Fans' Guide | Burton Albion (H)

As we approach the closing stages of another thrilling Sky Bet League One season, there is excitement about what we still have to play for.

Everyone at Argyle has been hugely grateful for your support in the stands and on our travels this season, with sell-outs in 18 of our 23 league games a huge factor in our incredible success at Home Park so far this year. The noise and atmosphere you create has helped drive us to the brink of Championship football for the first time in 13 years.

As we reach this final stage of the season, we must remind you in the interests of safety for everyone inside our stadium, that the pitch is for managers, players, and match officials, while the stands are there for you to support the team.

At the end of the 21/22 season, we witnessed some unwelcome scenes when fans entered the field of play without permission at several grounds. No matter the reason, any supporter who comes onto the pitch is breaking the law and putting the welfare of players, coaches, match officials, club staff and fellow fans at risk.

At the start of this season, the Premier League, EFL and The FA worked with the Football Supporters' Association to introduce new measures and stronger sanctions to tackle anti-social and criminal behaviours, such as entering the pitch and the use of pyrotechnics.

All identified offenders will be reported by clubs to the police and prosecution could result in a permanent criminal record, which may affect their employment and education, and could result in a prison sentence.

The FA will also be enforcing a tougher charging and sanctioning policy for clubs, which will reinforce these measures. Club bans can also extend to accompanying parents or guardians of children who take part in this activity.

When Saturday comes, if it is our time to celebrate, our plea to you, our wonderful fans, is to keep the pitch free for players and the stands for spectators and avoid any unnecessary disruption.

To be clear, if the players must leave the field because of a pitch incursion, there is a genuine possibility that they will not return. This would be devastating and put a sour note on what should be a day of nothing but elation.

As the season draws to a close, we ask you to think about our post-match celebrations against Sheffield Wednesday, against Ipswich Town, against Exeter City, against Derby County and many more. These were matches and celebrations that will live long in the memory, where the players celebrated on the pitch, with you in the stands.

Manager Steven Schumacher said: “We've had some brilliant celebrations this season after games when fans have been in the stands, and I hope it stays that way on Saturday. If we manage to get the result we want, it is going to be an amazing moment, and if we can celebrate safely, and straight away, that would make it perfect.”

Argyle captain Joe Edwards said: “The lads are all excited about the game on Saturday. We’ve got a big 90 minutes in front of us which we are not taking for granted, but if we are able to win and get promoted, it is going to be all the more special to do it at Home Park, with the Green Army. I hope they are able to heed the advice, and while we celebrate on the pitch, they can have a party in the stands.”

Tickets are sold out for this fixture.

Keep an eye on argyletickets.com, however, to snap up any tickets placed back on re-sale by season ticket holders who are unable to attend.

Turnstiles will open two hours before kick-off, from 1pm. Supporters are advised to enter through the turnstile identified on their match ticket. However, if neighbouring turnstiles have shorter queues, supporters are permitted to enter these to speed up access to the stadium.

Supporters seated in blocks 5, 6 or 7 (the Babcock Devonport End and Portcullis Legals Lyndhurst Road Stand corner) are now permitted to enter turnstiles at either stand.

As always, we encourage supporters to make use of digital tickets wherever possible, reducing queuing times at the Ticket Office, as well as the impact of ticket production. Click here to read more about digital tickets.

Should supporters arrive late for the fixture, there will be one late turnstile open in the Babcock Devonport End stand, and it will remain open until half-time.

The Family Fun Zone at Harpers Football Centre returns for this fixture. 

The Family Fun Zone will run from 11am-2pm during the Pilgrims’ EFL season, offering young fans three hours of jam-packed fun, food, and photo opportunities for £10.

Each ticket includes dedicated access to five-a-side pitches at Harpers, including training tips from a FA accredited coaches at the Argyle Community Trust.

While there is no limit to the amount of time spent fine-tuning skills on the all-weather Harpers surface, there’s plenty going on off the pitch, too. Each attendee is provided a nutritious lunch, including sandwiches, snacks and drinks, while the bar will be open for parents too.

Club mascot Pilgrim Pete will make a visit during the festivities, pausing his antics for a photo opportunity.

Once the activities close at 2pm, all attendees with a match ticket for the match at Home Park will be offered a priority entry point to the stadium, ensuring they don’t miss any of the big game build up.

Tickets can be purchased online and in person at the Home Park Ticket Office. Spaces are limited to ensure each attendee has a high-quality experience, so we advise booking early to avoid disappointment.

Click here to secure your space.

Our outstanding Argyle Community Trust team will be providing a whole host of free family friendly sports and games just outside the stadium, beginning at 11am.

A dance troupe will also be performing in family fun area, and the event can be accessed outside of the Babcock Devonport End, very close to the entrance to the seated family area in block 6, and adjacent to the main car park.

Families interested in participating in these free activities can simply turn up from 11am and get involved. However, for specific queries or further information, you are welcome to email community@pafc.co.uk.

If it is your first time visiting the Theatre of Greens, please click here to check out our first-time fans guide.

Temporary external catering and toilet facilities will be installed outside the Kawasaki Barn Park End for supporters to access at half-time. Of course, this is not our ideal solution, and the club continues to work on a plan for the medium and long term to ensure that we are able to house as many members of the Green Army as possible at Home Park. In the interim, we ask that supporters are understanding of the lack of permanent facilities in this area - and thank you for your patience.

We have implemented this solution successfully for a number of fixtures this season already, but the approach continues to be subject to trial and feedback. Post-match, if you have any comments about your experience, please email feedback@pafc.co.uk.

Following consultation with our partners at the Plymouth SAG – we have reached an agreement to trial a capacity increase in the Mayflower Grandstand for this weekend’s fixture against Burton Albion.

A total of 200 tickets additional tickets have been sold in the Mayflower Grandstand upper tier for this fixture.

We would encourage supporters who have purchased tickets in this area to utilise the external catering facilities to alleviate any additional pressures on the internal concourse and to follow directions of the safety management team.

From 1pm, the popular Mayflower Grandstand Fan Zone is once again open for this fixture, offering supporters access to delicious food and drink.

Located within the gated area behind the Lower Mayflower, the Fan Zone aims to provide the best-ever match-day experience for the Green Army seated on that side of the stadium.

The new catering vendors located within the Mayflower Fan Zone will serve a range of hot, cold and alcoholic drinks, as well as offering fresh and delicious food – including hot dogs, fries, pasties, pulled pork baps and baguettes.

We thank supporters for their compliance with additional soft ticketing checks and safety measures in the Babcock Devonport End for recent fixtures.

The reports from the club's safety and crowd care team have been encouraging, and we are grateful to supporters. The system will remain in place for this fixture, and we thank supporters in advance for their co-operation.

To learn more about the reasons behind our approach, please read our initial statement on the matter.

The Evergreen Suite, adjacent to the Home Park Ticket Office, is open from 12-3pm ahead of the game.

Not signed up as an Evergreen member yet? No problem, you can speak to our dedicated supporter engagement team to find out more.

Members of the team will be on hand to share more detail about the scheme, which sees members contribute directly to funding projects within the club's first-team and Academy operations, and help supporters sign up, if they would like to.

To find out more about Evergreen in advance of your visit to Home Park, click here.

Saturday's crossbar challenge - which will take place at half-time - provides the opportunity for one lucky fan to win £450 in cash if they can strike the crossbar.

To be in with a chance to win prizes on the Home Park pitch, simply look out for our Here to Help team and hope you are picked to step on the hallowed turf!

Alongside the half-time challenge, in the countdown to kick off, one lucky young fan will go head-to-head against Pilgrim Pete from the penalty spot.

Copies of our award-winning match-day programme, The Pilgrim, are once again available around the stadium for purchase at £3, while a limited number will also be available to purchase from the Argyle Superstore.

The Superstore will be open until 30 minutes after full-time, selling a range of Argyle memorabilia, replica kits, and souvenirs.

For any accessibility or match-day support queries, our dedicated Disability Liaison Officer can be contacted on disability@pafc.co.uk.

Sensory packs, which include a drawstring bag, ear defenders, fidget spinners, a sensory ball, an awareness card and lanyard, as well as further match-day information, are now available for children who need them – free of charge. Click here to find out more.

Concession kiosks will be open, serving a range of food and beverages.

There will be a discount of 25% on all products purchased from food and beverage kiosks inside the stadium between 1pm-1.45pm.

Meanwhile, toilet facilities will continue to operate with a one-way system. In order to avoid large queues at peak times (e.g half-time), we advise supporters to plan ahead for toilet breaks, using facilities when they are likely to be less busy.

We encourage fans to pay using contactless methods wherever possible to reduce queuing times. Supporters are advised that the concessions in the Upper Mayflower Grandstand operate on a cashless basis.

Outside the stadium

On your approach to Home Park, you will notice a number of external catering venues offering hot food and refreshments. Please note that prices and menus at these outlets are not controlled by the club, and are subject to change. There is also a food court inside the Mayflower Grandstand Fan Zone, offering a range of hot, cold and alcoholic drinks, as well as offering fresh and delicious food – including hot dogs, fries, pasties, pulled pork baps and baguettes. As above, these kiosks are not operated by the club, and prices are subject to change.

Inside the stadium

Our food and beverage kiosks throughout the stadium serve a range of food, beverages, and alcoholic drinks, stadium-wide. Please see an indicative menu and pricing below.

Snacks

Hot drinks

Cold drinks

Alcohol

Draught alcohol (half pint/full pint)

Meal deals

It's not just team news and ticket information available on the official Argyle App, there are lots of fun ways to enhance your match-day and prove your football knowledge to the rest of your family!

Take our pre-match quiz to see how much you really know about the opposition, and don't forget to vote for your Man of the Match from our shortlist of four contenders straight after the final whistle.

Not got the App yet? Click here to download free on Android devices, and here for Apple.

Supporters should be prepared to be searched by our security team as they enter the stadium.

Wherever possible, we will ensure that 'wand' searches are also undertaken by members of the same gender. If that is not the case upon entry, and you feel at all uncomfortable, please raise this with a member of the security team - who will make the necessary arrangements.

As with all major sporting events, bringing bags to the stadium is actively discouraged. However, fans arriving at Home Park with a small personal bag (for example, medical bags or handbags) capable of being stowed under seats is permitted. Please note, supporters should expect this to be searched before entry.

We ask that supporters arrive in plenty of time to avoid queues forming as kick-off approaches.

If supporters see anything unusual during their visit to Home Park, we encourage you to make use of our anonymous reporting service.  Text ARGYLE to 66777 followed by your message and a member of the team will investigate.

The Argyle Superstore, located next to the Home Park Ticket Office by the main entrance to the Mayflower Grandstand, is open until 30 minutes after full-time.

In addition to the Superstore, there is a large pop-up retail outlet located on the corner of the Babcock Devonport End, stocking all supporter favourites - this is open until kick-off.

An additional retail kiosk is available inside the stadium, in the concourse of the Portcullis Legals Lyndhurst Road Stand.

Harpers Football Centre

With the club acquisition of Harpers Football Centre now complete, we are delighted to be able to offer additional private parking for supporters on a first-come, first-served basis.

The car park of Harpers (PL2 3DE) - next door to Home Park - will be open for vehicles at a cost of £5 per car.

Outland Road Park & Ride

Outland Road Car Park, adjacent to Home Park is a very large – and free! – car park. It is council-run, and is typically a park-and-ride car park into the city. It is free to use on match-days, but will obviously begin to fill up very early for many fixtures, especially local derbies, Bank Holiday fixtures, etc.

Additional street parking is available surrounding Home Park, but please be mindful of local residents, park sensibly, and be aware of any parking restrictions and permit areas. Considerations should include:

• Don’t park on double yellow lines
• Please avoid dropped kerbs in front of people’s houses
• Please avoid parking on junctions
• Please display a blue badge if you have one

There are also several large pay and display car parks in the city centre, which is within walking distance of Home Park, but not advised for those who struggle to walk beyond short distances.

A reminder that supporters can tune in to our free pre-match show live!

Whether you are in the stands at Home Park, on the way to the game, or watching from home, simply go to our YouTube channel from 2pm to enjoy live build-up featuring Argyle TV's David Wooldridge and Katie Middleton.

The fixture is available to stream overseas for £10. In the UK, audio match passes are available for £2.50, or come as standard with domestic Argyle TV subscriptions. Click here to purchase your pass. Match commentary will be from Charlie Price who will be joined by former Pilgrim, Ian Stonebridge.

As always, we encourage supporters to provide feedback on their experience at Argyle to feedback@pafc.co.uk.

We can’t wait to see you on Saturday afternoon, and hope you have a fantastic match-day experience at Home Park.

Supporters should note that the Home Park Ticket Office will not reopen at full-time.

Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased online by visiting argyletickets.com.

The Ticket Office will be open from 10am until 3pm on Monday, 1 May.