Across all the pasoti forums, whatever the subject, someone inevitably brings out the routine, repetitive location problem when trying to attract new signings, and I do feel it’s time to seriously question this.
My children, who’ve moved away, and older grandchildren, simply don’t see Devon as an outpost. They don’t believe a 3 hour drive from London or the Midlands makes us inaccessible. People from these regions regularly visit here as a day trip. We’re becoming more Americanised in our attitude to longer journeys. We’re a small island, and nowhere in England is too far away. For the past ten years more people have moved to Devon and Cornwall than to any other region. Do they feel cut off from the friends and family they moved away from? Off course not.
I’ve spoken to four Argyle players who left other regions to come here, and the attractions of raising families here, the lifestyle, house prices and local schooling were all big draws.
I don’t want to antagonise anyone, but is this simply a view by born and bred Devonians who’ve never moved away, and are happy to subscribe to the ‘outpost’ view of our region. A view which isn’t held by the thousands like me who moved here, and are glad they did.
Two years ago I checked all this out in mid season by studying the new arrivals/departures headers on the fan forums for Swansea, Hull, Norwich and even Carlisle. None of these is any less isolated geographically than us. I couldn’t find one single fan’s concern about their club’s location or the difficulty it might pose in signing players. Three of those clubs have recent Prem experience to further prove the point.
So, it’s a genuine question. Do we really have a problem, or is it just one of those ‘same old Argo’ excuses that gets trotted out?
My children, who’ve moved away, and older grandchildren, simply don’t see Devon as an outpost. They don’t believe a 3 hour drive from London or the Midlands makes us inaccessible. People from these regions regularly visit here as a day trip. We’re becoming more Americanised in our attitude to longer journeys. We’re a small island, and nowhere in England is too far away. For the past ten years more people have moved to Devon and Cornwall than to any other region. Do they feel cut off from the friends and family they moved away from? Off course not.
I’ve spoken to four Argyle players who left other regions to come here, and the attractions of raising families here, the lifestyle, house prices and local schooling were all big draws.
I don’t want to antagonise anyone, but is this simply a view by born and bred Devonians who’ve never moved away, and are happy to subscribe to the ‘outpost’ view of our region. A view which isn’t held by the thousands like me who moved here, and are glad they did.
Two years ago I checked all this out in mid season by studying the new arrivals/departures headers on the fan forums for Swansea, Hull, Norwich and even Carlisle. None of these is any less isolated geographically than us. I couldn’t find one single fan’s concern about their club’s location or the difficulty it might pose in signing players. Three of those clubs have recent Prem experience to further prove the point.
So, it’s a genuine question. Do we really have a problem, or is it just one of those ‘same old Argo’ excuses that gets trotted out?