Pre-Season Diary | Episode Three
By Parkway Media
Well… what a Saturday.
Temperatures nudging 34 degrees before kick-off. A packed Bolitho Park. Volunteers giving everything for the football club. While Plymouth Argyle and the Green Army came to PL5, the real Plymouth Parkway was there for everyone to see.
Weeks of planning had all led to one afternoon, and thankfully, it all came together.
While the football was always going to be the main event, Saturday belonged just as much to the volunteers. The people who quietly arrive hours before everyone else, work tirelessly throughout the day, and are often the last to leave once the final whistle has blown.
They don’t volunteer for recognition, and they certainly don’t do it for social media. They do it because they love this football club.
When the dust had settled, there was a quiet thank you from the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, a well-earned glass of prosecco, and plenty of tired smiles after what had been one of the busiest afternoons Bolitho Park has seen for many years.
I won’t start listing names because I’d inevitably forget somebody, but to everyone who helped before, during and after Saturday’s game… thank you. The football club simply couldn’t do days like that without you.
Anyway… enough about that. Let’s talk football.
Yes, Argyle scored four goals and, as expected, enjoyed plenty of the ball. But our part-time footballers, many of whom had already put in a morning’s work before arriving at Bolitho, made sure Argyle knew they were in a game.
When Will Sullivan rifled home an absolute brammer, the place noticed the quality. For the next seven or eight minutes, Parkway played some really good football and showed exactly what Karl Curtis is trying to build.
After the game, Karl was understandably disappointed with three of the four goals conceded, while Assistant Manager Matt Godfree summed things up perfectly. The result wasn’t the priority. The staff got exactly what they needed from the afternoon, and the hard work now continues.
The turnaround is a quick one too, with another excellent test arriving on Tuesday evening when Torquay United make the trip to Bolitho Park.
To the many Argyle supporters who joined us on Saturday, thank you.
Hopefully you enjoyed your afternoon at Bolitho Park and got a feel for what Plymouth Parkway is all about. If you did, why not head back on Tuesday evening? We’d love to welcome a few familiar faces through the turnstiles once again.
Away from the match itself, all the right noises continue to come from the dressing room. The players are buying into what Karl wants. The squad is beginning to gel. There’s a real togetherness growing, and you can sense everyone is looking forward to what’s ahead.
Then comes Friday. Fixture release day. Opening day. Boxing Day. The festive fixtures. The run-in.
We’ll finally find out exactly where the sat-nav is taking us over the next nine months. One thing’s for certain… with 6,704 miles to cover, we’d better keep the tank topped up.
Before then, there’s another important week to navigate. Torquay United visit Bolitho Park on Tuesday before the squad head to Bovey Tracey on Saturday for a 1pm kick-off as preparations continue.
August is getting closer. The new season is almost here. Saturday reminded everybody what Plymouth Parkway is all about.
Football, of course.
But more importantly…
People.
See you Tuesday.
In a bit.
Parkway Partners
