Paul Mariner

There is a very real argument to be made that Paul Mariner is the best player ever to play for Plymouth Argyle. 

That is a big statement for someone who signed, aged 20, for £6,000, from non-league Chorley. However, Mariner, from the moment he scored twice on his Argyle debut, against Rochdale, became beloved among the Argyle faithful. 

A powerful centre-forward, who had seemingly everything a striker should possess, he scored 61 goals in 155 appearances for Argyle, and forged perhaps the most legendary strike partnership in the club’s history, alongside Billy Rafferty. The pair had their best season together in 1974/75, when the Greens were promoted under Tony Waiters, in what is affectionately referred to as ‘The Dream Season’. 

Mariner went on to play for Ipswich and Arsenal, playing for years in England’s top flight, and earning 35 caps for his country, scoring 13 times, including at the 1982 World Cup. 

Later, Mariner had a stint as Argyle manager, in 2009-10, but it is as one of the finest forwards of his generation that he will be most remembered, and we are so proud that this began at Argyle, in earnest, and that Paul maintained a wonderful relationship with our club throughout his life. 

Paul died in 2021, aged 68, and he is sorely missed by us all. It will be a great honour to deservedly award him his place as a Forever Green Icon.