Inside Home Park with Chris Errington

2009-04-01T11:15:00.001-07:00

IT GOES without saying that Simon Walton has not made the impact he, or Argyle, would have wanted after signing from Queens Park Rangers last August.
He put pen to paper on a four-year contract after Argyle agreed an undisclosed transfer fee for him.
But Walton has played in only 14 of the Pilgrims’ 42 league and cup matches this season, and has yet to finish on the winning side.
Manager Paul Sturrock had hoped the 21-year-old would be a permanent fixture in midfield, but Walton struggled to come to terms with what was expected from him.
Lately, Sturrock has tried out Walton as a centre-back in the reserves, and with some success. It is a position he played regularly earlier in his career.
But Walton did not even travel with the Pilgrims’ squad to recent away games in the Championship.
With Sturrock taking 20 players on some trips – to Wolves at the end of February, for example – it shows you how far Walton has fallen out of favour.
So it made sense for him to move elsewhere before the Football League deadline for ‘emergency loan’ signings last Thursday.
However, it was a surprise that Walton went to Blackpool, one of Argyle’s relegation rivals.
Walton will not be allowed to play for Blackpool against Argyle at Bloomfield Road this Saturday – and understandably so.

But what happens if Walton scores the winning goal for the Seasiders’ in their season-ending away game against Swansea City which keeps them up and sends the Pilgrims down instead?
You could argue that scenario is unlikely to unfold, but it is still a gamble on Sturrock’s part.
One lesson to be learned from Walton’s move to Home Park is that Argyle should not offer four-year contracts to anyone – unless they are called Lionel Messi!
Such deals are a substantial financial gamble, and only wealthier clubs than Argyle should consider them.
Quite why Walton was offered a four-year contract has never been explained. Presumably, it was because of interest from rival clubs.
Whatever the reason, Argyle have got a player who cannot get into the matchday squad but still has three years remaining on his contract.
That is not a healthy situation for Walton (pictured left) or the club.
It is sure to be a topic for much debate among the powers-that-be at Home Park this summer.

IN MY time at The Herald, I have interviewed many footballers after they have signed contracts for Argyle.
Few have been more amiable than the Pilgrims’ latest recruit, Cameroon international striker Rudy Douala.
He was all smiles when he met the Plymouth media for the first time last week.
Douala apologised for the fact he did not speak fluent English, and then preceded to give a very good interview.
All in all, he was a nice guy to talk to. And, remember, this is someone who has played in a UEFA Cup final (as a substitute for Sporting Lisbon in 2005), as well as international football for one of the leading nations in Africa.
Douala has signed a contract with Argyle until the end of the season and I wish him all the best.

SOME Argyle supporters may not share these sentiments, but here goes. Congratulations to Sylvan Ebanks-Blake on being crowned the Championship’s player-of-the-year.
The former Pilgrims’ striker received the accolade when the Football League held their annual awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, in London, on Sunday.
Ebanks-Blake has scored 24 goals for table-topping Wolverhampton Wanderers this season.
The 23-year-old was named as the FourFourTwo player-of-the-year for the Championship.
Reading striker Kevin Doyle was the runner-up, with Wolves winger Michael Kightly in third place.
Ebanks-Blake was a talented, but inexperienced, striker when he signed for Argyle from Manchester United in July 2006.
Now, less than three years later, he is regarded as the best player outside the Premier League.
Ebanks-Blake also scooped the Mitre Goal of the Year award, in association with Soccer AM.
That was for a goal in Wolves’ 3-2 win at Charlton Athletic in March 2008.

THERE has been no official confirmation that Argyle are in talks about a proposed takeover by their Japanese part-owners K&K Shonan Management Corporation.
Yet, there is no shortage of speculation that Argyle director, and K&K president, Yasuaki Kagami will soon become the club’s majority shareholder.
Despite repeated requests, no-one from Argyle or K&K has been prepared to make any comment. We will keep asking, though.

High time for reserve rethink at Home Park

2009-03-31T03:26:00.000-07:00

NOW IS the time for Argyle to take a long hard look at their reserve team’s involvement in the Totesport.com Combination.
It is an important issue for the club, regardless of whether they win their fight for Championship survival this season or not.
Reserve team football should give squad players, or those returning from injuries, the chance to get some match practice in at a decent standard.
It should also act as a stepping stone between under-18s football and the first team ranks for up-and-coming youngsters.
But the Combination’s shortcomings were highlighted when Argyle played away to Yeovil Town in a Wales and West Division clash on Tuesday.
For starters, the match was moved from Huish Park, Yeovil’s home ground, to what amounted to a park pitch in nearby Somerton.
And Yeovil, who have already decided to withdraw from the Combination next season, sent their under-18s squad to fulfil the fixture.
Fortunately, in the circumstances, Sturrock decided not to send an experienced side on the 90-mile trip to Somerset for what was a pointless exercise.
It was mostly made up of apprentices, with goalkeeper Graham Stack the only player on duty who had appeared for Argyle in the first team.
Now, you could argue that 22 players had a run-out for 90 minutes, and it was a closely contested game, with Argyle eventually winning 2-1.
But the pitch – which was on a significant slope, was rock hard and was surrounded by a rope – made any constructive football impossible.
I raised the point in my match report in Herald Sport yesterday about how Yeovil were allowed to stage the game there.
I have no problem with reserve team matches being played at non-league clubs. The facilities are usually up to scratch.
But Argyle had to play Yeovil on a parks pitch. That, in my opinion, is simply not acceptable for a reserve team league.
Moving games to alternative venues often occurs in the Combination.
For example, Argyle played Bournemouth at Ladysmead in Tiverton last Thursday to save Home Park from too much wear and tear after recent first team matches.
They have to use Ladysmead, which is more than 60 miles from Plymouth, as their alternative venue because they cannot get permission to play at other grounds closer to home.
Apparently, that is because the options Argyle have come up with have not been deemed suitable by the Combination’s management committee.
Well, take it from me, the grounds of Plymouth Parkway, Saltash United and Tavistock, to name but three, are way, way, way better than where Argyle played against Yeovil.
Argyle’s isolated location, as is so often the case, causes difficulties for them when it comes to reserve team football as there are only a limited number of South West clubs they can compete against.
Bristol Rovers dropped out of the Combination this season because of financial factors, and now Yeovil are following their example.
That will reduce the size of the Wales and West Division to nine teams, and there has to be a good chance more clubs will decide to pull out of the competition.
Should two or three more fall by the wayside, the whole structure of the Combination, which also has Central and East Divisions, would have to be reassessed.
Perhaps, therefore, the time has come for alternative options to be considered.
One would be for, say, Argyle, Bristol City, Cardiff and Swansea to go it alone and agree to play regular reserve team matches when and where they want to.
Bournemouth, Cheltenham, Exeter or Swindon could also be included, should they wish.
There would be no league structure as such, but the clubs might get more out of reserve team football than I believe they do now.

DESPITE the difficult conditions at Somerton, I was very impressed with Argyle’s second-year apprentice Joe Mason in the game against Yeovil.
Mason, who is not 18 until May, stood out for Argyle in their FA Youth Cup campaign earlier this season.
And he was recently called up into the Republic of Ireland under-19s squad for the first time.
Mason seems to have developed well this season, both technically and physically, and I would be surprised if he was not offered a professional contract for next season.

ticket sales will be interesting

2009-03-18T03:39:00.000-07:00

ARGYLE started selling season tickets for the 2009/10 campaign on Monday, and it will be interesting to see what take up there is from supporters.
The financial crisis is bound to have an impact, with people having less disposable income than in previous years.
And with no guarantee the Pilgrims will still be in the Championship next term, some fans may be reticent to pay out now, and then see the club relegated to League One.
Sensibly, Argyle have been proactive and put their season tickets on sale much earlier than usual.
Their ‘Early Bird’ offers apply up to and including May 1, by which time there could be a clearer picture of the Pilgrims’ fate this term.
Prices in the unreserved Mayflower Enclosure, for example, have been cut by up to £40.
Season tickets for other areas of Home Park will cost the same as they did this term.
Supporters can make interest-free direct debit payments over 10 months.
A free season ticket for all accompanied under-10s.
I applaud Argyle for the last option because it is important to make attending football matches as affordable as possible for families.
It is an innovative idea and one that deserves to be a success.
Renewal and new member packs will be available to supporters at the game against Burnley at Home Park on Saturday.
Argyle will then be able to start assessing what the demand for 2009/10 season tickets is going to be.
Two factors are going to count against them – the team’s poor results (and, on the whole, poor performances) at Home Park this term, and the ‘credit crunch’ effect.
Argyle currently have around 7,500 season ticket holders, and that figure is likely to fall, regardless of whether they remain in the Championship or not.
Yet, finances permitting, this is when supporters can show their commitment to the cause and rally around the club when they need all the cash they can get their hands on.
The fans at Norwich City have done that.
In the build-up to their 1-0 win against Argyle at Carrow Road on Saturday it emerged they had already sold an astonishing 17,000 season tickets for 2009/10.
Like Argyle, the Canaries are not guaranteed Championship football next term, although their victory over the Pilgrims has improved their prospects.
And, like Plymouth, the city of Norwich is in one of the far flung corners of England, where wages are not as high as in other parts of the country.
Norwich is a predominantly rural area, and the football club draws supporters from far and wide in East Anglia.
Argyle are again the same, with their fans coming from Devon, Cornwall and further afield, in addition to Plymouth.
Yet, the pulling power of both clubs is vastly different.
There was a near-capacity crowd of 25,064 for Norwich’s crunch clash against Argyle.
Had that game been played at Home Park, instead, with both teams in identical league positions, I bet the gate would have been around half that size.
Why is that? Well, for starters, Norwich have enjoyed much more success than Argyle over the years.
They have plenty of experience of playing in the English top flight, although not since the 2004/05 season.
The Canaries also have a fantastic stadium, which offers fans excellent facilities and views of the action. The same cannot be said of Home Park, sadly.
Norwich’s matchday admission prices are cheaper than at Argyle, and that has to be a factor as well.
But, to be fair, it is easier to keep prices down when you have so many season ticket holders, and the guaranteed income they provide.
The bottom line is that there is more passion for the Canaries in Norwich than there is for the Pilgrims in Plymouth.
Even club officials at Carrow Road have been surprised by the demand for 2009/10 season tickets.
Norwich are now far better supported than in the 1990s, when they were in the Premier League and even had one season in the UEFA Cup.
I was told by a couple of people on Saturday that a former marketing manager at Norwich did an incredible job of promoting the club in the local community, and it has produced long-term benefits.
Fans have become ‘hooked’ on the matchday atmosphere at Carrow Road, and even though results over recent seasons have been poor, they have continued to turn out in force.
That is why I think Argyle’s free season ticket offer for under-10s is such a positive step.
They are the fans of the future and, hopefully, it will be well supported and lead to a youth movement in the Green Army.

Noone's different to Samba

2008-11-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

WINGER Craig Noone hit the headlines when he came off the substitutes’ bench and scored the decisive goal in Argyle’s 1-0 win away to Coventry City on Saturday.
It was the second time the Pilgrims had beaten Coventry in their last three encounters at the Ricoh Arena.
And on the previous occasion, it was another Argyle substitute who scored the only goal of the game.
That was on September 30, 2006, when striker Cherno Samba headed home in the 82nd minute.
Samba made his debut for the Pilgrims that day, when he was sent on as a substitute for Reuben Reid and made an almost immediate impact.
So Noone and Samba share the distinction of scoring their first goals for the club in 1-0 wins at Coventry.
Argyle manager Paul Sturrock will hope Noone’s career path takes a different direction than the one Samba’s took.
The goal against Coventry proved to be the only one that Samba would score for the Pilgrims.He made 14 appearances during the 2006/07 season, but 12 of them were as a substitute, and the striker also had an short, unsuccessful loan spell at Wrexham.
Ian Holloway was Argyle’s manager when Samba signed a two-year contract in August 2006.But Holloway decided the former England youth international was surplus to requirements the following summer and froze Samba out of the senior squad.
Samba eventually had his contract cancelled by Argyle last December, soon after Sturrock was re-appointed as Pilgrims’ boss.
The 23-year-old, who was always seen at Home Park with a smile on his face no matter what, is now playing in Finland for top flight club FC Haka.He also made his international debut for Gambia – the country of his birth – in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Liberia in September.
So Noone scoring his first goal for Argyle in only his fourth appearance – all of which have been as a substitute – is no guarantee of long-term success for him at Home Park.But, from my perspective, there are a couple of differences between Noone and Samba which make me think the winger could be around for a while.First of all, Noone has a point to prove.
He was discarded by Wrexham as an apprentice because he was too small.He worked as a roofer in Liverpool and played part-time football before making the move to Argyle from Conference North club Southport in August.
Noone will appreciate the fact he has been given a second chance to make the grade as a professional – and at a decent Championship club at that.Samba, on the other hand, had been touted for stardom from a very young age (too young, I would suggest) and his expectations, as well as of those around him, were probably unrealistic.
The disappointment of not living up to his reputation as a ‘wonderkid’ must have had a detrimental effect on him.
Samba had a two-year spell in Spain with Cadiz before returning to England as a free agent and signing for Argyle following a trial period.
So when Noone and Samba arrived at Home Park their respective career paths were in opposite directions.Secondly, Noone has shown far more potential in reserve team matches for Argyle than Samba ever did.
The tricky winger, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Monday, has produced some dazzling displays at that level this term.For example, Noone was absolutely outstanding when he scored both goals for Argyle in a 2-1 win at Exeter City last month.Samba did not come anywhere close to that when playing for the reserves.
He had a record of three goals in 11 Combination games during his time at Home Park.To me, Noone shows an insatiable appetite and appreciation for football.He knows what life is like in ‘the real world’ and wants to make the most of the opportunity he has been given by Argyle.
Noone’s slight stature will always be an issue but he has undoubted talent and is definitely one to watch.Such has been his progress in his first three months at Argyle that Sturrock must now seriously be considering him for a starting spot in the first team.

PAUL STURROCK is a very superstitious manager – but not that superstitious!
He had an operation to remove an ingrowing toenail last Wednesday, which proved to be a painful process.
So the 52-year-old wore a green welly boot on his left foot, rather than a shoe, to protect the toe when Argyle played Coventry at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday.
He even had it on when he carried out his post-match media interviews.
In the past, Sturrock has had superstitions about the choice of music played on the team bus before matches and the colour of the Pilgrims’ away kit.
For example, they wore yellow and white for a spell last season, instead of yellow and green as they were supposed to, after the 1-0 win at Leicester City.
But, despite the victory over Coventry, Sturrock has no intention of putting on the ‘lucky’ green welly when Argyle face Cardiff City at Home Park this Saturday.
“I’m superstitious, but I will not be wearing it this week, I can assure you,” said the Pilgrims’ boss.

2008-11-14T02:44:00.000-08:00

THE FINE form of Argyle’s on-loan Manchester United defender Craig Cathcart has not gone unnoticed by the Premier League champions.
Mark Sullivan, a reporter/presenter for the club’s own television station, MUTV, is visiting Home Park tomorrow.
He will be interviewing Cathcart, 19, about his three-and-a-half months with the Pilgrims.
Cathcart has started 10 of the last 11 Championship matches and was The Herald’s Argyle player-of-the-month for October.
His consistent performances have kept Krisztian Timar, the Pilgrims’ 2007/08 player-of-the-year no less, out of the team.
I must admit, I had serious reservations about Cathcart after he made his debut for the Pilgrims in the 2-0 defeat away to Luton Town in the Carling Cup in August.
The Northern Ireland under-21 international (pictured right) was given a torrid time by Luton’s powerful striker Sam Parkin.
I wondered, and I’m sure Argyle manager Paul Sturrock did as well, whether Cathcart could cope with the physical side of first team football.
He had only previously been used to playing for the reserves at Manchester United, and a loan spell with Belgium second division side Royal Antwerp.But a suspension for Timar gave Cathcart the opportunity to start the away game against Watford on September 16.
That was the first of four successive wins for Argyle and Cathcart has got better and better ever since.
Cathcart was signed by Argyle on a six-month loan in August, which takes him until the end of January.It would be a surprise if Sturrock did not try to extend the loan deal until the end of the season.
THERE has been an outbreak of ‘flu at Home Park recently and Paul Sturrock was one of those to succumb.
Sturrock did attend his weekly post-match Press conference last Thursday, but was clearly suffering.He had stayed away from the club earlier in the week – he was not at the reserves’ 4-1 home defeat by Southampton on Tuesday – and did so again on Friday.
Sturrock then did not arrive for the home game against Charlton Athletic on Saturday until much later than usual.
He spoke to the players in the dressing room at around 1.30pm and then went to his nearby office because he did not want to run the risk of spreading his illness.Sturrock was in the Argyle dug-out for the 2-2 draw with Charlton but did not stand in the technical area as much as he usually does.
It is doubtful whether the frantic finale against Charlton, which saw Argyle lose a 1-0 lead but then come from behind to grab a last-gasp equaliser, aided Sturrock’s recovery from the ‘flu.
But Sturrock reported he was feeling better when he met the media on Monday lunchtime.
ARGYLE midfielder Jason Puncheon, who is currently on loan to MK Dons, would seem to still have a future at Home Park.
Paul Sturrock did not allow him to play for MK Dons when they lost 2-1 at home to Bradford City in the FA Cup first round.It means Puncheon, a £200,000 summer signing from Barnet, can still play for the Pilgrims in the FA Cup this season.The same does not apply to striker Jermaine Easter, however.
Easter is on loan at Millwall and was in the starting line-up for their 3-0 win away to Chester City in the first round.
His loan to Millwall ends on Boxing Day and should Easter return to Argyle then he will probably find himself behind four other forwards in the pecking order – Rory Fallon, Paul Gallagher, Steve MacLean and Emile Mpenza.And do not forget, either, that Jamie Mackie, mainly used as a wide midfielder this season, would like to play in attack as well.Consequently, it is hard to see Easter having a long-term future with Argyle.
FORMER Argyle midfielder David Norris has taken a lot of flak in the media this week.In my opinion, the furore over his goal celebration in Ipswich Town’s 1-0 win at Blackpool on Saturday was blown totally out of proportion.
Norris has apologised for his actions, and been fined by Ipswich. As far as I’m concerned, that should be the end of it.
In my career as a journalist, I have come across some arrogant, inconsiderate and rude professional footballers.But Norris is not one of them. During his five years with Argyle, I always found him amiable, polite and respectful.
ARGYLE pair Krisztian Timar and Simon Walton have both become fathers for the first time in the past week.
For various reasons, neither player has figured in the first team as much as they would have hoped this season.
Maybe their fortunes will turnaround now they have become proud dads.Congratulations to Krisztian and his wife, Dorisz, and Simon and his partner, Nicola.

What's in a fee?

2008-09-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

ACCORDING to the Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2008-2009 (available in all good bookshops, as they say) Argyle’s record transfer fee received is £2.25 million for midfielder David Norris when he was sold to Ipswich Town at the end of January.
The deal for Norris was finally concluded after days of haggling between the Championship rivals and neither were willing to reveal the exact cost.
The transfer was described as being for ‘an undisclosed fee’, which has become a commonly used phrase over recent seasons.
However, the figure of £2.25m was quoted by several sources, both in Plymouth and East Anglia.
The fact that one of football’s most respected reference books has gone for £2.25m adds credence to that.
But, from what I understand, Argyle were only paid £1.25m for Norris by Ipswich.
His move to Portman Road was complicated by the fact that his former club, Bolton Wanderers, were owed a substantial sell-on.
Bolton sold Norris to Argyle in December 2002 for only £25,000 (what a bargain buy that was) but insisted on a sell-on clause as part of the transfer.
Apparently, the Pilgrims agreed to take £1.25m from Ipswich, who then did a deal with Bolton over the sell-on.
It is thought the Premier League club could have received close to £1m, taking the total transfer fee to the £2.25m which has been mentioned.
So, taking that into account, Argyle’s record transfer fee received is actually £2m for midfielder Peter Halmosi.
The Hungarian international completed his move – for what was described by both clubs as, yes you have guessed it, an undisclosed fee – from Argyle to Premier League newcomers Hull City in July.
It also followed protracted talks between the two clubs, but Halmosi’s understandable desire to play in the top flight of English football meant a deal was inevitable.
Halmosi (left) did not play any part in Hull’s first three Premier League games but he has started the last two, most recently the 2-2 draw against Everton at the KC Stadium on Saturday.
One reliable source has told me Argyle will receive £2m for Halmosi, with a further £500,000 payable should Hull stay up this season.
And as the Tigers are currently in seventh spot in the Premier League after making an impressive start to the season, Halmosi’s transfer could eventually net the Pilgrims £2.5m.
As for Norris, he seems to have finally overcome the injury trouble that has plagued him since signing for Ipswich and restricted him to only 12 games for the Tractor Boys.
The 27-year-old midfielder has started the last two matches, including the 0-0 draw away to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
Speculation over transfer fees, among journalists and football fans, is inevitable given the increasing reliance on the phrase ‘undisclosed fee’ by clubs.
At times, it can be wildly inaccurate, but my own experience is that there is usually someone somewhere who will reveal the true figures on an off-the-record basis.
That is when they tell you the information but do not want to be quoted.
Argyle have made their share of signings for ‘undisclosed fees’, such as Karl Duguid from Colchester United in the summer. Another was Simon Walton from Queens Park Rangers at the start of last month. On that occasion, however, Argyle were keen to stress – without revealing any specifics – it was for a potential club record transfer fee.
Since then, a figure rising to a total of £750,000 based on certain criteria has been widely reported.
So why are clubs now reluctant to reveal what they have paid for players when it was not an issue in the past?
Part of the reason is that transfer fees are so complicated now.
There is usually an initial payment followed by ‘extras’ such as playing a certain number of matches, being involved in title or promotion winning squads and international call-ups.
And there is always the possibility of a sell-on clause being included, especially for up-and-coming stars.
So the amount of money a club pay for a player initially can be very different from what it eventually costs them.
One example is Argyle striker Jermaine Easter. He cost £210,000 when he was signed from Wycombe Wanderers.
But that could increase to £240,000, subject to him making a certain number of starts for the Pilgrims.
The term ‘undisclosed fee’ can also spare a club from embarrassment when they sell someone for less than they would have wanted. It saves them from being quizzed about that by their supporters, or the media.
Or, if a substantial sum of money is involved, it means rival clubs – from whom they might try to sign a replacement – do not know exactly how much they have to spend.
Some people in football will tell you it makes business-sense not to reveal transfer fees, but that is a flawed argument. One, someone somewhere will usually make sure the information gets into the public domain.
It is easily done in this internet-age.
And, two, fans pay considerable sums of money these days to watch their favourite football team and if they feel they are not being treated with honesty and openness by their club do not be surprised if their devotion starts to wane.
Falling attendances do not make business-sense, that is a fact.

Don't rule out move for Whelan

2008-09-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

DO NOT rule out Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan signing for Plymouth Argyle in the near future.
It would have to be on an ‘emergency loan’ initially, now the transfer window has slammed shut until January 1.
But all the indications are that the Republic of Ireland international could be on his way to Home Park.
Whelan’s prospects of first team football with Stoke – admittedly in the high-profile Premier League – have been drastically reduced in the past couple of weeks.
First, Stoke’s former Pilgrims’ boss Tony Pulis snapped up Senegal international midfielder Amdy Faye from Charlton Athletic for £2 million on the eve of the new season.
Then, in the final hour of the summer transfer window, Pulis added two more midfielders to his squad.
They were Michael Tonge from Sheffield United for £2m and Crystal Palace’s Tom Soares for £1.25m.
Pulis has spent a combined £5.25m on Faye, Tonge and Soares as Stoke send out the signal they believe they can stay up this season.
Whelan (pictured right) was in City’s starting line-up for their season-opening 3-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers on August 16.
But he has been an unused substitute for the next two Premier League fixtures, and the arrival of Tonge and Soares could push him further down the pecking order.
That, some sources believe, could leave Whelan open to the idea of signing for Argyle.
Had Stoke not left it so late to reinforce their midfield before the transfer deadline, the Republic of Ireland international could already have been at Home Park.
Argyle manager Paul Sturrock, remember, tried to sign Whelan from Sheffield Wednesday in January.
But the Pilgrims’ offer was dismissed as ‘derisory’ by the Owls’ boss Brian Laws and Whelan ended up moving to Stoke for £500,000 on January 31.
With the addition of French winger Nicolas Marin on Monday and Belgian striker Emile Mpenza yesterday, Sturrock has signed 12 players since the start of June.
But Sturrock is still short of options in the centre of midfield and Whelan would, without doubt, strengthen that area of his squad.
Football League clubs can make ‘emergency loan’ signings as from next Monday until Thursday, November 27.
Such deals can be done for a maximum of 93 days.
Subject to agreement from all parties, Whelan could be signed on that basis and then complete a permanent move in January. Watch this space, as they say.
While Sturrock has been busy adding players to his squad over the last three months, the only departure has been Hungarian international midfielder Peter Halmosi.
He was sold to Premier League newcomers Hull City for £2m in July, with a further £500,000 payment possible should they stay up this season.
But after Hull’s 5-0 home defeat by Wigan Athletic on Saturday, if I was Argyle I would not start spending that £500,000 yet.
The end result of all the player movement is that the Pilgrims currently have 30 professionals – including three loans – on their books.
Even taking into account that several of them are youngsters, the club’s wage bill will have taken a hammering.
Striker Jermaine Easter has been transfer-listed at his own request, but did not depart before the deadline.
He could possibly leave on an ‘emergency loan’ before concluding a permanent deal, as was the case when Easter signed for Argyle from Wycombe Wanderers last October.
Easter spent a couple of months with the Pilgrims before completing a £210,000 move in January, when the transfer window opened.
So expect some departures – Easter and other players – on ‘emergency loans’ in the near future.
There is no way Argyle need 30 professionals, especially with only nine reserve team matches scheduled between now and Christmas.
Sturrock would like to loan out some of the younger players at Home Park so they can gain first team experience, and he has already admitted midfielders Damien McCrory and Dan Smith are two possibilities.
But, according to Sturrock, Argyle’s location in the far South West of England is making that difficult.
Clubs rarely, if ever, send scouts to reserve team matches at Home Park – with the exception of Exeter City and Torquay United.
So that reduces the chances of them being interested in taking young players from Argyle.
Even so, the player movement at Home Park is unlikely to have ended, even though the much talked about transfer window has closed.

Argyle struggling to pull in crowds

2008-09-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

FIRST, the facts. The attendance of 9,203 for Argyle’s 1-0 defeat by newly-promoted Swansea City on Saturday was the lowest for a league game at Home Park for nearly five years.
Take away the 559 fans who travelled from south Wales and the Green Army totalled only 8,644.
With the Pilgrims having more than 7,000 season ticket holders, there were not many paying customers on the day.
It was the smallest league attendance at Home Park since November 22, 2003 when exactly 9,000 saw Argyle beat Hartlepool United 2-0 in a Division Two (now League One) encounter.
That victory moved the Pilgrims up to second spot in the table, and the season ended with them being promoted to the Championship.
Since that defeat of Hartlepool, there had been three home league gates below 10,000 before the visit of Swansea on Saturday.
The last of those was on November 28, 2006, when Argyle beat Luton Town 1-0, with midfielder Bojan Djordjic getting the decisive goal.
Argyle opened their 2008/09 Championship campaign with an exciting 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 9.
The attendance was 14,789, although that included 2,684 fans from the Black Country club.
That meant there were 12,105 home supporters, compared to 8,644 for the Sky-televised clash against Swansea – a fall of 3,461.
Even taking into account the fact the match was televised live, and the kick-off was moved from the usual 3pm to 5.20pm, that is a massive drop.
In terms of revenue, Argyle will not have suffered too much because they will receive a £60,000 compensation payment from the Football League’s TV deal.
Incidentally, that will increase to £100,000 per home game when the new TV contract with Sky and the BBC starts next season.
But the long-term implications should Argyle’s attendances regularly dip below 10,000 are huge.
Of course, those loyal supporters who were at Home Park on Saturday had to endure one of the most inept Argyle performances of recent times as they crashed to a third consecutive defeat.
Had it not been for goalkeeper Graham Stack, the Pilgrims could easily have been beaten by three or four goals.
As discussed in a previous Inside Home Park, supporters are becoming increasingly vocal in asking the question ‘Where has the money gone?’.
They have seen a lot of Argyle’s most talented, highly-prized players move on for substantial transfer fees since the start of 2008.
So far, the money paid out by the Pilgrims on new recruits is far less than they have received for those who have moved on.
But increasing wage costs are continuing to be a stumbling block for Argyle, even though the players arriving at the club are cheaper, in transfer fees, than those who have departed.
So should attendances at Home Park be around 10,000 or below this season, that will leave the board of directors facing a massive deficit in their budget.
However, I believe the onus is on them to give the supporters a vision to buy into, and a clear picture of their plans for the future.
In the current financial climate, everyone is keeping a close eye on their expenditure. And football fans, no matter how strong the loyalty to their club, are no different.
They have to pay for gas and electricity, food, petrol and council tax, and all of those bills are soaring sky high.
So Argyle, and other football clubs around the country, cannot afford to take them for granted.
The signs are the Pilgrims could face a struggle in the Championship this season, although it is still early days and much could change between now and the end of the season.
Promotion to the Premier League may be an unrealistic target for the time being, but Argyle’s board of directors can still offer fans encouragement for the future.
The long-running saga that is the redevelopment of the South Stand at Home Park (or phase two as it used to be called) has hung over the club for seven years now. It has been the cause of so much debate and speculation.
Obviously, there are factors that are outside of Argyle’s control, with the ‘credit crunch’ being an example.
But the club almost seem scared to talk publicly about the redevelopment of Home Park, perhaps because it has dragged on so long.
I believe it would be better for them to be as open and honest as possible and to explain to the fans exactly what problems they are facing.
Then, even though they cannot set a timescale for when the work will start, the supporters will understand why.
Improved communications with the Green Army over this issue and others (such as consultation over ticket prices and regular player visits to local schools and colleges, for example) would remove some of the negativity that has built up since Ian Holloway walked out on the club last November.
Many people have become disillusioned with Argyle, and the message needs to be sent out that the club are listening and want to change that perception.
Argyle are making a fresh start on the pitch this season. They need a new one off the pitch as well.

Time for club to put fans in the picture

2008-07-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

‘WHERE has all the money gone?
’Time and time again, wherever I have been this pre-season, Argyle supporters have been asking me the same question.
And, on each occasion, my answer has simply been: ‘I don’t know.’
We are talking about the £7 million that Argyle have received in transfer fees for the players who have departed Home Park since the start of 2008.Among them were striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and midfield pair Peter Halmosi and Davis Norris.
During the same period, the Championship club have spent less than £2m on new recruits.
That includes striker Steve MacLean, who cost a club record £500,000 from Championship rivals Cardiff City.
Even allowing for the fact Argyle have passed on around £1m as part of sell-on clauses involving Ebanks-Blake and Norris, that still leaves them around £4m in profit in their transfer activities this year.
Argyle supporters are understandably worried about their team’s prospects in the Championship this season after seeing some of the club’s top talents move on in recent months.After finishing 10th last season, fans are fearing the Pilgrims could become embroiled in a battle against relegation this term, not a determined push for the play-offs.
They do not believe Argyle have signed adequate replacements for Ebanks-Blake, Halmosi (pictured right) and Norris.
I share all of those concerns.With the 2008/09 Championship campaign set to start next Saturday, it is time for Argyle to come clean with the Green Army.
Is the profit from transfer fees being put to one side to assist with the redevelopment of the South Stand (formerly called Phase Two)?
If so, then many supporters would probably accept that as a means to an end.I firmly believe Argyle can only seriously become contenders for promotion to the Premier League once Home Park is fully developed, and generating income seven days a week, and 52 weeks a year.
But there has still be no indication from Argyle when work on the South Stand could start.
Talk to some sources at the club, however, and they reckon it will probably not be until the summer of 2010 at least.
The continued presence of the ageing Grandstand also has a negative effect on the image of the club.So many of Argyle’s competitors in the Championship are playing in either new or redeveloped stadia, making them a more attractive proposition to players.
I understand that has been a problem for Argyle with potential signings when they have visited Home Park, both in the January transfer window and this summer.Argyle’s annual accounts for the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons showed the club lost a total of more than £1m.
It is thought the Pilgrims will report another substantial deficit for last term.
So are some of the profits from transfer fees being used to make up for that?That would probably be understandable to many supporters, but there has been no indication from Argyle that is the case.One thing is for sure, though.
There has not been enough reinvestment in the playing staff.
Take this summer, for example. Five players have arrived at Home Park, but two have been free agents (Graham Stack and David McNamee) and another one (Yala Bolasie) cost a ‘nominal’ fee.
Jason Puncheon was bought from Barnet for £250,000 while Argyle paid out an ‘undisclosed’ fee for Karl Duguid.
That expenditure is far outweighed by the sale of Halmosi to Premier League newcomers Hull City for £2m.
Argyle manager Paul Sturrock is clearly becoming increasingly dismayed at his lack of success in the transfer market, with wages proving to be a major stumbling block
At a Press conference on Monday, he said: “The frustrating thing is we just keep battering our heads against a brick wall as far as players are concerned.”
Then, unprompted by the media after Argyle’s 1-0 pre-season defeat at Yeovil Town on Tuesday, he sent out what sounded like a plea for support to the Argyle boardroom.
“I was hoping the 22 players I wanted at this football club would all be here for the pre-season training,” said Sturrock.
“But, not counting the young boys, we are sitting here with a squad of 17.
“Until those four or five others in key areas come, confidence could be eroded very quickly. We have really got to try to push ahead now.”
According to one source, there could be news on that front in the next couple of days.
Herald Sport has been told that Argyle have offered around £750,000 for a midfielder who has not so far been linked with the club.
Whoever the player is, should he sign for the Pilgrims it would send out a more positive message.
And it would also strengthen an area of the squad which is clearly a weakness With the so-called credit crunch starting to bite, Argyle have to be pro-active to attract supporters to Home Park this season.
Food bills, energy and fuel costs and mortgages are all soaring.
So fans must be encouraged by Argyle to spend their hard-earned money on tickets at Home Park.
One way of doing that is making exciting signings to give Sturrock and his existing players the best possible chance of success.
Another way is for the club to make a clear statement of intent – maybe another five-year plan – so that supporters know exactly what Argyle’s aspirations are for the future.Over to you Messrs Stapleton, Dennerly, Gill, Wrathall and Kagami.The Green Army deserve some insight from you, not silence.