Five players have taken their places in the Icons section of the Forever Green Hall of Fame.

This year, some slight alterations to the induction process were made, with a Forever Green panel, chaired by first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell, deciding to automatically include three men: Bob Jack, Kevin Hodges and Sammy Black. 

Supporters were then asked to vote from two polling lists, split by eras, and from there two more men – Wilf Carter and Paul Wotton – have been added to this year’s class.

Bob Jack is essentially the founding father of Plymouth Argyle. He was the club’s first professional, and played 105 times for us, but that is only part of his story. Jack would go on to manage Argyle for a combined 29 years, over 1,000 games, acting as club secretary in the process. After finishing second in Division Three South for six consecutive years, he took Argyle up as champions in 1930, and helped consolidate the club in the second tier. He IS Plymouth Argyle, and will take his rightful place as an Icon.  

No-one has played more times for Argyle than Kevin Hodges, and maybe no-one ever will. Aged 18, Hodges made his professional debut for Argyle and played 620 times over the next 14 years. He was part of the 1984 FA Cup run, part of the 1985/86 promotion team, won the club’s Player of the Year award, scored 87 goals, managed the first team, and took charge of the Academy in a long, unsurpassed association with the football club.  

Sammy Black sits joint-second in the all-time list of appearances, with 491, but leads the goalscoring charts, with 182 goals, 34 clear of Wilf Carter, who is next on the list. Signed from Scottish side Kirkintilloch Rob Roy, left-winger Black became a Pilgrim in 1924, and over the next 14 years became a mainstay, linking with Jack Leslie on more than 300 occasions, to great effect.  

Wilf Carter, fittingly, is the player with the second-highest Argyle goals total, behind Sammy Black. Carter bagged 148 goals in 274 appearances, a staggering ratio of goals. Carter arrived at Home Park from West Bromwich Albion, in August 1957, just before his 24th birthday. In his first season he scored 32 goals, and continued to notch at a stunning rate over seven brilliant years. He scored seven hat-tricks as a Pilgrim, and also became one of only two players ever to score five times in one game, in a 6-4 win over Charlton Athletic. 

Paul Wotton has achieved virtually all there is to achieve for a football-mad Janner. Born in Plymouth; progressing through the youth ranks of the club; into the first team and becoming captain; lifting two divisional championship trophies; and becoming a coach and achieving promotion that way too. Comfortable at central defence or in midfield, Wotton played 491 times in two stints, putting him at joint-second in the appearances chart, behind only Kevin Hodges. He also scored 66 goals, many from arrow-like penalties and stunning free-kicks. During his time at Argyle, he also won a Player of the Year award in what was a unique, unparalleled career as a Pilgrim.

These five players join an illustrious list of players to have been inducted as Forever Green Icons. 

They include the Class of 2024 - Jack Leslie, Mike Bickle, Tommy Tynan, David Friioand Gary Sawyer – as well three legends inducted during the year for their contributions to the green and white cause: John Hore, Paul Sturrock and Katie Middleton. 

In Group 1 of voting, Carter prevailed over Steve Davey in second place, and Jack ‘Jumbo’ Chisholm in third. Ray Bowden was a close fourth, with Jack Cock and Maurice Tadman fourth and fifth.

In Group 2, Wotton won by just 15 votes, ahead of Paul Mariner. Wotton’s promotion-winning team-mates Michael Evans and Romain Larrieu were third and fourth, with Ronnie Mauge and Carl Fletcher next in the poll. 

Our hearty congratulations to all of our new Icons inductees, all of whom are Forever Green.