There are some football clubs that have nicknames that are entirely understandable. Few people are going to question why Liverpool are called ‘the Reds’, for example. Similarly, there are some nicknames that make some sort of sense even if you don’t entirely understand the context behind it, such as Ipswich Town being known as ‘the Tractor Boys’. Finding out the etymology of a club’s nickname can be really interesting, which is why we’ve taken a look at Plymouth Argyle to find out why they’re known as ‘The Pilgrims’.
When the Club Was Formed
If you want to get a sense of where the Plymouth Argyle nickname of ‘The Pilgrims’ comes from, it is helpful to know about the club’s very formation. It was back in 1886 when Argyle Football Club was formed at a time when Association football in general was still only just starting out. Both Devon and Cornwall were far more interested in rugby, with football being something of an afterthought. It was young schoolmasters arriving to the area who worked to introduce football to Plymouth, which differed from the rest of the area on that front.
Whilst most of the rest of Devon and Cornwall continued to focus on rugby, Plymouth saw football being played in the likes of Plymouth Grammar School, the Hoe Grammar School, Mannamead School and Plymouth College. That was at least partially influenced by the presence of the Army based locally, with officers having enjoyed Association football more than rugby in the various areas they had been based before making the journey to Plymouth. That sense of travellers coming from other areas to enjoy a new life is crucial to our story.
The Adding of Plymouth
When the club was first formed in 1886 after a group of friends met in the Borough Arms Coffee Tavern in the city, the friends wanted to call it something original. Initially the two names discussed were ‘Pickwick’ and ‘Argyle’, with the latter being chosen on account of it being more original. The word was chosen because of the Argyle Terrace area of the city, giving it a unique twist at a time when such a name wasn’t commonplace. Around 15 years after the club’s formation, they moved to Home Park, where they still play today.
It wasn’t until 1901 that a decision was taken to add to name of the city in which the club was based to its name, turning professional two years later, changing from ‘Argyle FC’ to ‘Plymouth Argyle FC’. That was an important moment as far as the nickname is concerned, because it is the link to Plymouth that is the reason why the club took on its ‘The Pilgrims’ nickname. Interestingly, though, they haven’t always been known by that moniker, having briefly been called ‘The Dandies’ during an earlier phase of the club’s existence after beating Southampton.
The Pilgrims
Anyone who knows anything about the history of the United States of America will have at least a vague idea about where the name ‘The Pilgrims’ comes from. The Pilgrim Fathers were a religious group based in Plymouth who left these shores in 1620 in order to search for a new life. The left on the Mayflower in order to setup the Plymouth Colony in the US, which is now Plymouth in Massachusetts, sharing the name of the port that they had left in the United Kingdom in order to go on their long voyage to the new world.
Eagle-eyed observers will notice that Argyle’s club crest features the Mayflower, which is a nod to those early days of explorers who departed the city for pastures new. This nickname, whilst not really doing a lot to explain what the club stands for for those that don’t know much about it, is an excellent link to Argyle’s long and illustrious history. England is a country of explorers and Plymouth was one of the main places from which people did their exploring in those early years, so the ties between the two are a great addition to football’s heritage.