Plymouth Argyle 2.10.10

HOW TO GET THERE

CAR
I would imagine that most Poolies will have travelled quite a distance and also not from the West of Plymouth. Take the M5 to the South West and at the end of the motorway continue onto the A38 (The ground is well signposted from the outskirts of Plymouth on the A38). On entering Plymouth, turn left onto the A386 (towards Plymouth). When this road splits into two, keep on the left hand side (again sign posted Plymouth) and after about a mile you will see the ground on your left. The ground is well signposted 'Plymouth Argyle Home Park' on the way into Plymouth.

PARKING
There is a large car-park at the ground which, I have been informed, is FREE to park. This apparently gets full up by 1430hrs and the earlier you arrive the better chance you have of a quick get away. There is also some street parking to be found as you head away from the city centre.

TRAIN
Plymouth train station is around 1½ miles from the ground, which should roughly take about 20 minutes unless you eat too many pies and drink too may pints of beer. As you come out of the station turn right and down the hill and under the railway bridge. Just keep walking straight along this road and you will eventually reach the ground on your right.

You can also get a taxi which will set you back around £3 (roughly a pint in the current market). You will need to check your train times for connections as it is a very long way to Plymouth and you may miss them if you hang around after the game, particularly if you are heading through the big smoke (London).

PUBS/FOOD
Plymouth is a lively Navel City and caution should be exercised around the City Centre, particularly after the game if you are spending a night there. Union Street is known to be particularly punchy late on and has featured on many Police TV programmes for the problems that they encounter down there. Obviously this will tempt many too sample its delights, but those who need further encouragement need only to know that it is a well known Red-Light District also. Enjoy.

Closer to the ground, the welcoming pub is;

Britannia- This is around a 10 minute walk and is part of the Wetherspoons chain. I would expect it to offer cheap food & drinks, sticky tables and a large outside smoking area. It is also said to get extremely busy as kick-off approaches, with queues 4-deep not uncommon. This might change a little this season due to the drop in crowds after relegation. They also discourage away fans from singing their club songs apparently, so those excited about our start to the season will need to stay calm until they enter the ground.

You may also want to wander into town where there are plenty of traditional and chain pubs. One place to avoid is the Embassy Club which is opposite the Britannia. This place has had a long-standing reputation as a ‘home only’ pub and it is not uncommon for visitors to get grief in here. You can also get alcohol in the ground.

This is the West Country so feast away on huge traditional Cornish Pasties to help you recover from the long journey. These are apparently on sale in many of the town’s bakeries and food shops. There is also the Britannia Wetherspoons which will offer the normal quality that you expect from this chain (cheap and cheerful).

GROUND
Home Park has seen a lot of changes in the past decade and is now a comfortable stadium with modern facilities on 3 sides. Poolies will be housed behind the goal in the Barn Park End, which is split with home fans by the normal bit of netting. Away fans are allocated 1,300 seats, which I would expect to be sufficient. The facilities are good as the stand is fairly new and it offers great views of the action (action is not guaranteed).

This stand wraps around to the right, which is the Lyndhurst Stand, and the opposite goal, which is the Devonport End. These stands were all roughly built at the same time (2002) and look smart as they are the same height and are single-tiered and seated.

The stand to the left is the only one not to be re-developed or joined to the rest of the ground. This is known as the Grandstand and is a large 2-tiered affair, which is now all-seated after seats were installed in the front section o couple of years ago. There is a large development planned for this area which will complete the modernisation of Home Park. This should include various additional facilities and club offices. These plans may change is England’s World Cup bid is to be successful.

The atmosphere at Home Park has always been reported to be quite good and they have a huge away following considering the distance that they have to travel.

SAFETY
Away fans should stay clear of the Embassy Club and exercise normal caution around the ground. The Plymouth fans that I have met over the years have always been friendly and knowledgeable. Although they do have an element of trouble-makers I expect this game to be low risk.

SOUTH EAST POOLIES
There will be no designated meeting pub prior to the game, due to the distance and possible low number who travel. Look out for Terry on the pitch with his camera in his new role as SEP Photographer!

PRICE- Tickets are available prior to the game from HUFC and also on the day.