The Big Day Has Come

96 DAYS after we last played a competitive fixture, 1,600 members of the Green Army will mobilise for a day out in Cheshire. Today is the day.

A new manager. A new team. A new kit. A new start.

Since we last played a game of competitive football, England won the Cricket World Cup and Boris Johnson became the new British Prime Minister, we had the hottest day in recorded history, too.

Today, though, for everyone involved with Argyle, nothing matters outside of the Alexandra Stadium – just ask Ryan Lowe.

“It’s a fresh start, fresh season, and we’re really looking forward to it.”

“We’ve worked on it for six weeks now,” Lowe continued. “You’ll have ups and downs over the season, 46 games in the league, but we want to get a good start, first and foremost. It’s going to be tough, Crewe are a great little outfit, but first and foremost we have to focus on ourselves.”

The game, if it were not already hyped enough as the Sky Bet League Two season opener, has the added narrative of being played against one of the Argyle manager’s former clubs. While he feels it will be nice to say hello to old friends, the pleasantries will subside once the game kicks off.

“We have a lot of respect for Crewe, they know that – there’s a good mutual relationship with everyone associated with the club, because I’ve had some good times there, along with Steven Schumacher also, but, look, they’re going to want to win the game and so are we,” said Lowe.

Despite suffering relegation last time out, the appointment of Lowe, alongside the Mayflower Grandstand development and additional investment from Chairman Simon Hallett, has seen a real feel-good factor return around the Theatre of Greens. So much so that pre-season games at Truro and Torquay had to be delayed due to queues of the loyal Green Army awaiting entry to Treyew Road and Plainmoor, respectively. The away end at the Alexandra Stadium can expect the same treatment, too, with a reported 1,600 tickets sold for the trip to Cheshire.

“I’m really looking forward to it [seeing a full away end],” said Lowe. “I’ve experienced it on the road, albeit at non-league clubs, and here at Home Park.

“That’s fantastic, that’s what we want. I’m hearing that it’s going to be bouncing – I want them singing along. I want to make sure that we get this place [Home Park] bouncing, as well as when we play away.

“It’s vitally important for the lads on the pitch that they feel that love, and I’m sure the Green Army are going to give us that.”