Plymouth Argyle L.F.C.

Plymouth Argyle Ladies FC
Full name Plymouth Argyle Ladies FC
Nickname(s) The Pilgrims, The Greens, The Green Army
Founded 1975 As Plymouth Pilgrims
2001 became Plymouth Argyle Ladies
Ground Weston Mill, Oak Villa
Plymouth
Chairman England
League South West Combination Women's Football League
2011–12 FA Women's Premier League Southern Division, 9th

Plymouth Argyle Ladies Football Club (PALFC) are a women's amateur association football club located in the city of Plymouth in the county of Devon in the South-West of England.

PALFC are also known as 'The Pilgrims' and compete in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division. They are based at Home Park, Plymouth, UK also the home of the Football League 2 men's team Plymouth Argyle F.C..

The home ground of Plymouth Argyle Ladies FC First Team is Bolitho Park, also home to Plymouth Parkway F.C., situated in Manadon Development Centre, Plymouth.

History

The club was formed in 1975 as a result of a 5-a-side league at the Mayflower Leisure Centre. Two teams merged in order to enter an 11-a-side football tournament in Newquay, Cornwall with the team creating the name of 'Plymouth Pilgrims'. Following the success of the tournament, Plymouth Pilgrims played in numerous competitions throughout the 70's and 80's with the most notable achievement being reaching the quarter-finals of the Women's FA Cup in both 1976 and 1977.

The club name changed to 'Saltash Pilgrims' in the late 90's and the early part of the year 2000 to reflect their home ground at the time – Saltash United's Kimberly Stadium in Cornwall. It was not until the 2001–02 season that the club, then competing in the SW Combination League, were invited to compete under the umbrella of Plymouth Argyle F.C., and Plymouth Argyle Ladies were formed.

In recent years, the club has progressed both on and off the pitch which is evident in an improved financial position, an increased media profile which reflects the growing interest in women's football in the UK, and improved results on the pitch.

Honours

The club held the Devon Women's County Cup for a record number of years from 2002–2006 and enjoyed a highly respectable second-placed finish in the SW Combination league (Two steps below the National Premier League) in the 2006–07 season.

Sponsorship and Fundraising

Since the beginning of 2006–07 season PALFC's main sponsor has been Manning & Co, Plymouth. Despite the sponsorship, Plymouth Argyle Ladies need to continue with relentless fundraising to support club needs and activities. A weekly half time draw, weekly match day programmes advertising local businesses and individuals, match day sponsors, and individual player sponsors all provide much-needed funds. The members of the team also produced a fundraising calendar for 2008 with funds going to the club and also £1 from each sale being donated to local charity St. Luke's Hospice. The calendar was made by a local company You Look Gorgeous and it gives a tongue-in-cheek depiction how the girls might look if they were paid the same as their male counterparts.

Publicity

For an amateur female football club, Plymouth Argyle Ladies have a fast-growing media profile. Not only do the local press and football websites carry regular features – The Herald (Plymouth Evening Herald), The Plymouth Sunday Independent, Vanquish Magazine, Plymouth Magazine; websites such as Plymouth Argyle Ladies, Plymouth Argyle F.C. – Pafc.co.uk, Plymouth vitalfootball.co.uk,[1] thisisplymouth.co.uk[2] – but they have also received national exposure on aolshowme.co.uk[3] and also on Sky TV show Soccer AM.

Centre of Excellence

Plymouth Argyle F.C. FA Licenced Centre of Excellence started to operate on a full-time basis from the start of the 2007–08 season which would give Plymouth Argyle Ladies enhanced opportunities to develop and progress in order to bring Premier League football to the city.[4]

Notable players

References

  1. ↑ Argyle Ladies Win First Game. Plymouth Vitalfootball.co.uk, Writer: Paul Williams, Date: Monday 27 August 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007
  2. ↑ Argyle Ladies Sign Former West Ham Star Aherne'. Thisisplymouth.co.uk, 26 July 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007
  3. ↑ The offside rule: explained. aolshowme.co.uk, 20 Apr 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2007
  4. ↑ The FA's Statement and Criteria for Centres Of Excellence from TheFA.com. Retrieved 30 August 2007
  5. ↑ 'Youth Squads Named'. Thefa.com, 5 February 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2007
  6. ↑ 'Nice Finn-ish For Jess' Thefa.com, 22 May 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2007
  7. ↑ 'Chipchase Makes Changes Thefa.com, 3 August 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2007
  8. ↑ 'Youth Squads Named' Thefa.com, 5 February 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2007
  9. ↑ 'U15's Training Squad' Thefa.com, 20 July 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2007

External links