Eyes on Ipswich Double Header
With another round of fixtures behind us, attention now turns to an exciting double-header against Ipswich Town next weekend.
Ryan Lowe’s table-topping Pilgrims take on Paul Cook’s in-form Tractor Boys, one of the pre-season favourites to gain promotion to the Sky Bet Championship, in an exciting Sky Bet League One encounter on Saturday.
The Greens were not at their best against Morecambe at the Mazuma Stadium, but once again evidenced their competitive edge to preserve a 14-game unbeaten run with a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, Ipswich snatched a last-gasp victory over Fleetwood Town to climb to the periphery of the play-offs.
Before the visit of Ipswich, average attendances at Home Park were already at their highest levels since 2007 – when the Greens plied their trade in the Championship.
The Home Park Ticket Office has sold 2000 more tickets for Saturday’s fixture than were sold for the visit of Sheffield Wednesday at the same stage, with the 3-0 victory over the Owls attended by over 13,500.
If ticket sales continue at their current rate, they will surpass the record for the stadium in its current format – which stands at the 15,062 set on New Year’s Day 2020 against Swindon Town. With this in mind, supporters who have not yet purchased their tickets are advised to do so, or risk missing out on their favourite seats.
The following day, Ryan Perks’ revamped Argyle Women side will be looking for the Green Army to give them an edge against Premier League South leaders Ipswich Town.
He knows very well what the impact of a partisan home crowd can achieve, having experienced similar last time out against Exeter City at St James Park, where the hosts pulled off a shock victory on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Sunday’s formidable opposition won all of their opening eight league matches, and will be tricky opponents at Home Park.
It is the first time that Argyle Women have played at the Theatre of Greens since their restructure and adoption by the Argyle Community Trust during lockdown. The last time Argyle Women (then Argyle Ladies) played at Home Park, they fell narrowly short in a scintillating 5-4 defeat to Watford - with nearly 1,000 supporters seated in the Mayflower Grandstand for the very first time.
The team has gone through significant changes in the past 12 months, with a very young, but talented, side bolstered by a number of returning figures for the 21/22 campaign.
An inconsistent start to the campaign could perhaps be expected under those circumstances, and Perks is relishing the opportunity to take to the turf next Sunday.
He said: “We’re treating it like any other normal game, we know it’s going to be a tough fixture – Ipswich are flying. It’s a good opportunity for the girls at Home Park – massive opportunity, hopefully a big crowd, and showcase what they can do against a very good side.
“It would be great to see you come along and support the women’s team under the One Argyle banner. It would be great to see the fans that come along and support the men’s team. If you want your football fix, come along and support us!”
Continuing the Argyle and Ipswich link, Home Park Stadium is also playing host to an evening to remember Paul Mariner, a legend at both clubs, rounding off the weekend's entertainment on Sunday night.
Tickets for both fixtures are available now for both fixtures at argyletickets.com, by calling 01752 907700, or by visiting the Home Park Ticket Office in person.
