Plymouth Argyle W.F.C.
| Full name | Plymouth Argyle Women Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Pilgrims; The Greens | |||
| Founded | 1975 (as Plymouth Pilgrims) 2001 (became Plymouth Argyle) | |||
| Ground | Foulston Park (from 2026-27 season) Manadon Sports Hub Home Park | |||
| General Manager | Elaine Dalton-Fyfe | |||
| Manager | Marie Hourihan | |||
| League | FA Women's National League South | |||
| 2023–24 | FA Women's National League South, 10th of 12 | |||
| Website | pafc.co.uk | |||
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Plymouth Argyle Women Football Club are a women's football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. They compete in the FA Women's National League South.
Founded in 1975, they come under the bracket of Plymouth Argyle F.C., and play their home games at Manadon Sports Hub, Plymouth, which is owned and operated by the PAFC Community Trust.
History
Formation and early years (1975–2010)
The club was formed in 1975 as a result of a 5-a-side league at the Mayflower Leisure Centre. Two teams merged in order to enter an 11-a-side football tournament in Newquay, Cornwall with the team creating the name of 'Plymouth Pilgrims'. Following the success of the tournament, Plymouth Pilgrims played in numerous competitions throughout the 1970s and 1980s with the most notable achievement being reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in both 1976 and 1977.
The club name changed to 'Saltash Pilgrims' in the late 1990s and the early part of the year 2000 to reflect their home ground at the time – Saltash United's Kimberly Stadium in Cornwall. It was not until the 2001–02 season that the club, then competing in the South West Combination, were invited to compete under the umbrella of Plymouth Argyle F.C., and Plymouth Argyle Ladies were formed.
Plymouth won the 2010–11 South West Combination, and were promoted to the Southern Division, but faced relegation at the end of the 2011–12 season.
National League and Affiliation (2010–presant)
In August 2020, Ryan Perks was appointed manager.[1] A year later, ahead of the 2021–22 season, the club changed name, replacing the suffix Ladies Football Club with Women Football Club, as the club transferred from under the management of the Argyle Community Trust, to being taken under the professional wing of Plymouth Argyle.[2]
The team officially becomes part of Plymouth Argyle Football Club on 1 July 2024 and on the same day, the young goal-scorer Ellie Sara became the first woman to sign for the newly organised Plymouth Argyle Women.[3]
Sponsorship
Since the 2017–18 season, Plymouth's kits have been sponsored by the main club sponsor, such as Cornwall-based company Ginsters until 2022.[4]
| Period | Brand | Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2017–2022 | Puma | Ginsters |
| 2022–2023 | Project 35 | |
| 2023–2024 | WH Bond Timber | |
| 2024–Present | Classic Builders (SW) |
Players
Current squad
- As of 22 November 2024[5]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Retired numbers
- 12 – The Green Army
Notable players
Honours
League
- South West Combination League (level 3)
- Champions: 2010–11, 2013–14
- FA National League Division One South West (level 4)
- Champions: 2017–18
Cup
- Devon Women's County Cup
- Winners: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06
References
- ^ "Ladies Appoint New Manager". 11 August 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- ^ "Argyle Women Boosted by Club Support". 9 August 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- ^ "Ellie Sara Becomes First Women's Player to Sign Argyle Contract | Plymouth Argyle - PAFC". www.pafc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "More Power to Argyle". Plymouth Argyle. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "Women's Team". Plymouth Argyle. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ 'England battle hard against Bosnia to end 2015 on a high'. Thefa.com, 29 November 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2019
- ^ 'Chipchase Makes Changes Thefa.com, 3 August 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2007
- ^ 'Youth Squads Named' Thefa.com, 5 February 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2007
- ^ 'U15's Training Squad' Thefa.com, 20 July 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2007