 March have been announced. The Club has been given an allocation of 7,800.

Sales will commence at 10 am on Thursday 20 February, starting with season-ticket holders with 900+ loyalty points. Full details and pricing are on the official website: https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/manchester-city-emirates-fa-cup-ticket-information

Fan guide and seating plan of the Etihad can be found here: https://www.mancity.com/away-fan-guide and https://seatpick.com/etihad-stadium/seating-plan.

Happy birthday to midfielder loanee Darko Gyabi, 21 today.

17th

Five players have taken their places in the Icons section of the Forever Green Hall of Fame.

This year, some slight alterations to the induction process were made, with a Forever Green panel, chaired by first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell, deciding to automatically include three men: Bob Jack, Kevin Hodges and Sammy Black.

Supporters were then asked to vote from two polling lists, split by eras, and from there two more men – Wilf Carter and Paul Wotton – have been added to this year's class.

In Group 1 of voting, Carter prevailed over Steve Davey in second place, and Jack 'Jumbo' Chisholm in third. Ray Bowden was a close fourth, with Jack Cock and Maurice Tadman fifth and sixth.

In Group 2, Wotton won by just 15 votes, ahead of Paul Mariner. Wotton's promotion-winning team-mates Michael Evans and Romain Larrieu were third and fourth, with Ronnie Mauge and Carl Fletcher next in the poll.

Wilf Carter, fittingly, is the player with the second-highest Argyle goals total, behind Sammy Black. Carter bagged 148 goals in 274 appearances, a staggering ratio of goals. Carter arrived at Home Park from West Bromwich Albion, in August 1957, just before his 24th birthday. In his first season he scored 32 goals, and continued to notch at a stunning rate over seven brilliant years. He scored seven hat-tricks as a Pilgrim, and also became one of only two players ever to score five times in one game, in a 6-4 win over Charlton Athletic.

Paul Wotton has achieved virtually all there is to achieve for a football-mad Janner. Born in Plymouth; progressing through the youth ranks of the club; into the first team and becoming captain; lifting two divisional championship trophies; and becoming a coach and achieving promotion that way too. Comfortable at central defence or in midfield, Wotton played 491 times in two stints, putting him at joint-second in the appearances chart, behind only Kevin Hodges. He also scored 66 goals, many from arrow-like penalties and stunning free-kicks. During his time at Argyle, he also won a Player of the Year award in what was a unique, unparalleled career as a Pilgrim.

These five players join an illustrious list of players to have been inducted as Forever Green Icons.

Argyle Women's Head Coach Ryan Perks has left the club by mutual agreement.

Ryan has been in his post since August 2020, and has not only overseen the progression of the first team, but has played a pivotal role in improving the provision of coaching for women and girls in the area, helping to develop the Argyle player pathway. Prior to his stint as Head Coach, Ryan also spent time working for the Argyle Community Trust and the Argyle Academy.

Academy coach James Bradley will take over as Argyle Women's Head Coach for the rest of the season. He will be assisted by Dan Greenough, who also works with Bradley with the Argyle Under-16s. They will join Matt Green & Jon Dawe.

16th

Argyle's flying start to February ended at Blackburn Rovers, but Head Coach Miron Muslic was philosophical about the 2-0 defeat at Ewood Park.

"We struggled in the first 10 to 15 minutes," he said. Blackburn were on us from the first whistle, wave after wave, but, after the first 10 to 15 minutes, we found our structure back. We got back in the game and had some good transition moments.

"We missed a little bit of composure to stay clean until the end. The second half was more or less the same. Blackburn opened up the game with a beautiful goal and, from there on, it was difficult for us to bounce back.

"The plan was to be structured, to be organised and then have some moments when we find the gaps for transition. I think we had them, but we have to be better and more calm in those moments.

"Don't forget, it's still Blackburn, a play-off team. They have all the quality to maintain the pressure and to keep attacking us.

"We tried to go all-in in the last 15 minutes, as we prepared another offensive play. Exactly in this moment, we concede. We then had a big chance, for [Michael] Baidoo from Adam [Randell's] early cross. [If that goes in, then] you never know for the last five or six minutes, but, in the end, it was a deserved win for Blackburn.

"It is a little step back for us, but we will not continue this journey riding from win to win. The most important thing is that we are way more competitive than we have been just weeks ago.

"We have to go again in a couple of days. We have a big one in front of us, then a big, big week in front of us, with two massive games. These are the games we want to compete in and collect points."

Argyle Women suffered a 1-0 away defeat to high-flying Oxford United at MGroup Stadium in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division play.

A gritty and determined performance ended in an upset for the Greens. An exciting attacking push over the final 20 minutes nearly rewarded them with a point or more, following the U's goal in the opening five minutes of the game.

Defender Caitlin Smith expressed her frustration with the result. "I think we deserved to get a bit more from the game," she said. "To lose and concede an early goal is annoying, but I think there are lots of positives to take.

"We had a great team performance and especially following on from the recent weeks, I think it's a lot to take into next week. I think in the second half of the game, we pushed on and to be honest, we had more chances than they did. We just couldn't take them.

"Defensively, I thought we were really, really strong. [We] had a couple of mistakes, but managed to cover them well and going into next week, I think we'll look positively and take it into the week of training."

Argyle's Sky Bet Championship away fixture at Hull City has been rearranged for Tuesday, 4 March with a kick off time of 7.45 pm. This match was due to take place on Saturday, 1 March but has been pushed back by three days due to the Greens' Emirates FA Cup tie against Manchester City.

15th

Two second-half goals from Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park ended Argyle's winning run. Argyle travelled to Lancashire as buoyant as they have been all season, heading into the game with two consecutive league wins, sandwiching the big FA Cup win over Liverpool on Sunday. However, the Pilgrims never really got going. After a goalless first half, former Argyle midfielder Adam Forshaw scored a rare goal to put Rovers in front, and Tyrhys Dolan added a second to seal the game for sure.

Argyle: Hazard, Hardie (Baidoo), Wright (Tijani), Bundu, Puchacz, Gyabi (Houghton), Randell, Katic, Sorinola (Szucs), Talovierov, Palsson (Al Hajj). Substitutes: (not used): Grimshaw, Mumba, Ogbeta, Boateng.

Argyle Under-18's fast start propelled them to an important three points at Millennium Fields, picking with a 4-2 win over Newport County.

A Cole Fisher brace and first-half goals from Fletcher Poole (after just 25 seconds) and Seb Campbell were enough to see Argyle over the line in their home Youth Alliance League tie.

Head Coach Jamie Lowry said: "We started really fast today... and for the first 30-35 minutes we were excellent. Then, I think we just thought it was too easy.

"We dropped off and it led to us giving them a goal just before half-time and then at the start of the second half, they made it 3-2. Luckily, a little bit of quality from Cole made it 4-2 and kind of killed the game, but overall, I'm slightly disappointed with the performance.

"On the flip side, the conditions didn't make it easy, so it was a good learning curve for the lads, and obviously, another win to keep moving in a positive direction."

Argyle Women's Under-16s scored a huge 6-1 away win against Exeter City.

14th

Argyle's FA Cup fifth round tie against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium has been confirmed for Saturday 1 March, with a kick off time of 5.45 pm. The match will be broadcast live on ITV4 and ITVX. The Hull City away fixture has therefore been postponed.

The Argyle Academy has added several new staff members to the team at Home Park.

Matt Williams has joined the Greens as the Head of Player and Coach Development for the Under-13 to Under-18s age groups. Matt arrives in Plymouth with a decade of experience from his previous role with Category 2 Academy Wigan Athletic.

Matt Ellery has been promoted from his position as Foundation Phase Lead Coach to Head of Player and Coach Development for the Under-7 to Under-12 age groups.

Tom Savigar has been appointed as the Foundation Phase Lead Coach with a primary focus on the Under-9 and Under-10 age groups.

After 18 months with the Academy as Under-13s' assistant coach, Aaron Goulty has been appointed as the new Under-12s' Lead Coach. Aaron will be supported by Ian Stonebridge, who returns to the Academy as the assistant coach for the Under-12s.

Charlie Hardcastle has moved from a casual Pre-Academy coach to a dedicated position as Under-6 to Under-8 Lead Pre-Academy Coach.

13th

Speaking after his side's comprehensive 5-1 win over Millwall, Miron Muslic's thoughts turned back to the 5-0 loss to Burnley, and declared it the beginning of the recent turnaround in Argyle's fortunes.

Since then, the Greens have looked a different side-a 2-2 away draw at Sunderland three days later succeeded by a run of three wins in a row, beating West Bromwich Albion at home and then Premier League leaders Liverpool, in the Cup before demolishing in-form Millwall.

"The turnaround started at half-time [against Burnley]," said Miron. "It took a lot of courage to go out [for the second half]. It was a good moment to change some things: to change the mentality, to change the attitude, to create a new working culture, a new DNA.

"I'm very happy and very proud, because it is not easy to find ground again, after Liverpool. I think we, as staff, have been very clear that [Liverpool] was a historic moment, no-one will ever take it away from us, but we have to collect points in our competition – and we did it.

"It's a big win; a massive, massive win for us. Emotionally it was difficult for the lads, for all of us, after Liverpool. You have to find the right balance, because the Championship is our daily bread, but all credit to the lads, because they did it outstandingly.

"The plan was to go out and set the tone from the first whistle, to put them under a lot of pressure. We know if we keep our structure we can have our moments. I think the structure was there again, and we created goalscoring opportunities against a team that kept clean sheets in five of their last six games.

"It was a strong performance.

"The new spirit we have inside us is that it is not about personal feelings, it is about the bigger picture, and the bigger picture is Argyle. We are ready to fight for the green and white."

12th

Argyle will play with the EFL and PUMA's Rainbow Ball, in tonight's Sky Bet Championship fixture against Millwall at Home Park.

Last year, PUMA donated more than £16,000 to an LGBTQ+ Fans for Diversity Fund to help LGBTQ+ supporter groups raise more awareness and support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in football.

This year, for every goal scored with the Rainbow Ball across the Championship, League One and League Two fixtures from 6-17 February, PUMA will once again donate money to Football v Homophobia. This will support the charity's ongoing work in tackling discrimination in this area.

Argyle's biggest win in 17 months, a 5-1 victory over Millwall, put the gloss on one of the most seismic weeks the club has had in an indeterminate amount of time. Argyle were superb, taking on a side on a four-game winning streak and bouncing them around Home Park at will. The Greens led 2-0 after ten minutes, with a Joe Bryan own-goal and a Ryan Hardie penalty setting the tone. The second half began in similar fashion, Mustapha Bundu getting in on the action before Hardie bagged his second. Bryan scored to level up his own credit column on the night, but Nikola Katic grabbed a fifth to show the Greens were anything but toothless.

Argyle: Hazard, Ogbeta (Mumba), Houghton, Hardie (Baidoo), Wright, Bundu (Al Hajj), Randell (Gyabi), Katic, Sorinola (Szucs), Talovierov, Palsson. Substitutes (not used): Grimshaw, Boateng, Tijani, Issaka.

11th

Argyle Women's captain Giota Papaioannou has been voted the Player of the Month for January.

The defender was a key part of the Argyle defensive line that picked up a vital victory against Milton Keynes Dons at the start of the month, as the side begins to push up the table.

Giota won the supporters' poll with 38% of the vote, ahead of Ella Stephens (28%), Georgie Knott (17%) and Amii Kearley (17%).

10th

Argyle, conquerors of Premier League leaders, Liverpool, have been rewarded with another plum tie against top-flight opponents in round 5 of the FA Cup. The Pilgrims will travel to the Etihad stadium to take on Manchester City - the team that ha won the league for the last four seasons.

Argyle faced City in the League Cup semi-final in 1974, and have faced the Manchester giants once before in the FA Cup, in 1988.

Fifth-round ties are scheduled to be played between 28 February and 3 March.

Argyle have appointed Hubert Auer as set-piece coach until the end of the season.

Born in Austria, Auer is a former professional goalkeeper and has also spent time as a goalkeeping coach.

He now joins Head Coach Miron Muslic's staff, supporting Assistant Head Coach Adin Osmanbasic, first-team coaches Eddie Lattimore and Kevin Nancekivell, and goalkeeping coach Darryl Flahavan.

Muslic is delighted to bring such a specialist position to the Argyle coaching staff. As he said, "Set pieces have become a really important part of the game in the past few years and I am really happy to bring Hubert in to focus specifically on improving our set pieces both from an attacking and defending point of view.

"We are all aware we have not scored enough goals from set pieces this season and we hope to change that with Hubert's input and expertise."

9th

Argyle produced the greatest cup result in their history, as a Ryan Hardie penalty eliminated Premier League leaders Liverpool. Premier League leaders, not only that, but the team leading the Champions League rankings, the eight-time FA Cup winners, 19-times English champions. And they got beat by the Championship's bottom side, a team who, two home games ago, were 5-0 down at half-time. Football, eh?

Argyle: Hazard, Pleguezuelo (Palsson), Hardie (Obafemi), Wright, Bundu (Tijani), Puchacz, Gyabi, Randell (Boateng), Katic, Sorinola, Talovierov. Substitutes (not used): Grimshaw, Mumba, Houghton, Al Hajj, Baidoo.

Argyle Women capped off a wonderful Green treble of weekend wins, with a valiant away victory over AFC Wimbledon at the Cherry Red Records Stadium in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division.

This was a to and fro game in which Dons took the lead through Dior Knorr's strike just before the half-hour mark, but a double from Charlotte Whitmore - which included a 96th-minute winner - claimed the three points.

Assistant head coach Jon Dawe had nothing but praise for the gritty and determined 90-minute performance in South West London, and the continued growth of the Greens since the turn of the New Year.

"[It was] just a fantastic effort from the girls," Dawe told Argyle TV. "It was just incredible. They're a special group.

"This group of players, based on that performance today, are more than capable of staying in this division."

Those points push Argyle out of the relegation zone, two ahead of Billericay Town below them.

Argyle will now look for a third consecutive victory on Sunday, 16 February, away at Oxford United.

8th

Argyle Under-18s reached the last eight of the Youth Alliance Cup with a comprehensive, straightforward 7-1 win over Newport County on Saturday morning.

Tegan Finn scored four goals, two in each half, with Seb Campbell getting two and Fletcher Poole one in a victory that neatly followed up the Young Pilgrims' FA Youth Cup win at Everton on Tuesday night.

Head Coach Jamie Lowry was naturally delighted. "The  boys did really well today and the win over Newport just tops off a great week, really," he said. "They worked really hard and were obviously full of confidence from Tuesday night, so overall a really good performance. They were nice and aggressive, on the front foot, had good energy and work rate.

"We had lots of quality in front of goal to score seven goals. It is really pleasing to go through to the next round of two competitions in the space of five days."

6th

Argyle's away fixture against Portsmouth at Fratton Park has been moved from Tuesday 11 March to Wednesday 12 March because of our opponents home game against Leeds being selected for TV broadcast and moved to Sunday 9 March. The kick-off time remains at 7.45 pm.

5th

Argyle Under-18s Head Coach Jamie Lowry was beaming from ear-to-ear after his side's incredible FA Cup win last night against Everton on Merseyside

"I'm pretty speechless to be fair," he said. "The boys were incredible. Left it all out on the pitch. They put the game plan down to a tee. Blocked tackles, made saves, passed the ball and defended like lions when they needed to. It's just an incredible performance and it's something they fully deserve. They work so hard day in, day out, the whole programme. I'm so proud of them.

"I think the early goal maybe helped settle the nerves a little bit.

"They say you can score too early, but I think after 43 seconds, at the start of the game, if you said 1-0 [to us] I'll take it. For the rest of them, the game plan was fantastic and they implemented and carried out.

"As you can imagine, the boys are bouncing in the changing rooms. I can't speak any higher than what they've achieved together. And again, for the lads that missed out, are at home injured, have long-term injuries and things like that, this is a testament to them. So, this is not just for the 16 that were involved today, it's the whole academy, in terms of the scholars and then also the coaching staff throughout the age groups as well.

"It's all a massive part of it, part of the journey, and it's a massive thing for our guys as well. I'm super proud and pleased for them."

4th

Argyle's Under-18s scored a stunning victory in the FA Youth Cup, beating Everton away by 1-0. A penalty in the second minute of the game, converted by Cole Fisher was enough, as the young Greens held on for the remaining 88 minutes against the three-times winners of the Cup.

Argyle will now play another Category 1 academy side Aston Villa in the quarter-finals.

3rd

At the eleventh hour on deadline day of the transfer window, Argyle have signed defensive midfielder, Malachi Boateng, for an undisclosed fee, on a three-and-a-half year contract from Scottish Premiership side, Heart of Midlothian.

The 22-year-old started his career at Crystal Palace and spent time on loan at Queen's Park and Dundee, prior to joining Hearts last summer.

He is the brother of former Argyle player, Hiram and becomes the second brother pair to play for the club after Aaron and Jordan Bentley.

Head Coach, Miron Muslic, commented: "Malachi provides further strength in depth to the squad but also fits the profile of player we are trying to sign perfectly.

"He is tall, athletic and physical and complements the style of play I am trying to implement here at Argyle."

Head of Recruitment, Jimmy Dickinson, added: "Malachi is a ball winning defensive midfielder who will bolster Miron's options.

"He adds athleticism and is also young and has loads of potential to develop and grow, and we believe he can do that under Miron's leadership here at Argyle."

But interest in midfielder Etienne Camara of Belgian club, Charleroi, and in Notts County's Alassana Jatta did not materialise.

Matty Sorinola has won the CT1 player of the month award for January.

After only playing limited minute at the start of the season, Matty has impressed since returning to the side, appearing six times for the Greens in the month, and picked up an assist for Argyle's winner at Brentford in the Emirates FA Cup.

He has rapidly become a fans' favourite, winning the supporters' poll with 46% of the vote. Julio Pleguezuelo, also fantastic throughout January, came second with 39%, while Conor Hazard and Victor Palsson received 10% and 5% respectively.

2nd

Argyle Women picked up a vital three points with a hard-fought victory at home to Lewes.

Two first-half goals, one from Charlotte Whitmore and one for Georgia Wilson, placed the Greens in a strong position for a win. Despite a Hannah Godfrey goal causing a few scares amongst the Green Army in attendance, Argyle held on and saw the game out for a big three points.

Argyle's long-term partnership with Plymouth Marjon University has taken another step forward with a new agreement that will see them become the front-of-shirt sponsor for Argyle Women's away kit.

Argyle will also continue to benefit from use of the University's high-performance facilities and Middleton House, where several of the squad reside.

1st

Ryan Hardie's stunning substitute appearance turned Argyle's game against West Bromwich Albion on its head at Home Park, as the Scottish forward scored twice to give Miron Muslic his first win as Head Coach. Albion had taken the lead via a substitute of their own, Jayson Molumby, who slid in to give the visitors a lead fairly late in the game, but Argyle immediately equalised through a penalty, earned after a hand had stopped Hardie's shot, and which the number 9 dispatched. Then, with two minutes of the 90 to play, Hardie had a shot blocked, but gathered the rebound and struck a decisive blow to give Argyle their first league win in almost three months.

Argyle: Hazard, Houghton (Gyabi), Pleguezuelo, Wright (Hardie), Bundu (Obafemi), Puchacz, Randell, Katic (Palsson), Sorinola, Baidoo (Al Hajj), Talovierov. Substitutes (not used): Grimshaw, Mumba, Ogbeta, Tijani.

Today's game against West Bromwich Albion sees the start of Argyle v Homophobia month, as the club comes together to fight prejudice in football.

All Argyle's home games across both the men's and women's teams throughout February will raise awareness in partnership with Argyle Pride.

Warm up t-shirts at the start of this month highlight our Choose Respect campaign, to ensure an inclusive game for all, and key messaging will be shared across our website and social media channels, and throughout the stadium.

Ibrahim Cissoko has left Argyle. The talented winger, who has recently been sidelined through injury, has returned to his parent club, French side Toulouse, and has immediately been loaned out to Argyle's Championship rivals, Sheffield Wednesday.

The 21-year-old joined Argyle temporarily last summer and went on to make 15 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring three goals.

Two of those goals came in Argyle's 3-1 win over Luton in the Sky Bet Championship in September but after a long spell out with injury he has since struggled for first team opportunities.

31st January

The last day of the month was a busy one for Argyle in the transfer market with the arrival of two East European central defenders.

Ukrainian international Maksym Talovierov has signed for Argyle for a record fee, said to be in the region of £1.7m, on a three-and-a-half-year contract.

He joins from Austrian club LASK and has also played for Slavia Prague, Slovan Liberec and Dynamo Ceske Budejovice, among others.

At the age of 24, Talovierov made his international debut for Ukraine in 2024 and has since gone on to make seven appearances for his country.

Argyle Head Coach Miron Muslic is delighted to bring him to the club, commenting: "I have been open since I joined Argyle that we would be patient to bring in the right players who could help the team.

"In Maksym we feel we have done just that as he is a commanding presence who will add height and physicality to the side, but he is also good on the ball and technically good.

"Most importantly, he is a good defender and will strengthen our options in the defensive department of the squad. I am really pleased to bring him to the club and look forward to working with him."

And in second move, Argyle have signed Bosnian international Nikola Katic on loan from Zurich until the end of the season.

Prior to joining the Swiss side in 2022, Katic had played for Hajduk Split, Rangers and Slaven Belupo, among others, and has also represented his country six times.

Standing at 6 foot 4, the 28-year-old will add international and European experience to Miron Muslic's defensive options.

Muslic said: "Nikola joins us with excellent pedigree having represented his country and played European football.

"He will add further height and defensive strength to our options but most of all showed a real desire to be a part of Argyle for the rest of the season.

"I have said before that I want players in the squad who want to be here, and Nikola showed exactly that.

"I'm really happy he has joined us and want to welcome him to Argyle."

Head of recruitment, Jimmy Dickinson, added: "With Maksym and Nikola today, we have added two defenders with international pedigree, and both will bolster the squad significantly as we head into the rest of the season."

Subject to international clearances, both players will be available for selection against WBA at Home Park on Saturday.

29th

End of month loan watch:

Young defender, Jack Matthews, continues to be a regular starter for Taunton Town in the Southern League Premier South.

The Peacocks remain in the hunt for a play-off place, after a run of just one loss in eight, which came in their most recent fixture against runaway table-toppers Merthyr Town.

Matthews has been impressive in his time in Somerset, and his month began with an extension to his loan, through to the end of the season.

Will Jenkins Davies featured throughout the month for Torquay United, as they had mixed fortunes in the Vanarama National League South.

The Gulls began with a perfect 1-0 win over promotion rivals Truro City on New Year's Day, and a 3-1 home victory over Welling United. These were either side of a 5-1 loss to Worthing in the Isuzu FA Trophy.

Former first-team striker, Ben Waine, has been a regular in the match-day squad for Mansfield Town, but has found Sky Bet League One minutes hard to come by.

The New Zealand international only featured off the bench this month, in three of the Stags' five league matches, and didn't play in their Emirates FA Cup defeat to Wigan Athletic.

Midfielder Josh Bernard received only limited minutes from the bench for Tiverton Town in January, before returning to Home Park and being sent back out on loan to Mousehole.

27th

To the enormous delight of everyone at Argyle, Kevin Nancekivell, otherwise known as 'Nance' and 'Mr Argyle' has been awarded the freedom of the City of Plymouth for services to football. His name was put forward by Matt Smith, councillor for Compton Ward and an Argyle fan, and agreed at a full council meeting. Since 1914, only 46 people have been made freemen of the city, so this is an enormous and well-deserved honour. Two former MPs, Linda Gilroy and Sir Gary Streeter were also honoured.

This was the official citation:

Kevin played non-league football for Bideford Town and Tiverton Town before getting his chance with Argyle at the age of 28.

Retiring from playing in 2004, Kevin began a coaching journey that saw him rise through various roles with Argyle's Centres of Excellence and Academy, gaining his UEFA A Licence in 2010.

In 2011, new Argyle manager Carl Fletcher asked Nancekivell to join his first-team coaching staff, and when Fletcher left in 2013 Kevin, along with Romain Larrieu, took temporary charge of the team.

It was the first of five times where Nance has taken caretaker charge of Argyle, either solo or as a unit, typically with strong results.

For his passion, dedication and honesty, not to mention his skill as a coach, Kevin is a beloved figure to the Green Army, who sometimes refer to him as 'Mr Plymouth Argyle'.

Kevin said: 'I'm incredibly honoured to receive the Freedom of the City award. Plymouth has been a huge part of my life, and it's a privilege to represent this great city through football.

"To be recognised in this way is truly humbling but it wouldn't have been possible without the support and dedication of my family, colleagues, teammates and of course Argyle supporters."

26th

For Miron Muslic, the most important aspect to Argyle's trip to Sunderland was the reaction by his players to their stinging 5-0 defeat by Burnley at Home Park three days before, with all the goals coming in the first half. However, the reaction from the 800-strong Green Army, high in the Gods at the Stadium of Light, told a telling tale too.

After making 50% of their longest round trip of the season, the traveling faithful got to see their team not only play in an organised, committed fashion, but also grab a deserved point by virtue of a 90th-minute equaliser from Nathanael Ogbeta.

"The most important thing after such hard hits is to show a reaction," said Muslic. "Today, we had a team ready to fight for Argyle; ready to give it all for the Green Army.

"Before we left the locker room, I said: 'we have an obligation. They left Plymouth at two o'clock in the morning to travel the whole night. Our only obligation is to give it all for them.' And we did.

"It was a proof of life, and that was the most important thing. If you get beaten like we did a couple of days ago against Burnley, it takes a lot of courage then to come here and try to perform.

"I said in the half-time against Burnley, it takes a lot of guts and courage to get out and finish the game. If we can do this, this will be a step forward for us.

"It's a small step forward, but it's a step forward. We are moving slowly, but we are moving and that's okay...Again,

it takes a lot of heart to come back. We did this. That's why I'm happy.

"[Ogbeta's goal] was a good moment for all of us because that gave us hope. We are sportsmen. We are professional football players.

"A couple of days ago, we lost 5-0 and it was completely deserved. The reaction afterwards is the most important, and we showed that reaction."

It's Pleggy's birthday. Happy 28th to our Spanish defender, Julio Pleguezelo.

Argyle's special FA Women's National League Cup run ended with a 3-0 semi-final defeat against Stoke City at Home Park.

The Potters' domination of possession and chance creation was too much for the home side, despite a positive end to the tie in varying weather conditions at the Theatre of Greens.

Goals from Shannon Stamps and Tamara Wilcock, after a Katie Dickson own goal, handed the Staffordshire side passage to the competition's final, where they will face Nottingham Forest.

Head Coach Ryan Perks was forced to make two changes to his starting 11 against Watford the week before due to minor injuries. Ellie Sara and Georgie Knott came into the side for Imy Crawford and Georgia Wilson.

Afterwards, Perks said: "We've had a good cup run to get to the semi-final and beat some tough teams along the way, but we've come up against a very well-organised side here versus Stoke. We knew they would have a bit more of the ball, but I think we limited their opportunities.

"I've mentioned before that we need to be better once we win possession back. In the first half, we regained possession in an organised structure 22 times, but we only secured possession on seven. That's not good enough. That needs to improve, and I think it did in the second half.

"We've played with some freedom in the cup games, with probably less pressure. I've not hidden the fact that the bread and butter is the league, but we were in the semi-final and we wanted to win today, so it is disappointing.

"We've got to build confidence from the results. We need to take confidence from that coming into the League. It's going to be an interesting eight or nine weeks towards the end of the season, but it's down to us to apply ourselves. I think the energy and work rate was better today and that's what we're going to need.

"We're going to need to fight for every point and every minute on the pitch. That's what's going to get us over the line."

25th

After Argyle fans – the group who travel the furthest in an EFL campaign – made their longest of many long trips during the season, Nathanael Ogbeta made their efforts worthwhile with a dramatic last-ditch equaliser at the Stadium of Light. A key word in there: effort. After losing 5-0 at home to Burnley earlier in the week, a loss and performance which displeased everyone from Head Coach Miron Muslic downwards, this was an Argyle transformed, covering distances and playing with the heart we all want to see. The Greens even took the lead, with a Ryan Hardie effort just about crossing the line – it may go down as an own-goal ultimately, but we like to credit strikers where we can – before Wilson Isidor equalised soon afterwards. Sunderland took the lead via a Trai Hume goal, and it looked like Argyle may leave empty-handed despite their endeavours, only for Ogbeta to pop up as the 90th minute elapsed and grab a deserved point.

Argyle: Hazard, Mumba, Houghton (Gyabi), Pleguezuelo (Ogbeta), Hardie (Baidoo), Wright (Al Hajj), Bundu (Tijani), Puchacz, Randell, Sorinola, Palsson. Substitutes (not used): Grimshaw, Cissoko, Roberts, Issaka.

Argyle Under-18s suffered defeat in the Youth Alliance League for the first time since September, losing 3-1 to Oxford United.

Kian Burch's second-half header brought Argyle back into the game in Oxfordshire after the hosts took the lead through Lew Snowden. However, a Jack Lee penalty and finish from Mubarak Abolade within five minutes of each other handed the U's the three points.

Head Coach Jamie Lowry said: "I thought we started really well but didn't take our opportunities, which probably gave Oxford a bit of hope and belief. After that, we didn't work hard enough to get on the ball or defend. We got outrun and outfought by Oxford which was really disappointing.

"We've had a great run of performances across 11 games but this wasn't up to our standards. We didn't have the hunger or desire to go above and beyond, and it showed on the day.

"In and out of possession, it wasn't acceptable from what we ask of them. It might be a bit of a learning curve for some of the lads, and we have a great chance to bounce back in our next few games and we can right our wrongs."

24th

After days of speculation, it was announced that Morgan Whittaker had signed for Middlesbrough. The undisclosed fee is thought to be in the region of £8m, including add-ons. Argyle are contractually obliged to pay his former Club, Swansea City, a proportion of that fee.

Following a successful loan spell, Whittaker returned to Argyle in the summer of 2023 for a record fee - said to be £1m - and went on to make 72 appearances, scoring 24 goals in his 18 months with the club.

Highlights include his 19 league goals in our first season back in the Sky Bet Championship and his strike that saw Argyle defeat Brentford in the Emirates FA Cup Third Round just two weeks ago.

Morgan will rejoin former Argyle-loanee, Finn Azaz, at the Riverside.

23rd

Two conflicting versions of Morgan Whittaker's absence from the line-up against Burnley have added to the speculation about a possible transfer for the no. 10, with Birmingham and Middlesbrough now apparently competing with Burnley for his signature.

Argyle's Sky Bet Championship match against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road will now be played on Wednesday, 19 February with a 7,45 pm kick off.

The match was originally scheduled for Saturday 8 February, but has been moved because the Greens are set to face Liverpool in the Emirates FA Cup fourth round that Sunday.

22nd

Burnley inflicted a heavy defeat on Argyle at Home Park, scoring five unanswered goals in the opening 45 minutes of a dispiriting encounter. Zian Flemming got the scoring under way with a pair of goals to put the Clarets into a strong position, before Josh Laurent matched his team-mate with a double of his own. Just before the break, Josh Cullen added a fifth to round off a victory which had already been long assured for the visitors.

Argyle: Grimshaw, Mumba, Ogbeta (Sorinola), Pleguezuelo, Hardie (Bundu), Puchacz, Gyabi, Randell (Houghton), Al Hajj (Wright), Baidoo (Finn), Palsson. Substitutes (not used): Baker, Cissoko, Roberts, Issaka.

Argyle's dismal performance seems not to have been helped by controversy surrounding Morgan Whittaker. Apparently originally picked for the 11, he was replaced by Ogbeta In the team sheet before the start and watched the game, fully kitted, from the Mayflower stand. His (non-) appearance only added to the increasing speculation about a possible transfer away from Home Park for the no. 10, with tonight's opponents, Burnley being one suggested destination.

21st

Argyle Head Coach, Miron Muslic, has added to his backroom staff, bringing in Adin Osmanbasic and Eddie Lattimore, both of whom he worked with at Cercle Brugge.

Osmanbasic will take up the role of Assistant Head Coach, while Lattimore will join as Head of Athletic Performance and first team coach. That will see Gareth Law revert to his previous role as Head of Physiotherapy.

The two additions will join first team coach Kevin Nancekivell and goalkeeping coach Darryl Flahavan in making up Muslic's backroom team. There is still potential for further additions as well.

Muslic said: "Adin and Eddie are two people I know well from my time at Cercle and are outstanding at their respective roles.

"Both will strengthen the team we have in place and know the way I work on and off the pitch and the footballing principles we want to implement into the team.

"I was keen to bring them to Argyle when I joined but sorting out the logistics of their visa requirements has taken longer than we would have hoped and out of respect for my former club we wanted to make sure everything was finalised properly.

"Adin and Eddie will get to work immediately as we look to face the challenge we all have ahead of us. I am excited to see the impact they have on the squad and want to welcome them both to Argyle."

Argyle have announced ticket details for the FA Cup fourth round clash against Liverpool at Home Park on Sunday 9 February, with a kick-off time of 3pm. Details can be found on the website.

https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/liverpool-h-emirates-fa-cup-ticket-information

Argyle Women's clash against Stoke City at Home Park in Sunday's FA Women's National League Cup semi-final will be streamed live on Argyle TV.

An exciting run of victories against Bridgwater United, London Bees, Maidenhead United, Billericay Town and Watford have secured Argyle the opportunity to play for a chance of silverware this season.

The match will be available to watch anywhere in the world for just £2.50 – existing Argyle TV subscribers will be able to access the stream as part of their subscription. Commentary will begin shortly before the 2pm kick-off.

Voting has opened for the next phase of Forever Green Icons - the Class of 2025. Some slight alterations have been made to this year's induction process in preparation for the next five players to become Icons. A Forever Green panel, chaired by first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell, has decided to automatically include three men: Bob Jack, Kevin Hodges and Sammy Black.

Two further icons will be selected in two era-based categories. The candidates are - in alphabetical order:

In Category A: Ray Bowden, Wilf Carter, Jack Chisholm, Jack Cock, Steve Davey, Maurice Tadman.

In Category B: Mickey Evans, Carl Fletcher, Romain Larrieu, Paul Mariner, Ronnie Mauge, Paul Wotton.

Details about the candidate and the voting process can be found on the Argyle website: https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/forever-green-class-2025-vote-now

Former Argyle forward Keith Etheridge has died at the age of 80.

Having scored regularly in local football, Keith joined Argyle, aged 22, from St Blazey, in 1966. During two seasons, heplayed 32 matches, scoring five goals, under managers Derek Ufton and Billy Bingham.

Keith left Argyle in 1968, first joining Weymouth Town, and then playing for over a decade for Falmouth Town, making more than 300 appearances for the Cornish side.

19th

"It was a terrible performance," was Argyle's new Head Coach, Miron Muslic's assessment of his side's 1-0 home defeat by QPR yesterday.

"We were far away from deserving anything today.

"The message to the team was that we have to realise the situation we are in - and we are in this situation together. The only way out of this is to compete, to challenge, to win duels and to show that we can be physical.

"Today we lacked that. It was a much-deserved victory for QPR, and that hurts.

"I said this to the team: the only guy who performed on a normal level today was Daniel - and that's a problem. If, in a home game, your best player on the pitch is consistently the goalkeeper, then we're doing something wrong.

"I said at half-time, if you want to have a chance to get out of this game and to earn something, we need to be competitive in duels first. It's not about tactics, it's not about style of play, it's not about the system - It's about the desire to win a duel and we lacked that today."

Argyle continue to be hurt by injuries, with Brendan Galloway the latest to miss out, but Muslic refused to allow the queue at the treatment table to be any kind of get-out for the way the QPR game unfolded.

"I don't like excuses at all," he said. "Today, we still had a competitive team on the pitch. We still had enough game-changers on the bench with quality. It's up to us. We have to learn, and we have to learn very, very quickly. All of us.

"Right now, we are on the ground. The only possibility, and the only way to get up, is we have to do this collectively as a team, as Argyle. We have to take our own responsibilities, every single one of us. Then, we can be competitive, and then we have a chance to reach the goal we have - to stay up.

"We, as staff, will try everything possible to reach a hand to the lads, so we can get up and then we can go again. We have to accept this situation, and it's all about finding solutions for this.

"[The fans] deserve better than we performed today and maybe have performed collectively as an organisation over the last six months.

"We are down right now, and the only way is up. The most important thing for me is just to accept this situation. It's an urgent situation. We have to realise that. For that, you need to get up and be ready to fight."

Argyle Women suffered a 4-0 defeat to Watford at Langsford Park, Tavistock, in the FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division, having previously beaten the Hornets earlier in the season.

Goals from Ellie Head, Jessie Gale, Bianca Baptiste and Megan Chandler handed the visitors three points in Devon, pushing them into fourth place in the league table.

Argyle dropped into the relegation zone with the loss, coupled with Gwalia United's draw against Exeter handing the Welsh side a point away from home.

"I thought, without the ball, structurally, we were okay," Head Coach, Ryan Perks, told Argyle TV, "but we weren't good enough with the ball today. That's an area we need to improve on quickly. It's down to us to turn it around.

"It's difficult because we've got a very inexperienced squad. If you look at the difference in the two teams today, Watford have got ex-WSL players and national players all over the pitch and we're a young developing side which is going to take a bit of time. The difference between the two teams today was probably just the quality on the pitch.

"We need to be better with the ball, make better decisions and stop making so many mistakes. It's been the story of our season. We get punished for little lapses of concentration or lack of quality - that's the difference between us being a good competitive side in this league and where we are at the minute.

"We'll keep plugging away and working hard, but the focus this week will be to be better with the ball on the transition."

18th

Queens Park Rangers inflicted defeat on Argyle at Home Park to end the Pilgrims' four-game unbeaten run. Rayan Kolli's second-half goal was the difference between the teams, with the QPR substitute scoring not long after the hour mark, and Argyle unable to find a way to conjure up an equaliser.

Argyle: Grimshaw, Mumba (Sorinola), Pleguezuelo, Hardie (Bundu), Whittaker (Cissoko), Puchacz, Gyabi (Houghton), Randell, Hajj (Wright), Baidoo, Palsson. Substitutes (not used): Baker, Ogbeta, Roberts, Issaka.

Argyle Under-18s' unbeaten run in the Youth Alliance League continued with a 2-2 draw against Cheltenham Town at Millennium Fields.

A brace from Tegan Finn pushed the Greens into the lead, but two goals in seven minutes for the Gloucestershire side halted Argyle from recording a seventh win in a row.

"The game should've been out of sight," Head Coach, Jamie Lowry, told Argyle TV. "We should be able to see out and manage those types of games. I think the goals Cheltenham scored were too easy and too soft.

"However, we did go 2-0 up and had some good build-up play. We knew it would be hard to play how we wanted to with the pitch, but that's not something we can control. We said we would have to play a certain way, that's not maybe ideal, to get a result - and we did. Both goals came from forward passes so there are positives, but we know our standards are better than what was on show."

17th

Argyle's home tie against Liverpool in the 4th round of the FA Cup has been confirmed for Sunday 9 February, ko 3pm. The match will be shown live on ITV1.

Consequently, the home league fixture against Millwall has been moved from Tuesday 11 February to Wednesday 12 February, ko at 7.45 pm.

15th

"It's a point and we have to take it," said Argyle Head Coach, Miron Muslic, after his first game - against Oxford United - ended in a 1-1 draw. "If you can't win, then don't lose.

"I think we started well, very powerful. We had some dangerous moments. Everything was good; we didn't allow Oxford anything offensively - and then a banger in minute 44, the first shot on the goal, [went in]. It was a beautiful goal; you have to accept this.

"Going into half-time, we said that structurally we are okay, stick to the plan, play the ball forward, stay high up on the pitch, try to turn this around.

"The belief was that we could get out of half-time and face this, also try everything to turn this. There are a lot of things we prepared only in one day and it was visible. Exactly the way we scored we actually prepared this in the session, even though it was just a walkthrough.

"We stabilised the defensive structure again. If you just look at the last two games, we only conceded one goal, and it was a goal you can't defend. It's a step forward; we have to continue, and we will continue.

"Some things that we can work on, a million things we can improve."

"We have another opportunity Saturday and if we can manage to do this, that's okay in the end."

14th

Defender Saxon Earley has returned to Argyle from his loan spell at Lincoln City and has resumed training with the Greens.

Saxon, who joined Argyle in January 2023, also spent time on loan at Wycombe Wanderers.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Marko Marosi has left Argyle following the expiration of his contract.

Despite not making an appearance, Marko has been an exemplary squad member and provided valuable cover while Conor Hazard was out with injury.

He showed true professionalism during his time at the club and everyone at Argyle would like to wish Marko all the best for his future career.

Miron Muslic's era as Argyle boss began with a 1-1 draw with Oxford United at Home Park. It was a third straight league draw for Argyle, wrapped around Saturday's win over Brentford in the FA Cup, making the unbeaten run now four games. Oxford nicked a lead just before half-time, when Will Vaulks smashed home a terrific goal, but Argyle responded, and levelled via Rami Al Hajj's third Argyle goal, his second in consecutive home games.

Argyle: Grimshaw, Mumba, Pleguezuelo, Whittaker, Puchacz (Ogbeta), Gyabi (Houghton), Randell, Galloway, Al Hajj (Obafemi), Baidoo, Palsson (Cissoko). Substitutes (not used): Baker, Wright, Bundu, Sorinola, Roberts.

13th

Argyle have finally confirmed via the Club website what has long been suspected that Director of Football Neil Dewsnip has left the club with immediate effect.

The importance of securing our Sky Bet Championship status and the change in Head Coach, has enabled us to relook at the football department and make sure it is appropriate for future challenges.

Neil has played a pivotal role in the club's progression since he joined Argyle in 2019, overseeing two promotions from Sky Bet League Two and League One and aided the club's survival in the Championship last season with two caretaker spells, including crucial wins against Leicester and Hull City.

He also implemented first-class structures throughout our Academy system that have seen the emergence of the likes of Tegan Finn, Caleb Roberts, Joe Hatch and Freddie Issaka, and oversaw the amalgamation of the women's team into the football club.

Chairman Simon Hallett, commented: "Neil has been an integral figure in our progress ever since he joined the club in 2019.

"He has overseen a transformation on and off the pitch which cannot be underestimated. When he joined, we were in League Two and now we sit today in the Championship and a lot of that is down to the hard work and dedication of Neil.

"We feel it is now the right time to move in a different direction, but I want to personally thank Neil for everything he has done for Argyle. He will be welcome back at Home Park whenever he wishes."

Former Argyle and Manchester City player, Tony Book, has died, aged 90.

Tony's story was an amazing one. He did not play league football until he was 30, but was still playing at 40, and became a true club legend for Manchester City.

Born in Bath, Tony was a bricklayer, and served national service, playing football for the Army and for local sides, eventually joining Bath City.

In 1964, manager Malcolm Allison left Bath, to move to Toronto, and he persuaded Book to go with him. Within a very short period, Allison left Canada to take over at Home Park. He moved to bring Tony with him once more – and the story goes that Allison fibbed about Book's age, saying he was 28, concerned that his age may play against him when being signed.

Book became a Pilgrim, and played 93 times, scoring three goals, at full-back. He was a virtual fixture in the side in the 1964/65 and 65/66 seasons, during which Argyle finished mid-table in the second tier.

Allison left Argyle to become Joe Mercer's assistant at Manchester City, and Allison persuaded Mercer to sign Book, by then 32, at Maine Road.

RIP Tony.

12th

There is only one way to reflect Kevin Nancekivell (Nance)'s contribution not only to yesterday's win but to steering the ship since the departure of Wayne Rooney. The photo says it all:

https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/we-need-talk-about-kevin

With the arrival of new Head Coach, Miron Muslic, Nance and his co-director of operations, Joe Edwards, will return to taking more of a back seat in the coaching department.

Reflecting on yesterday's win, Joe said:

"It has been an amazing day, and something that I think we can look back on and be really proud of.

"We said: 'why can't we come here and get a result and upset someone?' Full credit to the boys because they were magnificent to a man. They were unbelievable. The work rate they put in. To come here, perform like that and get a win is amazing. I'm so proud of them.

"I didn't feel too uncomfortable in the game. We knew they were going to put us under pressure, but the way we defended, and we were set up, was really good. We knew that when we did get it from a regain, and were able to keep the ball and break, then we're going to create some chances, which we did.

"My message to the boys earlier was 'I'm jealous'. I'd still much rather be them, playing in an occasion like this. Even more so now, when you see the scenes afterwards and getting a result like that. Being a player is still something that I'm focused on doing.

"I've loved seeing this side of it. People often say you get thrown into it and it puts you off or makes you even more driven and hungry for it.

"I've loved these last 10 days, two weeks. The boys have been amazing with me. I can't fault them. It must be hard for them to sometimes see me being a part of this side of it. I'm doing my rehab in between all I've been doing, so I'm concentrating on that. I want to get myself back fit and like I said to the boys, I want to be a part of these days on the pitch still. I think I can still do that."

Joe went out of his way to praise the 2,500 members of the Green Army who travelled to Brentford and never stopped singing and encouraging their side throughout.

"I think they deserve that," said Joe. "We have got the worst away record and they do keep travelling.

"They've been everywhere with us, not just this season, but for however long I've been here. That one's definitely for them because these are the days that will keep them going.

"They've deserved a moment like that because they've stuck with us. It means everything to them and it means everything to us to see them happy."

Following their magnificent victory against Premier League Brentford at the GTech stadium yesterday, Argyle have been rewarded with a plum tie in the fourth round as they have been drawn against League-leaders, Liverpool, at Home Park. In the 2016-17 season, the Greens held the reds to a nil-all draw at Anfield before succumbing one-nil in the replay at Home Park.

Argyle women suffered a 2-0 defeat to Hashtag United on Sunday afternoon in FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division action at Parkside Stadium. Hashtag's victory meant they went to the top of the table.

The Greens started the game on the front foot, but soon the pressure started to pile on Argyle as Hashtag maintained possession and hit the Greens with continuous attacking waves. Hashtag quickly showed again their threat from set=-pieces as a corner was swung to the back post and flicked home. Argyle managed to hold on and trailed by only a goal after the first 45 minutes of action.

After the break, the Greens looked the better side. Strong and quick defensive work, alongside tidy passing play, presented Argyle an opportunity to run at the Hashtag defence on the counter. It appeared that an equaliser could be on the cards until Hashtag doubled their advantage out of nowhere.

Argyle still sit outside the relegation zone in 10th place and will look to get back to winning ways against Watford at Langsford Park, the home of Tavistock, on Sunday, 19 January.

"I think it's disappointing," said Head Coach, Ryan Perks. We've come here and had a real good go. I think the girls were excellent in spells today. We've caused Hashtag a few problems and limited them to a few chances.

"They listened to the game plan again and executed it for most of the game. Good teams punish you for little errors and that's what happened today. We had two good chances to score, so there's lots to take... A spirited display and performance today gives us confidence moving into the next few games."

11th

For the first time this season, Argyle have won away from home. Never mind that, for the first time since 1984, Argyle have beaten a team from the top flight in the FA Cup, and we all know what happened that year. But lets not get ahead of ourselves, for now we will celebrate a superb result and performance as Argyle beat Brentford 1-0 thanks to Morgan Whittaker's goal. By the way, that is Plymouth Argyle, with the worst away record in the Championship, beating Brentford, with the second-best home record in the Premier League. Yes, we know it is a different competition, different team selections, but who cares, let's enjoy it!

Argyle: Hazard, Mumba, Pleguezuelo, Whittaker, Wright (Ogbeta), Randell (Gyabi), Galloway (Puchacz), Sorinola, Baidoo (Bundu), Roberts, Palsson. Substitutes (not used): Grimshaw, Szucs, Cissoko, Al Hajj, Issaka.

Argyle Under-18s grabbed their sixth consecutive Youth Alliance League victory as they beat Forest Green Rovers 4-2. A Tegan Finn brace, and goals from Fletcher Poole and Harry Shield, ensured Argyle brought all three points back to Plymouth.

Head Coach Jamie Lowry said: "I thought, overall, the boys did really well, after a big shift on Wednesday night in the FA Youth Cup. It was always going to be hard to get the boys going, but we spoke before the game and on the game day as well, if we want to be serious contenders for the league this season, these are the games that we can't afford to drop points at. In terms of that, I thought their mentality and their attitude was excellent.

"We managed the game well and started quite brightly and early through Tegan [Finn] and then they grew into a game and to a three-goal lead. It's disappointing to concede a couple of sloppy goals towards the end, but overall, I'm pleased with the boys.

"They had a really tough week mentally and physically but, at the end of the day, they've come away with two wins from two. I'm proud of them."

10th

Following 10 days of increasingly fevered speculation and wild movements in the betting market, Argyle finally announced the appointment of a new Head Coach. Miron Muslic, former manager of Belgian side, Cercle Brugge. Muslic was chosen from a final shortlist of three which included Steven Schumacher, former Argyle manager, and many fans' favourite to return. He comes to Home Park with a three-and-a-half year contract. He will watch his new side against Brentford in the FA Cup tomorrow, before taking charge for his first home game against Oxford United on Tuesday night.

At Cercle Brugge, Muslic had an impressive record, winning 43 of his 101 games in charge as he took the Belgian side from a lowly domestic position to European football. His previous managements experience was at Austrian sides Ried and Florisdsdorfer AC.

Highly rated throughout Europe, the 42-year-old also has a reputation for a courageous football style and developing and nurturing young players.

Chairman Simon Hallett is delighted to bring him to the club: "Miron had a clear vision of how he wanted to take Argyle forward and showed a depth of tactical awareness that made it clear exactly how he wanted the team to set up and play.

"He comes with glowing reviews from his time at Cercle Brugge where he took a team from a lowly league position to European football which is no mean feat.

"I want to welcome him to the club and look forward to seeing him have an immediate impact on the team."

First-team coach Kevin Nancekivell will form part of Muslic's backroom team, with further confirmation of the make-up of his staff in due course.

9th

Argyle Chairman, Simon Hallett, has issued an update on the situation with the Head Coach appointment, transfer targets, investment and much else. The full text can be read here: https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/update-chairman-simon-hallett

Argyle have signed Polish international defender Polish Tymoteusz Puchacz on loan until the end of the season, with an option to buy. The left-back who turns 26 later in January, joins on loan from German Bundesliga club Holstein Kiel.

Puchacz has extensive European experience with spells at FC Kaiserslautern, Panathinaikos, Trabzonspor and Union Berlin. He started his career in his home country with Polish giant, Lech Poznan. He has also played 15 times for his country, including in two major tournaments at the UEFA 2020 and 2024 European Championships.

Argyle have beaten off several Championship rivals and European clubs for his signature and Head of Recruitment Jimmy Dickinson is delighted he has chosen to join the club: "Tymoteusz is someone we have been aware of and monitoring for a few months.

"He comes to Argyle with an excellent record and varied experience from several big clubs throughout Europe. There was plenty of competition for his signature, but he is excited by the challenge ahead and felt Argyle was the best fit for the next stage of his career.

"He is naturally left footed, good on the ball, and consistently provides assists, so will provide good balance to the left side of defence but also add further competition for places.

"I am thrilled he has joined and look forward to seeing him in an Argyle shirt soon."

Puchacz will wear the number 17 and be available for selection for this weekend's Emirates FA Cup tie against Brentford should EFL and international clearance be received in time.

8th

Argyle U-18s have advanced to the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup after a win on penalties over Lincoln City at a chilly Home Park. The Greens went two up through goals from Fletcher Poole and Josh Sullivan either side of the break, but the Imps equalised in the second half and the game went straight to pens. Dan Holman saved the Imps' fourth penalty, with Tegan Finn scoring the decisive goal to take Argyle through 5-4.

7th

Three Argyle players have made the Skybet Championship EFL Team of the Week - Goalkeeper Conor Hazard and defenders Brendan Galloway and Bali Mumba.

5th

For the second game in a row - and this one away against a team with a new manager - Argyle came away with a draw under the temporary management of Kevin Nancekivell and Joe Edwards. Nance pronounced themselves "relatively pleased" with the result.

"A point in the Championship, away from home, is not to be ignored. I'm really pleased for the boys. They dug in, showed great character in the second half, put bodies on the line and got a clean sheet as well.

"You come to these places, with a big crowd, a new manager and a red-hot atmosphere. Everybody put their bodies on the line, they wore the badge and the shirt with pride.

"They had to get the blocks in, get the tackles in and stop crosses. They've done that in abundance.

"There's always a great atmosphere here anyway. It's a big club, they are noisy supporters. We said: 'we're going to have to withstand a bit of pressure and we're going to have to manage the game'. I thought the lads were excellent at doing that.

"We did have some moments of our own in the first half. I thought we played quite well in the first half and created one or two good opportunities. The game plan was to do that, and we've executed it really well.

"There's been too many times this season where we've been behind and we've been out of sight before half-time, we definitely weren't that in the first half.

"It's a point; it's not three points. We still want to win away from home, desperately. That was the game plan: to win, it wasn't to draw, but you can't always get what you want, and we can definitely be happy of a point.

"That's a building block for next week and further on."

Argyle Women started their 2025 calendar year with an important 2-1 victory over bottom-of-the-table Milton Keynes Dons at Home Park.

First-half goals from Ella Stephens and Taya Pomfret handed the Greens a comfortable advantage after the first 45 minutes. However, MK Dons were able to cause a scare with a late goal through Mollie Knox.

The Pilgrims held on for the final 10 minutes and secured a vital three points, propelling them out of the relegation zone and ahead of Gwalia United in the FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division table.

4th

A great former Argyle manager used to often to say, 'every point is a prisoner'. On a day like this, you know what he meant. If Stoke City put a DVD of this game in their club shop (they won't) then no amount of January sales marketing activity is going to shift any units. Suffice to say: not a classic. No matter, though. For Argyle, it was a rare away point to add to the tally, and an even rarer clean sheet – just the second of the season. While technical quality was not to the fore, what was on show was heart, organisation and kiln-fired spirit from Argyle, who restricted Stoke – a side who have recently drawn with Burnley and beaten Sunderland – to precious few chances on a cold lunchtime in the Potteries.

Argyle: Hazard, Mumba, Pleguezuelo, Szucs, Obafemi (Issaka), Whittaker, Gyabi (Forshaw), Randell, Galloway, Al Hajj (Houghton), Sorinola (Ogbeta). Substitutes (not used): Grimshaw, Cissoko, Roberts, Finn, Palsson.

Morgan Whittaker's 100th game for the Greens.

3rd

Argyle have finally got their man as long-term target, Ghanaian international, Michael Baidoo, has signed from Swedish club Elfsborg for a Club-record fee, reported to be in the region of £1.45 million.

Baidoo has signed a long-term contract to the summer of 2028, and his transfer sees Argyle beat the fee paid for Morgan Whittaker and Bali Mumba in the summer of 2023.

Predominantly a midfielder, but also capable of playing as a striker, it is at Elfsborg where Baidoo has really starred, having made 76 appearances for them in two campaigns. This season, he has scored 10 times and claimed four assists in the Allsvenskan (Swedish league).

Baidoo was also an integral part of Elfsborg's Europa League campaign, with five goals and three assists, scoring the only goal of the game in Elfsborg's 1-0 win against AS Roma in October.

Head of Recruitment Jimmy Dickinson is thrilled to finally sign a player he has tracked for over a year.

Dickinson said: "Michael is someone we have been aware of for a long time, and I am delighted that we have finally been able to bring him to Argyle.

"He can play a variety of positions so will add real versatility to the squad, but most of all chose to come to Argyle ahead of other top clubs throughout Europe.

"He is excited to play in England and show what he can do, and we believe he will make a real impact on English football.

"I want to thank Simon and the board for helping us bring him to Argyle in a record deal and look forward to seeing him on the pitch very soon."

Baidoo will be available for selection for the FA Cup game against Brentford on Saturday 11 January, having not received international clearance in time for the league fixture against Stoke this weekend.

One in, one out, as defender Lewis Gibson has left Argyle to sign for Championship rivals, Preston North End.

He moves for a significant transfer fee that meets a pre-existing clause in the player's deal.

The 24-year-old joined Argyle in the summer of 2023, as a free agent, having turned down a new contract with Premier League club Everton. In his first season at Home Park, he started 39 of the Greens' 46 Sky Bet Championship games, playing a major part in the club's survival.

This season, he has continued to feature prominently, taking his overall tally of games to 63, while scoring his first goal for the club in the recent 3-3 draw against Middlesbrough.

Striker Andre Gray has also left the Club on the expiration of his temporary contract.

Gray joined Argyle at the start of October on a short-term deal after Muhamed Tijani was ruled out with a hamstring injury. He had most recently been playing in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Riyadh.

Gray made 13 appearances during his time at Home Park and contributed three goals, including the two stunning strikes in the draw against his former club, Watford, at Home Park in November.

Young goalkeeper, Jack Flower, has joined Bath City on a short-term work experience loan deal.

2nd

Joe Edwards, one of Argyle's temporary management team, was relatively upbeat and positive at the Greens' home point against Bristol City yesterday - a point which was snatched, again, in added time.

"This is what this club's about," Edwards said. "Again, in the last minute – [although] we'd like it to be not always so late! We will never give up - and we showed that again today.

"We deserved a point, definitely. I think the first half we started really well, we were on top and I think that's when we needed to score. We know how important it is in these games to score early, when you've got the momentum to do so. We know how effective we can be at home when we start on the front foot, and we create a real tempo.

"I thought we did that. I think we had a few good chances and that's when, in these moments and in this league, you need to take advantage, score and be in front. We didn't do so, and that gave them an opportunity to come into the game.

"They then got the goal and came into the game a little bit. We had to go again second half. We didn't start great, but then we played some really good football, scored a really good goal, and I thought we were in the ascendancy, so it was disappointing again to concede the goal.

"On another day we'd come away with three points here, maybe, but the lads gave us everything. There was plenty of stuff to be positive about.

"I think everyone can see the commitment is there. They're a really honest bunch of players; we've got a good group which want to do well. We're in a tough situation but the easiest way to get out of that is fighting, and showing heart and desire, and I think we saw that today.

"We need that more. In a period like this, when there is a bit of uncertainty, I think coming together and working for each other is something that's essential, which I'm sure we'll get from these boys."

"It was really different [for me]. I had a real good nervous energy about myself. Playing so many games in so many years now, it becomes ingrained into you what feelings you're going to feel.

"I didn't even know what to expect really, but I really enjoyed it. It's a different point of view when you're watching the game, but you're not watching it from a player's point of view, you're watching it thinking: 'how we can change this? How can we improve? Is there a sub coming on, who will he mark at corners?' and things like that.

"There's a lot more you have to think about, which is really good for my development and knowledge. I think it will help me when I get back to playing as well and understand the game even more. I really enjoyed it and, luckily, the boys dug in and got us a goal late on, which we can head home a little bit happier with."

1st

Argyle began the year, and concluded a turbulent couple of days, with a draw at home to Bristol City, earned with another trademark late goal. Under temporary management duo Kevin Nancekivell and Joe Edwards, and in front of over 17,000 inside Home Park, the Greens looked up for the battle, especially in the first half, but still trailed at the break through an Anis Mehmeti goal. Rami Al Hajj scored a deserved equaliser after the break, but parity was short-lived, as City captain Jason Knight scored what looked for a long time like a winning goal. However, Julio Pleguezuelo popped up in stoppage time to force the ball over the line, and grab a point for the Pilgrims.

Argyle: Hazard, Mumba (Cissoko), Pleguezuelo, Szucs, Hardie (Obafemi), Whittaker, Gyabi, Randell, Galloway, Al Hajj (Gray), Sorinola. Substitutes (not used): Grimshaw, Ogbeta, Houghton, Forshaw, Finn, Palsson.

Diary Archive: