SEASON

2001-2002

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MANAGER: Paul Sturrock 1.

PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Graham Coughlan.

DEBUTS: Nicky Banger, Jason Bent, Joe Broad, Graham Coughlan, Neil Heaney, Marino Keith, Blair Sturrock.

FINAL GAMES: Nicky Banger, Jon Beswetherick, Sean Evers, Martin Gritton, Neil Heaney, Kevin Wills.

LOANS: Chris Adamson (West Brom), Dean Crowe (Stoke).

SEASON SUMMARY: For a club that had spent much of the previous five seasons with a reputation for being poorer on the road than a Sinclair C5, it was perhaps fitting that the Green Army enjoyed two of the greatest nights in Argyle’s history away from home.

Paul Sturrock continued to fine-tune his squad. [Click for more]

SEASON SUMMARY: For a club that had spent much of the previous five seasons with a reputation for being poorer on the road than a Sinclair C5, it was perhaps fitting that the Green Army enjoyed two of the greatest nights in Argyle’s history away from home.

Paul Sturrock continued to fine-tune his squad. McCarthy and Leadbitter exited, while Graham Coughlan arrived to add to the defensive options. Mick Heathcote enjoyed a testimonial against Sunderland but departed for Shrewsbury just a few days later, having only been offered a one-year deal. Lee Hodges returned, having previously enjoyed a loan spell with the Pilgrims back in 1993.

The new Argyle women’s team was officially announced, 25 years after its original formation, and was launched with a fun day at its opening home fixture against Portsmouth, where over £1,300 was raised for PAYD. Argyle lost 6-1, with Carly Eagles netting the team’s first ‘official’ goal.

On the eve of the new season, it was announced that Dan McCauley was stepping down as chairman, with Paul Stapleton taking over. McCauley’s final act was to dig deep into his pockets and provide £500,000 to ensure the ground redevelopment could begin as the council dithered. Peter Bloom, along with Ken and Ivor Jones, also made way, with former Labour leader Michael Foot joining the board.

Argyle did not start well. Three defeats in the first four games, including an exit from the Worthington Cup at Watford, hardly suggested the stuff of legend. Finding the net was also an issue; the only goal of those first few games came from Rochdale’s Coleman. An air of despondency seemed to settle over Home Park as news of former loan player Les Sealey’s passing broke. Gordon Staniforth lost his son, Tom, while supporter Maurice Wilton passed away at the home game against Rochdale.

The tide turned with a first-ever trip to Nene Park as Argyle battled back from a 2-0 deficit to claim a win that owed as much to a stunning save from Larrieu as it did to goals from Evans, Coughlan and McGlinchey. That win was the catalyst for the Pilgrims to embark on a post WWII club-record unbeaten streak of 19 games.

With worldwide events grabbing the headlines in early September, Argyle overcame Swansea at home in a subdued atmosphere only days after the Pilgrims’ board had revealed their ‘five-year plan’.

A pair of Devon derby away wins split the Swansea result, victory at St James Park sealed with a late Stonebridge header after a 1-0 victory at Torquay. Jason Bent finally signed on the dotted line, the deal having been delayed by work permit issues. Luton arrived in Devon in bullish mood, manager Kinnear’s comments doing little to endear him to anyone of a green persuasion. Despite the dismissal of Evans, later rescinded, Argyle triumphed 2-1 to further ignite a rivalry that would rumble on throughout the season. The Devonport End was beginning to take shape as slow and steady progress continued both on and off the pitch, while Sturrock claimed successive Manager of the Month awards.

A new crop of young players arrived: Sawyer, Martin, Coxon, Barwick, Guppy and Yetton. Dave Newton was appointed Director of the Centre of Excellence and John Uzzell came on board to coach the under-11 side, while Chris Harrison was put in charge of the under-15s.

The FA Cup appeared on the horizon, along with a trip to Whitby Town, where Dracula famously came ashore in Bram Stoker’s novel. Argyle lacked the necessary bite to dispatch their non-league opponents in front of the Match of the Day cameras, earning a 1-1 draw before triumphing in the replay. Any hopes of a payday against the big boys were shattered by Bristol Rovers in another replay, the first defeat Argyle had suffered since August.

Sturrock added to his attacking options with the arrival of Marino Keith from Livingston. Bent and Evans were absent over Christmas, the former due to injury followed by international duty, while the latter supported his wife, Tyra, as she recovered from a serious car accident. The club also received news that former Pilgrim Les Major had passed away.

The Barn Park and Devonport Ends were opened on Boxing Day as 13,000 took in the new surroundings. Torquay were the visitors and held Argyle to a 2-2 draw. The game also saw the retirement of Roy Scott, Head Gateman, who had held a number of positions at Home Park over the years. Phase One was completed in time for the Oxford game at the end of January. Argyle celebrated with a 4-2 win.

Blair Sturrock signed, while Neil Heaney also arrived. Dan McCauley resigned as a director, ending his ten-year tenure at the club. The annual Rochdale postponement took place, twice, while the long trip to Darlington also fell victim to the March snow. Luggy claimed a third Manager of the Month award after Joe Kinnear had again exercised his vocal cords following a 2-0 defeat at Kenilworth Road. A 3-0 thumping of the noisy neighbours, in a game that also saw former Pilgrim McCarthy dismissed for an elbow on Coughlan, set the good ship Mayflower back on course for smoother waters, although Luton’s pursuit of the Pilgrims was relentless.

Argyle were attracting attention. New Chief Executive David Tall swapped places for a week with Charlton’s Steve Sutherland for a documentary that was aired on BBC Two in March. Larrieu featured in the Observer Sports Supplement’s article ‘The 10 Best Players Outside the Premiership’ on his way to 27 clean sheets over the season.

Promotion was sealed at Spotland with a 3-1 win and, despite the relinquishing of top spot after defeat at Hartlepool, Luton’s draw at home to Macclesfield left Argyle in the driving seat. A win at Carlisle meant that victory at Darlington two days later would see the Pilgrims claim their first league title since 1959. An early Evans goal settled the nerves before a Keith brace and a strike from Bent saw the last half-hour played out in a carnival atmosphere. The Green Army celebrated long into the night as fans and team alike asked if a certain Joe Kinnear had been watching.

A 2-0 win at home to Cheltenham rounded the season off perfectly. Coughlan, who claimed numerous Player of the Year awards, observed that it wasn’t bad for a ‘Joe Soap’ centre-half, while he was also named in the PFA Divisional Team of the Season along with Wotton and Larrieu. As the skipper opined during later celebrations... ‘We’ve only gone and done it!’

The good times were back.

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