SEASON

2000-2001

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MANAGER: Kevin Hodges; Kevin Summerfield 1; Paul Sturrock 1.

PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Wayne O'Sullivan.

DEBUTS: Danny Bance, Paul Connolly, Stuart Elliott, Sean Evers, Terry Fleming, David Friio, John Hodges, Jean-Philipe Javary, Romain Larrieu, Luke McCormick, Brian McGlinchey, Sacha Opinel, Jason Peake, Martin Phillips, Ryan Trudgian, David Worrell.

FINAL GAMES: Danny Bance, Martin Barlow, Adam Barrett, Stuart Elliott, Terry Fleming, Steve Guinan, Mick Heathcote, John Hodges, Jean-Philipe Javary, Chris Leadbitter, Sean McCarthy, Paul McGregor, Michael Meaker, Sacha Opinel, Wayne O'Sullivan, Jason Peake, Lee Phillips, Jon Sheffield, Ryan Trudgian.

LOANS: Robert Betts (Coventry), Paul Mardon (West Brom), Kevin Nancekivell (Tiverton Town), Lee Wilkie (Dundee).

SEASON SUMMARY: Kevin Hodges began the new season under pressure following two successive mid-table finishes. Rowbotham, Ashton and Belgrave were released, while Hargreaves departed for Northampton and Gibbs moved to Brentford. Bastow remained absent, showing little inclination to pursue what had once been a burgeoning footballing career.

Hodges brought in Fleming, Peake and his namesake, John. [Click for more]

SEASON SUMMARY: Kevin Hodges began the new season under pressure following two successive mid-table finishes. Rowbotham, Ashton and Belgrave were released, while Hargreaves departed for Northampton and Gibbs moved to Brentford. Bastow remained absent, showing little inclination to pursue what had once been a burgeoning footballing career.

Hodges brought in Fleming, Peake and his namesake, John. Pre-season fixtures against Portsmouth, Charlton, West Ham and Everton were arranged, with Di Canio and Gascoigne among those gracing the Home Park turf in front of five-figure crowds. An old favourite also made a brief return as Paul Mariner pitched up with his under-16 team from Phoenix, Arizona. Guinan signed permanently in the hope of alleviating the goalscoring burden on McGregor and Stonebridge.

Former club president Sam Rendell passed away aged 87, his funeral and thanksgiving service taking place before the season began. Many shared stories in the Executive Lounge of 'one of the kindest men they had ever met’.

Another new arrival was Martin Phillips, once hailed by Alan Ball as a potential £10 million footballer. Any optimism swiftly evaporated as a below-par Argyle lost at home to Leyton Orient on the opening day. The traditional early Worthington Cup exit followed, Bristol Rovers winning 3-2 on aggregate. A much-needed first victory came at home to Mansfield, in a game where the visitors had to wear Argyle's blue away strip, while a ludicrous Tuesday-night trip to Darlington ended in disappointment, the Pilgrims losing 1-0 to a deflected goal.

During those bleak opening weeks, an all-too-brief respite arrived in a 2-2 draw at Southend, where future legends would suggest that Sean McCarthy's disproportionately sized backside was responsible for his side's opening goal. The songsmiths of Home Park duly produced a chant that would accompany the Welsh striker for the remainder of his time with the Pilgrims and beyond.

A heavy defeat at Shrewsbury and an embarrassing 5-2 shoeing at Whaddon Road meant the writing was very much on the wall for Hodges. In need of a win at home to Barnet at the end of September, his charges failed him for one final time and the dreaded axe duly fell on one of the nicest men to ever hold the reins at Home Park. Some argued that this was part of the problem, but few could present an alternative case. The football had been poor in the dying days, but it was still an emotional moment to witness Hodges' fall from grace.

With Steve McCall also departing, another former player stepped into the breach. Kevin Summerfield was elevated from overseeing the youth section, with the promise of being considered for the role permanently. His first test, a trip to divisional leaders Chesterfield, could hardly have been more difficult. Two wins followed a narrow defeat at Saltergate as McGregor rediscovered his goalscoring form. Local lad Nancekivell also bagged his only goal for the Pilgrims at Hartlepool, as the gloom surrounding Hodges' last few days slowly, almost obstinately, lifted.

Despite the assurances given to Summerfield, rumour had it that Dan McCauley wanted a more experienced man at the helm. Former winger David Byrne tipped him the wink that a certain Scotsman might be interested and, on October 31st, Paul Sturrock was unveiled as the new boss.

A draw at Torquay, with Luggy in the stands, preceded a period of inclement weather that exposed problems with the Home Park drainage system. Sturrock's first home game came almost a month after his appointment. If he was under any illusion that his task would be simple, Argyle's FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Chester City was a wake-up call. It was the first time the Pilgrims had been dispatched from the competition at home by non-league opposition. John Hodges and Jason Peake would not line up in green again, despite the latter's wonder strike that had secured the ultimately unsuccessful replay.

Argyle twice made the trip to Rochdale only for the game to be called off, prompting McGregor to describe the second pointless journey as 'a waste of life'. The travelling fans would probably have agreed, the quagmire at Spotland making the troubles of the Home Park surface seem trifling by comparison.

Slowly, new heroes filed into Home Park. Worrell and McGlinchey arrived to shore up the defence, although a broken ankle ended the former's season early. Friio and Larrieu crossed the Channel, spearheading a potential French Revolution that was only mildly subdued by the less effective Javary and Opinel. Nancekivell, Morrison-Hill and popular defender Barrett made way for the new men before a familiar face returned home. Mickey Evans' journey came full circle as Sturrock swooped to secure his homecoming.

Inconsistency remained the biggest problem. A double over 'them up the road' papered over some cracks, as did a 4-0 thumping of Kidderminster Harriers, but a 3-0 reversal against the same opponents towards the end of the campaign signalled the end for several of the current crop. Sturrock wielded an axe that he had perhaps spent much of the season sharpening. Peake and Fleming were jettisoned, while Lee Phillips, Sheffield and, perhaps more surprisingly, McGregor and Barlow were all told they could leave.

Summerfield filled the vacant assistant-manager role as Sturrock looked towards next season. His plans suffered two hammer blows, however, as Wayne O'Sullivan announced that he was leaving for sunnier climes in Australia, while defensive linchpin Craig Taylor broke an ankle against Southend. The 3-3 draw with the Shrimpers was the final match under lights for Home Park in its existing guise, with redevelopment of the Devonport, Lyndhurst and Barn Park stands due to begin over the summer.

A 3-0 thrashing of Chesterfield, who would go on to win promotion despite a nine-point deduction for financial irregularities, hinted at what was on the horizon, along with a comfortable derby win over Torquay. Brighton then came to Home Park for 'Bigger@HomePark', an initiative aimed at improving dialogue with supporters while bringing Argyle fans back to the stands. The attendance was boosted by 1,300 travelling Seagulls, who watched their team clinch promotion with a 2-0 win. A pre-season tour to Scotland was also announced, with supporters offered the chance to stay in the same hotel as the players and travel alongside the team. A sense of camaraderie was beginning to develop.

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