PILGRIMS' PROGRESS

On this day in 1984, I was lounging around in New Zealand, on a teaching exchange at a Christchurch School. I remember watching the FA Cup Final in a neighbour's house, at some ridiculous time in the day. Everton and Watford, with Elton John in full regalia, played out a steady final tie with the Toffees winning 2-0, with 100,000 in attendance.

Everton had beaten Southampton at Highbury 1-0 in their semi-final aet to get to Wembley and Plymouth Argyle, a Third Division club, had only just lost to the Watford "Hornets" 0-1, in front of 20,000 fans at Villa Park.
This was the only appearance for the "Pilgrims" in an FA Cup semi-final, so it was quite an occasion for their Devon fans.

En route to Villa Park, Argyle had beaten Southend 2-0 in the First Round after a 0-0 in November. They then beat Barking from the Non-League 2-1 in December. In January they beat Newport County 1-0 after a 2-2, then they met Darlington later in the month 2-1 and in February it was West Bromwich Albion, whom they beat 1-0. A path paved with gold?

Everton had the following successes; 3rd Round at Stoke 2-0, 4th v Gillingham 0-0 then 3-0, Shrewsbury 3-0 in the 5th and Notts County 2-1 in the 6th; NOT too challenging!

Argyle have been in semi-final in the League Cup in 1964-5 and 1973-4...all the fours? Their stadium Home Park, surprisingly, is the 37th largest stadium in the Football League.

Watford had climbed from Fourth Division to First in 5 seasons under Elton and Graham Taylor's leadership. With what was known as a "direct style", the Hornets finished as runners up in the First Division (pre-Premier League) in 1983 and then the cup final in 1984. Their situation was aided by the disregard for status by the "rest of the Football League". 9 First Division clubs fell by the wayside in the Third Round Proper, four of them to clubs lower in the league. Brighton beat Liverpool, Bournemouth beat Man U, and non-league Telford Utd reached the Fourth Round. Watford beat Luton Town, Charlton Athletic, Brighton and HA, Birmingham City and then Argyle.

Argyle, founded in 1886, play at Home Park, since 1901, "The Theatre of Greens", and is one of two Devon clubs playing in the Football League (and the other is?). Nicknamed the Pilgrims, they of course, were named following the historical journey of The Pilgrims to Massachusetts, from the local harbour in 1620.  Hence the badge....300 years later they joined the FL Third Division South and now play in League One..

The City of Plymouth reputedly is the largets city in the country not to have hosted a top flight football club. Argyle is also the most southerly and westerly professional club. 

Ex managers include Mariner, Allison, Moncur, Shilton, Saxton, Warnock, Sturrock, Reid, Pulis, Holloway and today Ryan Lowe. Nice place to live?

(in 1907 the club was managed by a "committee" for three years).

Most of their backroom staff are British in origin, with just one from Wales, the rest English with one from Brazil, the physio, Abner Bruzzichessi and the video analyst is Curtis Wong from China.