SEASON

2012-2013

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MANAGER: Carl Fletcher; Romain Larrieu & Kevin Nancekivell; John Sheridan.

PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Onismor Bhasera.

DEBUTS: Anthony Charles, Paris Cowan-Hall, Rene Gilmartin, Rhys Griffiths, Andres Gurrieri, Tyler Harvey, Jamie Lowry, Jamie Richards.

FINAL GAMES: Onismor Bhasera, Nick Chadwick, Anthony Charles, Paris Cowan-Hall, Warren Feeney, Rene Gilmartin, Rhys Griffiths, Matt Lecointe, Joe Lennox, Jamie Lowry, Darren Purse, Jared Sims, Robbie Williams.

LOANS: Jason Banton (Crystal P.), Joe Bryan (Bristol C.), Lee Cox (Swindon), Johnny Gorman (Wolves), Scott Griffiths (Peterborough), Ross Jenkins (Watford), Alex MacDonald (Burnley), Guy Madjo (Aldershot), Mark Molesley (Bournemouth), Ronan Murray (Ipswich), Reuben Reid (Yeovil), Gozie Ugwu (Reading).

Home Park's summer of 2012 began with the visit of a flame lit by the rays of the sun at the site of ancient Olympia, said to be a symbol of purity and endeavour for perfection. [Click for more]

Home Park's summer of 2012 began with the visit of a flame lit by the rays of the sun at the site of ancient Olympia, said to be a symbol of purity and endeavour for perfection. Fine words butter no parsnips, as they say, but at least a corner had been turned and there was a real sense of optimism amongst Argyle fans over the summer months. Administration was a thing of the past; Akkeron were at the helm for their first full season and James Brent had set a budget to suit a play-off push.

Two 5-0 defeats in pre-season friendly matches were a sobering reminder that optimism would not be enough, but a convincing win in the first game of the season, unusually the opening League Cup fixture, lifted spirits. It wasn't to last; two wins in the following 11 matches set the scene for the struggle to follow. Six points in succession helped to steady the nerves, but a period of one draw and seven games lost, including the ignominy of defeat at the hands of 6th-tier Dorchester Town in a televised FA Cup tie, saw mounting pressure as December arrived.

By New Year's Day, Carl Fletcher's side had managed just seven points out of a possible 39 - relegation form by anyone's standards - and it came as no surprise that the first game of the new year was Fletcher's last, although for the manager to announce his own sacking at the post-match press conference was unusual to say the least, and equally poignant.

A new manager was appointed within five days. With a long career in the game, both as a combative midfielder and a manager with a proven track record in the lower divisions, John Sheridan's honesty and plain speaking quickly endeared him to the faithful. The battle ahead - to avoid the drop - was all that mattered, although other issues emerged for some - the new grandstand plans proved to be controversial and the prolonged delay in appointing a new Chief Executive was little short of a mystery.

After victory in his first game, Sheridan quietly set about the task ahead. Four wins out of a possible six in March was more like the form to match the supposed playing budget, but sadly other sides had the same idea, and as the final weeks drew near, there could only be one focus: Football League survival. The scramble at the bottom was intense and the usual 50-point safety line seemed unlikely to apply this time, and so it proved.

If the FA Cup tie at Dorchester was the low point of the season, then the penultimate away game - victory at Chesterfield - was probably the most significant. The three points gained after an inspirational performance was almost enough, but as many had predicted and most had feared, the fate of Plymouth Argyle and six other sides would be decided on the last Saturday of the season. Thankfully, despite defeat at Rochdale, the Pilgrims survived, albeit with just a point to spare. So the club finished in its lowest-ever place in the Football League - 89th - a position equalled only once. Unsurprisingly, that was last season.

For the second consecutive campaign, Argyle's League survival was in doubt right up to the wire. The summer of 2013 will nevertheless be like its predecessor; the recent past will be put to one side and optimism will build as the manager forms his own team, not to mention a buzz of anticipation as the formal plans for the development of Higher Home Park are scrutinised. For any number of reasons, including the position of TV cameras and the siting of the great and the good, 2013-14 is likely be a very different season. But one part of the furniture will be sorely missed; after 13 years of loyal service, Romain Larrieu's release marked the end of an era. It is such a shame that the timing, no doubt affected by the angst on the pitch, did not afford him a proper and deserved send-off. [Click for less]