ELEVEN players on the pitch, seven substitutes on the bench, the manager and an array of fine coaching staff; that is all it takes to run a successful football team, right?

Wrong. Whilst they are the ones that you turn up to support, in your thousands, every week - the truth is that, at Plymouth Argyle, we are more than just a football team; we are a football club.

An organisation that relies not only on the undoubted endeavours of those in green and white, but also of those in shirts and ties; working behind the scenes and taking care of all matters considerably, but not always, less sweaty.

Sure, you don't see board members taking penalties, communications officers clearing off-the-line or the operations department forming the perfect midfield diamond - but without them, Plymouth Argyle FC would not be where we are today.

In these 'Behind the Scenes' features, we will get a chance to meet all those responsible for the off-field running of Argyle - kicking off with our very own club receptionist, Anne Hext.

Born and bred in Plymouth, Anne, the friendly-face of Argyle on the front desk, can be found on reception in the offices at Home Park.

Anne described to Behind the Scenes the main responsibilities of her role: "Obviously we are the first port of call for people coming into the reception area; we try to help people to find the correct person that they need; we answer the phones and take in the mail," she said.

"We do other various duties that people ask us in the offices to help out with and I also work match-day reception as well."

Having not been much of a football fan before working here, Anne has spent nearly four years in the thick of things at Home Park and is now a certified member of the Green army - singling out club captain, Romain Larrieu, as her favourite Pilgrim.

"Romain is just a very nice person and a true professional," she said, "I am [a Plymouth fan] now but before I came to work here I wasn't."
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Situated only across the road from the family home, Anne attended Charles Church of England School as a youngster.

Living opposite your school is something which, to most, would serve as no more than a pleasant bonus; sanctioning one last hit of the 'snooze' button, being able to finish the early morning episode of 'Friends' or even finding time to do that homework that never quite got finished the night before.

But Anne saw the hidden benefits of a short trip to and from school, which, on occasion, landed her in trouble as the lure of home seemed more attractive than that of the classroom.

"If I didn't fancy staying a day [at school], I just used to run across the road home and my mother used to dutifully take me back," admits Anne.

Anne came to work at Argyle having been a receptionist at Securicor for nearly 20 years. Eager to avoid the daily commute from Plymouth to Exeter when her branch relocated in 2005, Anne swiftly applied for the position at Home Park having been told about the vacancy by a friend.

Having experienced life within a normal working office at Securicor and in the reception of a Championship football club at Plymouth Argyle, Anne explains that there are no major differences in the responsibilities. However, she does highlight working on match-days as her favourite part of the job.

"It's more or less the same sort of thing," she said. "If you work in any general offices you tend to deal with members of the public, so I think it's a general type thing really.

"There's a lot of variety [at Argyle]. I do enjoy working match-days and I obviously like watching the team."

Suspiciously evasive when quizzed regarding any amusing anecdotes from her time at Argyle, Anne did reveal that she has been guilty, at times, of forgetting the names of players.

"I am quite bad at remembering people's names, which, when you are a receptionist, is quite a drawback," she said, "When we get some new players, I do get slightly muddled with their names."

So, here's to hoping that, for Anne's sake, Luggy avoids getting too imaginative in the transfer market.

Shaun Staff