Stars in Stripes

YOU asked. We listened. You decided.

Plymouth Argyle will be playing in broad stripes next season for the first time in 17 years.

In a poll of more than 3,000 supporters carried out by the club and the Plymouth Herald, you voted by 3:1 for a return to the green-and-white-striped shirt last seen in 1997-98.

Nearly 2,500 members of the Green Army voted for the PUMA ‘Touchline’ design over the ‘Evo Power’ design that had previously topped an earlier poll of three plain green designs.

Argyle Chief executive Martyn Starnes said: “I’m delighted we were able to arrange for PUMA to produce a further shirt design after we’d received a substantial number of requests from fans to provide an alternative to the styles presented for the initial vote.

“I’m pleased to say this new design has received overwhelming support in the latest round of voting and we’ll be placing our order with PUMA for the ‘Touchline’ shirt this week.”

2014-15 will be only the tenth season in the Pilgrims’ 128-year history that the club has played in a broad-striped shirt, although there has twice been a dalliance with pinstripes – most recently in 2000-01 – and 2010-11 saw the team play in a two-tone green striped top.

It was not until 1973, more than 85 years after the Pilgrims were formed, that the team first played in stripes – black and green first and then, briefly, green and white – and then only for two seasons.

Fashionably 1980s pinstripes were first seen in 1982 – green on white for one season followed by black on green for four – while the 1990s began with four seasons of broad green and white stripes, followed by one of green and black stripes. The green and white stripes then returned for two seasons between 1996-98.

Now, after 16 seasons in a plain green top, interrupted by one campaign wearing green-on-white pinstripes, the Green Army has spoken, and voted a broad-striped design back in.

Vote result:

Touchline 2,412 (76%)
Evo Power 767 (24%)