PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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Plymouth Argyle Football Club had its origins in 1886 when Mr F H Grose and Mr W Pethybridge, both pupils of Dunheved College in Launceston, Cornwall, found themselves sharing rooms together while working in Plymouth. They both wished to pursue their interest in football but there was only the Plymouth Town Football Club that appealed to them. It was suggested that it might be possible to form a new club by inviting old boys from local public schools to form a team. A meeting was called to take place in the Borough Arms Coffee Tavern, Bedford Street, in the centre of Plymouth. During a discussion on the name that the Club was to take, Mr Grose suggested that the aim of the Club should be to emulate the style of play used by the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, whose teamwork in winning the Army Cup had greatly impressed him. So the name Plymouth Argyll was born, although it is thought that this was slightly amended to Argyle in honour of the fact that the rooms occupied by the founding members had been in Argyle Terrace, Mutley. Argyle's first match took place against a team called "Caxtons" on October 16th 1886, which Argyle lost by 4 goals to 2. In the second match, on October 30th, Argyle was more fortunate, winning 2-1. Howard Grose was the Captain. During that first season they played 17 matches, won 7, lost 8 and drew 2, which was considered a creditable performance given that the players had no experience of playing as a team. Home Park, the club's present ground, was originally constructed in 1893 by the Plymouth and Devonport Recreation Grounds Limited as a recreation ground for the Albion Football Club and the Plymouth Cycling Club. However, the ground had been unused for three years before the Argyle Athletic Club moved there in 1901. The first event held was an athletics meeting. In 1903 the Football Club rented the ground from the Athletic Club, a year that saw the first professional game in the Town. The car park outside Home Park was used forthe first time on the day of the match with Everton, August 30th 1930, when 1,200 cars are said to have filled the site.
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