Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English association football club based in Plymouth, Devon. Founded in 1886 as Argyle Football Club,[2] they became a professional club in January 1903,[3] and were elected to the Southern League ahead of the 1903–04 season. The club won the Southern League championship in 1913 and finished as runners-up on two occasions,[4] before being elected to the Football League in 1920, where they compete to this day,[5] as a founder member of the Third Division.[6] Argyle won their first Football League championship, and promotion to the Second Division for the first time, ten years later in 1930.[7] As of 2010, the club has won five championships in the Football League, gained promotion on eight occasions, and been relegated eight times.[8] Four of those league championships were won in the third tier, which is a divisional record.[9] Argyle have made one appearance at Wembley Stadium, in which they won the 1996 Third Division play-off final.[10] The club has also achieved moderate success in domestic cup competitions; they reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1984,[11][12] and the quarter-finals in 2007.[13][14] Argyle have also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup twice, in 1965 and 1974.[15][16]
The Plymouth Argyle Player of the Year award is voted for annually by the club's supporters.[17] It recognises the best overall performance by an individual player through the course of the season.[18] Each year, the winner is presented with the trophy on the pitch at Home Park before the club's last home game of the season. This is the more prestigious of the two awards made by Plymouth Argyle itself,[19] with the other being the Young Player of the Year accolade.[20] Since its inception in 1966, thirty-nine different players have won the award. Six of these players have lifted the award for a second time, the most recent being Welsh international Carl Fletcher. As of the 2010–11 season, only striker Tommy Tynan has received the award for a third time.[21] Three players have lifted the trophy in consecutive seasons; the first was Paul Mariner in 1976.[1] Steve McCall matched that feat in the 1994,[22] and Carl Fletcher became the third in 2011.[23] Seven winners of the award have represented their country at international level. Six winners have gone on to become the club's manager. The 2012–13 winner was Onismor Bhasera, who made 46 appearances in all competitions during the campaign.[24][25] Top goalscorer Reuben Reid won the award the following season, becoming the first forward to win the award since Mickey Evans.[26]
Table key
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times a player has won the award |
|---|---|
| Div 2 | Second Division (1892–1992), First Division (1992–2004), Championship (2004–) |
| Div 3 | Third Division (1958–1992), Second Division (1992–2004), League One (2004–) |
| Div 4 | Fourth Division (1958–1992), Third Division (1992–2004), League Two (2004–) |
Winners
- As of end of 2021–22 season.[31]
By player
| Player | Total | Years |
|---|---|---|
 Tommy Tynan | 3 | 1985, 1987, 1989 |
| Paul Mariner | 2 | 1975, 1976 |
| George Foster | 2 | 1978, 1980 |
| Steve McCall | 2 | 1993, 1994 |
| Michael Heathcote | 2 | 1996, 1999 |
| Paul Wotton | 2 | 2003, 2005 |
 Carl Fletcher | 2 | 2010, 2011 |
 Graham Carey | 2 | 2016, 2018 |
By country
| Country | Players | Total |
|---|---|---|
| England | 32 | 39 |
| Republic of Ireland | 4 | 5 |
 France | 3 | 3 |
| Wales | 1 | 2 |
 Canada | 1 | 1 |
 Hungary | 1 | 1 |
 Jamaica | 1 | 1 |
 Portugal | 1 | 1 |
 Scotland | 1 | 1 |
 Zimbabwe | 1 | 1 |
Footnotes
References
- General
- Knight, Brian (1989). Plymouth Argyle: A Complete Record 1903–1989. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 0-907969-40-2.
- Riddle, Andy (2002). Plymouth Argyle: 101 Golden Greats. Westcliff-on-Sea: Desert Island. ISBN 1-874287-47-3.
- Cowdery, Rick; Curno, Mike (2009). Plymouth Argyle: Miscellany. Plymouth: Pitch Publishing. ISBN 978-1-905411-40-5.
- Danes, Ryan (2009). Plymouth Argyle: The Complete Record. Plymouth: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-710-8.
- Specific