IN FOCUS: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

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Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

2024-07-11T08:00:00.000Z

IN FOCUS: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

2024-07-11T08:00:00.000Z

Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

Plymouth Argyle had a staggered start to life as a football club. After being formed as Argyle Football Club in 1886, it was disbanded and resurrected as the Argyle Athletic Club in 1897.

Its current name was adopted upon becoming professional in 1903 and the Pilgrims later joined the Football League in 1920.

Much of their existence has been spent in the second and third tiers of the pyramid, with notable managers including Peter Shilton, Neil Warnock and Tony Pulis.

Last season was Plymouth’s first at Championship level since 2009/10, after the Argyle suffered back-to-back relegations which saw them begin the 2011/12 campaign in League Two.

After six years in League Two, Plymouth then secured promotion to League One in 2017 but after just two seasons, were relegated back to the fourth tier.

However, the Argyle bounced back at the first time of asking in the 2019/20 campaign and three seasons later saw the Pilgrims gain promotion again, this time as League One winners in 2023.

Last season they eventually finished 21st, avoiding relegation by a point on the final day with a Joe Edwards goal enough to edge them past Hull City.

It was a season of change in the dugout, with Steven Schumacher starting the campaign in charge before being replaced by Ian Foster in January.

Foster was relieved of his duties in April and the Pilgrims will now be led by former England striker Wayne Rooney, who has previously had spells in charge of Birmingham City and Derby County.

Stadium: Home Park (16,388) – Jack Leslie Way, Plymouth, Devon, PL2 3DQ

Nickname(s): The Pilgrims, The Greens

Manager: Wayne Rooney

2023/24 finishing position: 21st in Sky Bet Championship

2023/24 top scorer (all competitions): Morgan Whittaker (20)

Played for both:

Ben Gibson – The centre-back started his career at his hometown club, Middlesbrough. Before breaking into their first team, Gibson made 13 appearances on-loan at Plymouth, who were then in League Two. He later joined Burnley in 2018, featuring in our UEFA Europa League qualifying matches and scored against Everton on his Premier League debut.

Lukas Jutkiewicz – Like Gibson, Jutkiewicz had a short-lived spell in Devonshire in the early knockings of his career, playing just five times for Argyle. The striker, who has racked up more than 500 league appearances, was a Claret for three years between 2014 and 2017. Unfortunately, his time in Lancashire was affected by a cruciate ligament injury picked up against Bristol City in 2015. All-in-all he featured in 32 games for Burnley, with 25 of those coming in the 2014-15 Premier League season.

Russell Anderson – After making more than 200 appearances for Aberdeen, Russell Anderson moved south of the border to Sunderland in 2007. While a registered Black Cat, the Scottish centre-back had two loan spells away, one at Plymouth and the other at Burnley. Anderson played in Burnley’s first five games of the 2008/09 season before suffering a serious injury that ended his campaign. Incidentally, he made his debut for the Clarets against Plymouth, starting alongside fellow Scots Graham Alexander, Steven Caldwell and Kevin McDonald in a 0-0 draw.