Here, Roger Willis rounds off our 'Turmoil Week' with the second part of his Plymouth Epic. Yesterday he focused on the background that led to Argyle's financial meltdown; today he moves on to bring us right up to date with the key events. The Supporters Start to Act There was widespread panic amongst supporters at this stage.

Here, Roger Willis rounds off our 'Turmoil Week' with the second part of his Plymouth Epic. Yesterday he focused on the background that led to Argyle's financial meltdown; today he moves on to bring us right up to date with the key events. The Supporters Start to Act There was widespread panic amongst supporters at this stage.

As our 'Turmoil Week' draws to a close, we turn the spotlight westwards to Plymouth, arguably the most well-documented club in crisis over the past 18 months or so. Thankfully, the situation at Home Park now appears to be settling down but here season ticket holder Roger Willis takes a look back over an incredible few years, describing in detail the events that very nearly led to the Pilgrims' demise.

As our 'Turmoil Week' draws to a close, we turn the spotlight westwards to Plymouth, arguably the most well-documented club in crisis over the past 18 months or so. Thankfully, the situation at Home Park now appears to be settling down but here season ticket holder Roger Willis takes a look back over an incredible few years, describing in detail the events that very nearly led to the Pilgrims' demise.

Name: David Phillips In his 1990s prime for: Norwich City, Nottingham Forest Lowdown: Phillips was already 29 when the Premier League started, having played for Coventry, Plymouth and Manchester City throughout the 1980s, including winning the FA Cup in 1987 with Coventry. However, he became Norwich City's record signing when he joined for £550,000 and [.

It's true, there are a lot of Brentons in Swansea. Third most dense concentration of Brentons in the UK after southwest England (Plymouth) and Southampton. Fascinating stuff, this.

Read Martin's preview because you should and because he paints a bleak picture of our backline, a picture we all need to come to terms with.

To look closely at the associated regulations is to acknowledge the Football League's existing loan system as nothing less than a free for all. ‘Temporary loan transfer' is the umbrella heading which comprises the following three types of move permissible under the current system: • ‘Standard Loans' (half or full season in length and arranged during the two transfer windows); • ‘Emergency Loans' (28-93 days in length and arranged both within the two transfer windows and during fixed periods outside these dates); • ‘Youth Loans' (identical to ‘Emergency Loans' but applies to scholars or new professionals on a work experience-type.

Wally meets...Mike Walters chats to one of football's most infamous chairmen Peter Ridsdale

Happy New Year to all troubleshooters, Red Adairs, flying doctors – and Peter Ridsdale. Come on, give the man a break. Preston's new chairman has acquired a reputation for leaving behind another fine mess at every club he has run.

In March 2010, we produced a post on a peculiar bias in the decision making of Jon Moss, a then Football League Referee - "Doing A Little Deal Down The Moss" (http://footballisfixed.blogspot.com/2010/03/doing-little-deal-down-moss.html).
The post is reproduced in part below.
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"Yesterday, Jonathan Moss, a bog-standard referee from the wrong side of the Pennines, gave a fallacious penalty (the infringement occurred outside the penalty area) that allowed West Bromwich Albion to defeat Blackpool by 3 goals to 2.

It looks likely that Dan Gosling will get his big chance this afternoon at Carrow Road. Dan Gosling big chance this afternoon for the Plymouth-born player With both Cheick Tiote and Danny Guthrie sidelined with injuries, Dan is favored to come into the central midfield position and partner Yohan Cabaye this afternoon against Norwich City.

[I]t's been a cracking couple of weeks down on the Bay. Four wins from five league games, including a bustling 3-1 victory against big brothers Plymouth, and the news that key players Lee Mansell and Kevin Nicholson have joined Eunan O'Kane in agreeing long-term contracts mean that Gulls supporters must be purring with satisfaction.

It's been a cracking couple of weeks down on the Bay. Four wins from five league games, including a bustling 3-1 victory against big brothers Plymouth, and the news that key players Lee Mansell and Kevin Nicholson have joined Eunan O'Kane in agreeing long-term contracts mean that Gulls supporters must be purring with satisfaction.

It's been a cracking couple of weeks down on the Bay. Four wins from five league games, including a bustling 3-1 victory against big brothers Plymouth, and the news that key players Lee Mansell and Kevin Nicholson have joined Eunan O'Kane in agreeing long-term contracts mean that Gulls supporters must be purring with satisfaction.

This weekend's fixtures look like a pretty sedate set on the face of it. Leeds' terrestrially televised trip across the shires to meet Burnley and what may be the most pathetic grudge in history, Saints versus Seagulls, are worth keeping on the radar perhaps, but otherwise I can't help but be drawn down the leagues to the two derbies west of Bristol.

Freshman Isaac Kannah (Plymouth, Minn./Prairie Seeds Academy) assisted on the Huskies one and only game winning goal on Friday to put Northern Illinois University into Sunday afternoon's MAC Championship game against Western Michigan. Sophomore Gael Rivera (Oslo, Norway/WANG Elite Sports Academy) scored the goal in the 63rd minute to defeat Buffalo, 1-0, on Friday night in [.

Following the departure of Steve Cotterill to Championship rivals Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth have finally confirmed the latest appointment on the managerial merry-go round by naming West Brom First Team Coach Michael Appleton as Cotterill's successor. The 35 year old Appleton has signed a three and a half year deal at Fratton Park to secure his [.

While risking sycophancy, it seems fitting to tribute this post to therealfacup. Not so long ago, I had little interest in the Cup's First Round or anything that preceded it. My focus was on Plymouth Argyle, its status as a Championship club and not a lot else. If asked whether I was a fan of football or Argyle, then my answer was a depressingly parochial one.

Where's your Caravan?By Chris HargreavesPublished by The Friday Project, August 2011£8.99ISBN: 9780007364145What next for a lower league footballer upon retirement? A simple enough premise, but too few biographies have tackled the theme with any distinction, so Chris Hargreaves' recent release, which engages throughout with the realities and emotions of signing off from one's playing days, is a

As the crowd of just over 1,700 filed out of Underhill after a six-three home defeat at the hands of Burton Albion last weekend, supporters of Barnet Football Club had little option but to face up to the prospect of another difficult season in League Two again this year. The club is in second from bottom place in the Football League with only Plymouth Argyle below them, and with Plymouth now having finally exited administration and Barnet having lost seven of their last eight matches, a club which has maintained it League Two status by he skin of its teeth for the last couple of seasons will be looking nervously at the trapdoor which is threatening to open up below it again.

With year-end targets at work biting, it's an express preview this week based predominantly on recent first-hand impressions rather than diligent research.Indeed, along with the other original unfortunate (not to mention a further couple) I made the trip to the Kassam on Tuesday to see a youthful Plymouth side soundly beaten by their hosts.

Written Offside discusses Danny Welbeck.

The Evening News reports on Vidic's return for Anfield.

ManUtd24 looks at Ruud's United career.

The Mirror links us to a Plymouth teenager.

The Independent reports on Chelsea fans' fight against their owners to keep Stamford Bridge

"RoM Reads" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.

It has been reported this morning that the Gunners have had scouts watching the up-and-coming young Plymouth Argyle winger Matt Lecointe, who has already made 10 appearances for his club despite only being 16 years-old. The Mirror reports that Arsenal, along with Liverpool and Man Utd, are looking at taking Lecointe up to the Premiership [.

Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal are all circling round Plymouth teenager

Matt Lecointe has been compared to Arsenal sensation Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-10-11 21:30:29 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

TTU regulars will know that Plymouth Argyle receive more than their fair share of coverage on these pages; although we try to split our attention 72 ways it can be difficult to abstain from repeat postings when there's so much to be said.The goalposts in this long-running saga have moved daily, so we've largely played the admiring onlooker of late as others, such as twohundredpercent, have, to

TTU regulars will know that Plymouth Argyle receive more than their fair share of coverage on these pages; although we try to split our attention 72 ways it can be difficult to abstain from repeat postings when there's so much to be said.The goalposts in this long-running saga have moved daily, so we've largely played the admiring onlooker of late as others, such as twohundredpercent, have, to

Has a corner finally been turned at Home Park? The days, weeks and months of agony suffered by Pilgrims supporters, not to mention the club's staff and players, have been assiduously logged and documented across print and digital media but, until now, the news has nearly always set heads a-banging.A few weeks ago, we were patronised as champagne corks popped upon the announcement that the club

Port Vale's 'grey knickers' plus daft quotes of the week and pies for chants

Plymouth's decision to celebrate their 125th anniversary with an old-style team sheet raised eyebrows at Home Park on Saturday. Argyle were listed as wearing "green jerseys, white collar and cuffs, white knickers", while Port Vale were wearing "grey jerseys, grey knickers".

Newcastle midfielder Dan Gosling gained his third cap for the England U21 side as they beat Israel 4-1 in a friendly on Monday night. Dan Gosling - third cap for England U21s The 21-year-old former Plymouth and Everton player started for England at Barnsley's Oakwell on Monday night, in front of just over 9,000 fans, [.

Excuse the imaginative-less title, but I thought that I'd direct peoples' attention to a new piece that I devoted portions of my Bank Holiday weekend to which has now up on the excellent Hungarian Football website. It's a recent history of Plymouth Argyle as told through the experiences of their three former Magyars, Ákos Buzsáky, Péter Halmosi and Krisztián Timár.

In June, Ben Piggott ran the rule over the fortunes of Football League players in that month's European Under-21 Championship, with Aron Gunnarsson and Mikkel Andersen in particular enjoying less than fruitful campaigns. Now, the man behind the illustrations that adorn this website turns his attention to the recent Under-20 World Cup, a tournanment that has been covered expertly by Two Hundred

So, three weeks into the new Football League season and in many ways it's much the same as the last. The divisions might be different, but Southampton and Brighton are still dazzling on the south coast; Peterborough are still serving up improbable goalfests at London Road; Crawley are still cruising at the top of the league; and, less happily, Plymouth's horrific decline continues seemingly

We continue our Five Days of Football League build-up with a focus on the archival section of our 108-page overview of the coming season. In putting together the Preview, we wanted to touch upon the writing that we feel best represents our sites by giving selected pieces a second airing.So, kicking the section off on page 66 is Iain Macintosh's ode to Southend, which first appeared on The Seventy

Today, our bumper (there really is no other word) preview of the coming football league season has gone live, a collaborative venture with The Seventy Two. The whole thing is presented in pdf format and is available for free download here or navigate the widget on the right hand side of this page. There is a whole lot to enjoy from a myriad of the blogosphere's best writers, but if your

A few weeks ago I commented on MK Dons striker Sam Baldock's decision to favour heart over head and spurn newly promoted Peterborough's advances. Baldock claimed not to have felt excited by the prospect of a move to Posh, and I praised his honesty, speculating as to how often the inane smiles of new signings paraded before fans and media 'mask an expression of grim resignation at having been

It's Wednesday evening, so it's time to take a moment out from the game of football itself in order to give a little time over to good causes that are working within the game of football in order to help those less fortunate than others. We have said this on this page before, but it bears repeating: football can carry a very negative image, and even those of us that really love the game are aware of many of the ills that surround it.

Spanning our coverage to three divisions would always present problems when deciding upon this season's best team. Just as the WBA, IBF and WBC versions of international boxing competed for eminence in the 1980s, Queen's Park Rangers, Chesterfield and Brighton and Hove Albion possess equal claims to be the top canines thirty or so years on.

Possibly the closest category to call, this split our voters - divided by micro and macro concerns. At the latter level, the usual suspects are there: the primary interviewee on Lord Sugar Tackles Football, some oval ball proponents from the South Manchester borders and all those associated with the downfall of a Green Army from Devonshire.

The Monday Profile was first conceived in Plymouth's Fortescue pub over a couple of post-Christmas 2009 ales. Given that this site's focus invariably falls on club-level and off-the-field issues and concerns, it was felt that a new column that honed in on individual players would allow us to get closer to the Football League's rank and file.

Currently appearing in the high court are an ex-Pompey director, past owner and recent manager on various charges of tax-evasion. Charged with fraud and unfair trading practices at  court an ex-Cardiff City director and Plymouth chairman, whilst at Wrexham a consortium containing a solicitor debarred on eighteen counts attempts a take over.

The Championship promotion race looks set to run beyond this weekend and with that same league's relegation places all but sewn up, it seems like an idea to return to League One. That's not to say that Accrington Vs Barnet a further division down doesn't have its appeal, but the likes of Swindon, Bristol Rovers, Notts County and Tranmere have all featured in this column over recent weeks, and for