General - Home Park is the home ground of Plymouth Argyle Football Club. The team play in The Championship but were pushing for promotion to The Premiership last season, and hope to be up in the big league within a few years. The stadium in situated in the middle of Central Park in Plymouth, on top of a hill, and is gradually being updated. A few years ago they re-built 3/4 of the stadium and are now looking to re-develop the main stand, especially now there has been major investment in the Club from Eastern businessmen. There is a great atmosphere when Argyle are playing at Home, and it is a very good experience for anybody new to the game, or for people who are visiting the City. Ticket prices are reasonable and the facilities are pretty good as well. There are plenty of food and drink outlets within the stands, and lost of toilet facilites, although these can get a bit messy towards the end of the game. You will be in for great entertainment if you decide to watch a match, as there are always plenty of goals when the Green Army are playing.
Food and Drink - there are many outlets built into the new stands, and these serve a range of food including burgers, hot dogs and, of course, Ginsters pasties. Ginsters are the main sponsors of the team so there are always plenty of pasties to be eaten. In the old main stand, there are a couple of outlets, but these are looking a bit worn down now and will be revamped when the stand is re-built. Outside of the stadium, you will also find plenty of burger and sweet vans on match days. The smell is lovely as you walk by and into the stadium. I would especially recommend a burger as they are very tasty indeed! Across the road is a Wetherspoon's pub which serves good food and drink at excellent prices. As you can probably imagine, the pub can get very very busy on match days, so I would recommend getting there early if you are looking to place an order for food.
Disabled - the stands aren't really accessible for disabled people, which is a shame, but there is a designated area at the bottom of the Devonport stand. This is right behind the goal, so it may not be the best place as balls could be flying towards people sat in this area. It is really easy to get into the stadium as there is a huge great 'door' that allows ambulances in if needed, and this is where the stewards allow access into the ground for disabled people. The stewards are also very helpful, and several years ago helped out my step-dad, which he was very pleased about. Im not sure about other facilities within the stadium like toilets, but I imagine there must be some somewhere.
Toilets - there are plenty of toilets built into the stands, but they aren't always the cleanest. As you can imagine, 15,000 people using them within a 2-3 hour period can cause difficulties in cleaning them up. The toilets aren't the best around, which is a shame, and could have been done with making a bit more private. However, if you have got to go, then there are plenty to use.
Children - children will love the atmosphere and watching the football (if they are football fans of course!), but the language used by some 'fans' may put some people off. More and more children seem to be going to watch games, which is a good thing, but some adults don't seem to realise this when they are shouting at the players or referee. Plymouth Argyle's mascot, Pilgrim Pete, often walks around the side of the pitch before and after the game, posing for photographs with children and sometimes giving out sweets, so children will love this also. They players seem to be more likely to go across and sign autographs as well, if it is a child wanthing them to sign. There is plenty of food and drink available for children to eat and drink during the match.
Pubs - across the road is a Wetherspoon's pub which serves good food and drink at excellent prices. As you can probably imagine, the pub can get very very busy on match days, so I would recommend getting there early if you are looking to place an order for food. There is also a pub within walking distance at the Pennycomequick roundabout. This is where most Argyle fans stop off on the way to the ground, as it is in the direct route when walking to the stadium from the city centre. Security is usually high around this area, as there is a tendency for rival fans to come into contact with each other, although there haven't been any major incidents in recent history. I have never been in this pub so im not sure about prices of food and drink, although I do know there are always deals on as they are advertised on boards outside the pub. They do also show live Sport, which is another reason why it is popular on match days.
Car Parks - there is a huge great car park directly next to the ground, but this is the first to fill up on match days. It is manned by stewards for most of the day before and after the game, to allow cars and coaches in to park as close and tight to each other as possible. Getting in is ok, but once the game has finished, there is a mad rush to get out of the car park. Obviously the cars that have been jammed in tight have to wait for everyone else to move first, which can cause major delays. The police are on hand to man the traffic lights, to try and allow as many people out of the car park as possible in a short space of time, without holding up the non-football traffic. Apart from this car park, you can park at the Mayflower Centre which has free parking, but this is another place that gets filled up at least an hour before kick off. Locals, who go to watch the game, park on side roads and residential areas and walk a short distance to the ground. Alternatively, there are plenty of car parks in the town centre, which is a 20ish minute walk away.
Review Date - 2008-06-13