Geograhical Location Excuses....

Metal Green Mickey · May 16, 2015

All I heard from my 30 years of being an Argyle fan is the geographical location is an issue.

Doesn't matter who the manager is they all come out with it.

Well its no wonder, for example, with the current manager that it would be an issue.... you can imagine the type of conversation..

Potential New Player: Sure I would love to play for your club but its such a long way to travel.

John Sheridan: Yeah, but its great club, with a great fanbase. I am sure you would love the area

Potential New Player: Oh so your based down in Plymouth...

John Sheridan: No, I still commute from Leeds where my family is based. I will be there a number of days during the week though for training.

Potential New Player: Oh so if its a great club and the area is lovely why don't you commit to living down there when
you expect me to do the same

What is it about the Plymouth or the south-west in particular that somehow put the fear of god in that they are a million miles from civilisation. Bristol is 2 hours away, London is 4 you can travel in something I believe called a car, train or even go to Exeter and get a flight if flying north.

People talk about Plymouth like its some kind of hideous place to live and that somehow its the end of the earth. Its just an easy cop out. We need someone in charge who promotes the area, and can actually commit to living down here.

I can understand "us" working class people moving away from Plymouth because its not a well paid area so to progress we have to go where the jobs are but as a footballer if your being offered the same amount of money to live in Luton area or in Plymouth area I know where I rather be.

Having a manager in charge who doesn't even commit himself to living in the area is not a good way to promote the club or the area. This team's location between Devon & Cornwall makes our club unique. The reason people don't take to him, is because we have this vision of a man who for him, home will be forever 'up north. He doesn't show the same level or passion or pride for this city that the fans seem to. He doesn't grasp when wearing that shirt you representing all the proud Plymouth people in this city and the local people who had to move away and settled elsewhere. That's why we have such a great away following because even those people who moved away still love to be associated with Plymouth. Its just a shame at most opportunities he appears not to want to fall in love with this club and the city like most have. He just doesn't talk about "us" with any real passion and there is no really belief coming through that this is nothing more than just a stop-gap.

If we cant afford a player that's fine. Yet if players wont come because "its Plymouth and its too far away" then I'm not buying it. Your not selling the club or the city well enough and until someone gets it into their head about being positive about our location I fear the worse.

Plymouth is probably looked from the outside as a 3rd rate city. That's because the attitude of people who live in this city and those who just view it from afar, is just plain defeatist. The ready made excuse people have been using has been there for the past 30 years so its easy to roll it out again when the CLUB fail to bring decent players down this way.

Speaking as a Plymouthian I have been to places up north and they are no way better than Plymouth. I had the joys of going to places like Coventry, Luton & Burnley, just to name a few. I am sure the locals would say they have "character" but in my opinion those areas were just a complete dump.

I just don't get it. Why wouldn't you want to come south? Its warmer for a start. We have wonderful countryside and beaches. Its a great place to relax. Yet I am sure the normal excuses will be churned out come the summer and I will just sit here wondering when will people who run the club ever realise you have to sell Plymouth in the manner it deserves because once people move down here the majority tend to fall in love with the area and the people.

meetoo · May 16, 2015

Metal_Green_Mickey":vy263wo8 said:
above

I am a Plymothian and I currently live in Plymouth. In my opinion, having travelled far and wide and having lived elsewhere in the UK which was dictated by work commitments, I believe Plymouth is a fantastic City which is well situated.
However, the travel situation to get anywhere is an absolute pain and I can see why players either don't want to do it or quickly get tired of it. On the other side of the coin of course this distance does isolate us from a lot of unwanted attention from those that I would rather not have living in my home town!

Ade the green · May 16, 2015

I think it's a problem attracting players and managers to the club and one of the reasons is geography.

How can we as Plymothians bemoan the lack of an airport, the lack of a decent rail link and the state of the A38 and not expect people from the midlands or London to think the same. With most footballers being young men I'd imagine they'd want more options in their free time than we offer.

I don't need to make up a possible conversation to make my point but here's one.

Mr Sheridan: please love, I'm begging you, just come down to Plymouth for the weekend and you'll see it's a beautiful city with wonderful people. Not to mention the excellent ferry link to France.

Mrs Sheridan: Pi$$ off you loser. I've been telling you for two years now it'll be a cold day in hell before I go so far south and if you keep banging on about how effing great it is in Plymouth I'll divorce you and take you for everything you've got.

Mr Sheridan: but.....

Mrs Sheridan: you still here?

Pilgrim61 · May 16, 2015

It is ridiculous that we have a manager who lives in Leeds.

Time and time again when this issue comes up there are those who say it doesn't matter, he spends 4 days a week here etc. Rubbish!

As MGM says, he's on a loser from the start. Would James Brent allow the manager of one of his hotels or retail outlets to live 320 miles away....would he fudge!

This is not a hotel, shop, supermarket......it is a football club which should be at the heart of the city and the manager should be living in the south west.

Ade the green · May 16, 2015

Pilgrim61":1nujnvjx said:
It is ridiculous that we have a manager who lives in Leeds.

Time and time again when this issue comes up there are those who say it doesn't matter, he spends 4 days a week here etc. Rubbish!

As MGM says, he's on a loser from the start. Would James Brent allow the manager of one of his hotels or retail outlets to live 320 miles away....would he flip!

This is not a hotel, shop, supermarket......it is a football club which should be at the heart of the city and the manager should be living in the south west.

No-one has said it's not ridiculous but while we've had anecdotal evidence that Sheridan is never in Plymouth there has been no proof.

Whether he's physically been here 3-4-5 days a week it's obvious his heart has not and that causes problems in itself. He'll miss his family and that will affect his well being regardless of whether he'd achieved anything or not. It's time he went back north to have a work-life balance and where he can commit properly and completely to another challenge.

We then have the problem of finding a manager that suits our criteria.

Lundan Cabbie · May 16, 2015

If I were a player, what would put me off would be the amount of travelling and late nights incured with away games. I wonder how long an Argyle player's working week is compared to what it might be elsewhere.

Dreamgreen · May 16, 2015

I think it is about our manager having the charisma and belief in a club to attract players. Admittedly it would help if the manager himself lived in the area. However, the football world is a fickle one, and no-one in football knows how long they will be with a club, contract or not. Young men with families where school and child support (from grandparents) is important to them and their partners, will not always be prepared at that stage to move for relatively short term deals. Very understandable.

In JS, Fletch, Reid, even Luggy (second spell), we have not exactly had inspiring managers in my opinion in recent times. By contrast, Holloway was probably a good "seller" of the area I would have thought. The Hungarian experiment worked pretty well and could be the kind of template we should re-examine. Shilton had a "name" to attract players.

Finding good young talent is essential for a place like Plymouth, so having a good youth set up in important. The problem with football however, as we have seen to our cost, is that so called bigger teams can entice the better players away to be in a big squad where they may never get first team football. That is the problem with being in the fourth tier.

So if JS goes, find a manager who is has a character and charisma or has a reputation in modern day football. Easy (not).

Frazer Lloyd-Davies · May 16, 2015

I don't think Plymouth is necessarily a great city to live in at all but it all depends upon the individual and therefore I do think that for some people goegraphy is a problem.

Personally, I'm a young guy who at the start of the year moved back to Torpoint (alright it isn't Plymouth but still) after a few years in London. If I was a young player, I'd much prefer to live nearer London than Plymouth.

Firstly, getting to and from Plymouth is a nightmare so going to see friends and family elsewhere in the country is stressful. FGW couldn't run a bath. Anyone that has caught that train line regularly will tell you how pee poor that service is.

Plymouth also has a very small city centre with shops that are closing by the week. It isn't particularly pretty (cheers Germany!), there is very little or no decent night life/music scene and the restaurants and 'trends' (don't know a better way to put it) seem to come here months or years after anywhere else. Take a look at the reaction to Krispy Kreme for crying out loud!

With that being said, Plymouth is slowly getting better for young people. The University is clearly growing and having a much bigger influence than ever before. The Royal William Yard is nice (albeit that Prezzo isn't some sort of wonderful, new offering) and the Barbican and surrounding areas are pleasant.

I'd say though, that the difficulty is what I've described above for younger players, combined with older players that don't want to uproot families. It is a long way to commute but if you live outside of London or the Midlands you have a number of options relatively close. And as I've said, travelling to Plymouth is bloody irritating!

However, despite all of that, I don't think we should be selling Argyle on Plymouth. We should be selling Argyle with football. Come and play for a big club (relative to where they sit in the tables), with a big ground (same again) and with a fan base you won't find anywhere else. Come somewhere that Jose Mourinho has been pleased to send loanees!

FordGreen · May 16, 2015

I remember asking Peter Ridsdale about this at a Meet The a Fans event at HP a few years back and he replied most emphatically that it was a load of rubbish. The main problem was getting the WAGS to move down here not the players. Holloway was, for me, a great public advocate for this area and often stressed the point. I'd have him back like a shot.

crownhill pilgrim · May 16, 2015

It's a combination of things... location, facilities, other players (players will know other players who have played here), money and perceived history (Plymouth Who?).

Gary Wills · May 16, 2015

The location excuse works both ways though.
The clueless ownership, the shabby grandstand, the proxy training facilities, the apparently uncommitted manager, the unproductive youth system, the lack of reserve team football.
The reasons don't get aired, for everyone's benefit. Best to churn out the same old excuse, so both parties agree to disagree, and we turn a blind eye to the real issues.

Greenskin · May 16, 2015

Dreamgreen":3l4k7pg2 said:
I think it is about our manager having the charisma and belief in a club to attract players. Admittedly it would help if the manager himself lived in the area. However, the football world is a fickle one, and no-one in football knows how long they will be with a club, contract or not. Young men with families where school and child support (from grandparents) is important to them and their partners, will not always be prepared at that stage to move for relatively short term deals. Very understandable.

In JS, Fletch, Reid, even Luggy (second spell), we have not exactly had inspiring managers in my opinion in recent times. By contrast, Holloway was probably a good "seller" of the area I would have thought. The Hungarian experiment worked pretty well and could be the kind of template we should re-examine. Shilton had a "name" to attract players.

Finding good young talent is essential for a place like Plymouth, so having a good youth set up in important. The problem with football however, as we have seen to our cost, is that so called bigger teams can entice the better players away to be in a big squad where they may never get first team football. That is the problem with being in the fourth tier.

So if JS goes, find a manager who is has a character and charisma or has a reputation in modern day football. Easy (not).

But then he had no problem in attracting players of the right quality in his first spell. That was after the boardroom takeover and subsequent investment by members of the new regime which enabled players of a far higher standard than the fourth division to be attracted. Same with Warnock, who had funding both from Dan's pocket and the sale of the residue of Shilton's team to bankroll his signings. Never been a believer in the old chestnut about Plymouth being an unattractive destination for players as such-they will be attracted if the money and length of contract is right.

gaspargomez · May 16, 2015

Swansea isn't particularly easy to reach. They seem to be doing OK. This stuff about Argyle's location is a load of bull.

Mike Greening · May 16, 2015

Sheridan is getting rid of the local youngsters and the first team players who don't mind being here so the answer is simple bring back those he has released as there is a lot of potential if played in their correct positions and get rid of Sheridan. Simples :furious: :scarf:

lambanog · May 16, 2015

Metal_Green_Mickey":ear6146i said:
All I heard from my 30 years of being an Argyle fan is the geographical location is an issue.

Doesn't matter who the manager is they all come out with it.

Well its no wonder, for example, with the current manager that it would be an issue.... you can imagine the type of conversation..

Potential New Player: Sure I would love to play for your club but its such a long way to travel.

John Sheridan: Yeah, but its great club, with a great fanbase. I am sure you would love the area

Potential New Player: Oh so your based down in Plymouth...

John Sheridan: No, I still commute from Leeds where my family is based. I will be there a number of days during the week though for training.

Potential New Player: Oh so if its a great club and the area is lovely why don't you commit to living down there when
you expect me to do the same

What is it about the Plymouth or the south-west in particular that somehow put the fear of god in that they are a million miles from civilisation. Bristol is 2 hours away, London is 4 you can travel in something I believe called a car, train or even go to Exeter and get a flight if flying north.

People talk about Plymouth like its some kind of hideous place to live and that somehow its the end of the earth. Its just an easy cop out. We need someone in charge who promotes the area, and can actually commit to living down here.

I can understand "us" working class people moving away from Plymouth because its not a well paid area so to progress we have to go where the jobs are but as a footballer if your being offered the same amount of money to live in Luton area or in Plymouth area I know where I rather be.

Having a manager in charge who doesn't even commit himself to living in the area is not a good way to promote the club or the area. This team's location between Devon & Cornwall makes our club unique. The reason people don't take to him, is because we have this vision of a man who for him, home will be forever 'up north. He doesn't show the same level or passion or pride for this city that the fans seem to. He doesn't grasp when wearing that shirt you representing all the proud Plymouth people in this city and the local people who had to move away and settled elsewhere. That's why we have such a great away following because even those people who moved away still love to be associated with Plymouth. Its just a shame at most opportunities he appears not to want to fall in love with this club and the city like most have. He just doesn't talk about "us" with any real passion and there is no really belief coming through that this is nothing more than just a stop-gap.

If we cant afford a player that's fine. Yet if players wont come because "its Plymouth and its too far away" then I'm not buying it. Your not selling the club or the city well enough and until someone gets it into their head about being positive about our location I fear the worse.

Plymouth is probably looked from the outside as a 3rd rate city. That's because the attitude of people who live in this city and those who just view it from afar, is just plain defeatist. The ready made excuse people have been using has been there for the past 30 years so its easy to roll it out again when the CLUB fail to bring decent players down this way.

Speaking as a Plymothian I have been to places up north and they are no way better than Plymouth. I had the joys of going to places like Coventry, Luton & Burnley, just to name a few. I am sure the locals would say they have "character" but in my opinion those areas were just a complete dump.

I just don't get it. Why wouldn't you want to come south? Its warmer for a start. We have wonderful countryside and beaches. Its a great place to relax. Yet I am sure the normal excuses will be churned out come the summer and I will just sit here wondering when will people who run the club ever realise you have to sell Plymouth in the manner it deserves because once people move down here the majority tend to fall in love with the area and the people.

And let's not lose sight of the fact that the M5 and A38 are jammed packed in the summer months with holiday makers streaming south from all over to enjoy what we have and appreciate.

Geograhical Location Excuses....

Metal Green Mickey

meetoo

Ade the green

Pilgrim61

Ade the green

Lundan Cabbie

Dreamgreen

Frazer Lloyd-Davies

Guest

FordGreen

crownhill pilgrim

Gary Wills

Greenskin

Guest

gaspargomez

Mike Greening

lambanog

Guest