Championship offers grounds for a different experience

ARGYLE WILL RETURN TO MANY STADIUMS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS NEXT SEASON

- CHRIS ERRINGTON

AFTER spending the last 13 seasons either in League One or League Two, Plymouth Argyle will be visiting a number of different grounds during their 2023/24 Championship campaign.

None of their away games in the second tier of English football will involve first-ever visits by Argyle to any stadia, but there are some they have not played at in the league, certainly - for many years.

It is all part of the excitement and anticipation for the Pilgrims' return to the Championship after their League One title triumph last term.

Several of the grounds they have played at in the league over recent seasons as clubs have been promoted and relegated but there are others where it has been much longer since their last visit.

The longest period is 17 years since Argyle went to Millwall's The Den in south-east London and played out a 1-1 Championship draw in April 2006.

French striker Vincent Pericard, who started his career at Italian club Juventus, scored an early goal for Tony Pulis's Pilgrims, but Marvin Williams equalised shortly after the half-hour mark.

Argyle have played at The Den once since then, in an EFL Cup second-round tie in August 2018 when they twice took the lead, though Jamie Ness and Freddie Ladapo, but were eventually beaten 3-2.