A tribute to Argyle's 2003/04 heroes - 20 years on
On Sunday, 21 July, in Club Argyle at Home Park Stadium, we have a unique opportunity to pay homage to a magnificent group of Pilgrims.
Forever Green will host an afternoon with manager Paul Sturrock and many of the 2003/04 squad that won Division Two, propelling Argyle into the Championship after a 13-year absence.
There are several reasons why Forever Green, an organisation within Argyle that focuses on former Argyle players and staff, exists. Ostensibly, funds raised by Forever Green activities can go to assist those previous Pilgrims in multifarious ways, but in raising said funds, what an opportunity we have to tip our metaphorical, green-brimmed caps to those we have cheered along the way.
Paul Hart, who many a supporter knows as the driving force behind Argyle Legends for so long, now heads up the Forever Green operation, and his work in assembling a line-up for the 21st deserves recognition.
As things stand, ten of the playing squad from the promotion-winning, title-claiming 2003/04 season will be in attendance, many coming from far-flung places to be part of a special reunion.
There are home-grown heroes; Paul Wotton’s contributions to the green-and-white cause probably deserve a celebration of their own one day, and the captain of the 03/04 side will take a pause from his current duties as Torquay United manager to attend, as will Steve Adams, another Plymothian, whose role in the engine room of midfield should never, ever be under-estimated. His two goals from that season – a pearler at Port Vale, and a late leveller at Luton – certainly will not be forgotten.
For Wotton and Adams, they had the privilege of playing for their hometown club. For several others joining us on Sunday, 21 July, the city of their new club ended up becoming their home.
Lee Hodges arrived at the outset of the 2001/02 season, and over the next seven years would rack up more than 200 appearances. Sometimes, in briefly defining a player, chroniclers may use the epithet ‘versatile’. Calling Hodges that is akin to calling the Koh-I-Noor diamond ‘a bit pricey’. Seemingly made from similar pressurised carbon, Hodges played in every position – even in goal – for Argyle, never letting us down. Now, he works for the Argyle Community Trust.
Ian Stonebridge is a familiar face and voice on Argyle TV. After leaving Tottenham Hotspur as an 18-year-old, Ian made Home Park home. Two-and-a-half decades later, he remains in the area and, as part of two promotion-winning sides, scoring 45 Argyle goals, he will always be part of the club’s fabric.
As will Romain Larrieu. When the Frenchman turned up in Devon in 2000, few would foresee an association lasting well over a decade, taking in 318 appearances on Argyle’s ascent to the Championship, and time on the coaching team during the club’s hours of need. Allez les verts, oui?
Romain was born in Mont-de-Marsan, in the South West of France, which is about 480 miles from Plymouth, as le crow flies. Some 20 miles further, in the opposite direction, is Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, birthplace of Marino Keith.
Keith, the prototypical ‘knows-where-the-goal-is’ striker, scored consistently for Argyle over those two promotion seasons, including perhaps the biggest heart-stopper of them all – that winner at Swindon Town, where it was 2-0, and we…still won 3-2. These days, Marino runs an IT firm in Aberdeen, but is making a Pilgrimage to join us on the 21st.
Meanwhile, David Worrell will be crossing the Irish Sea to be here. Now working in business investment in Dublin, the reliable full-back has crossed borders to get to Plymouth before. He signed, initially on loan, but soon after joined permanently, in 2000/01, from Dundee United. He played 165 times for Argyle, across five seasons.
A curious note about the 2003/04 season is that only one player – Peter Gilbert - made their debut. Several players who positively impacted the season had arrived during the previous campaign.
Left-sided defender Hasney Aljofree signed early in the 2002/03 season and was a classic example of a reliable defender for whom defending was an art form. Similarly reliable with a headset on for Argyle TV and BBC Radio Devon, Hasney is joining us at Home Park before heading out for a job with Singapore FA.
Mancunian Hasney arrived shortly after his Salfordian neighbour Nathan Lowndes. Lowndes’ impact in 2002/03 was arguably minimal, but in 03/04 his guile, high footballing IQ and knack of scoring important goals were invaluable.
In October 2002, David Norris joined on a month’s loan – which turned into a 243-game stint as Norris turned into a club legend for his high-energy, high-quality performances on the right side of midfield.
We are excited to have so many of the players from that memorable season with us for what stands to be a fantastic afternoon of memories. Memories that were essentially curated by one man.
Paul Whitehead Sturrock arrived at Home Park in the autumn of 2000, with Argyle spiraling towards the bottom of English football’s fourth tier. The fact that inside four years the club were in the Championship is a testament to what a staggering architect of progress Sturrock was.
Sturrock turned Argyle around. With astute signings, tactical genius and more besides, he masterminded an ascent within a period of time that will forever be etched into our club’s history.
His achievements at Argyle are too numerous to list – but he will be honoured at our event on 21 July, and it is fitting that many of his players will be there to see ‘Luggy’ formally inducted as a Forever Green Icon, as will former goalkeeping coach Geoff Crudgington and physio Paul Maxwell.
The event takes place in Club Argyle, at Home Park, on Sunday, 21 July. Doors open at midday, for a 1pm start.
Included in the price of the tickets will be a barbecue-style hot-fork buffet, teas and coffees, and a 20th Anniversary Celebration Brochure.
Season-ticket holders, Evergreen members and Club Argyle members can attend this event for £50+VAT. All other supporters will be £55+VAT.
You can book your place via argyletickets.com; by calling 01752 302206 during working hours; or by email on hospitality@pafc.co.uk.
Tickets for the event go off sale on Wednesday, 17 July.
