Plymouth Argyle – Home Park
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Home Park is an all-seater stadium, with a capacity of 19,500. Originally built in 1893, the ground underwent an £11 million refurbishment programme during 2001, with 3 sides of the ground being entirely rebuilt.
The Devonport (West) and Barn Park (East) Ends, along with the North side of the ground (Lyndhurst Stand) now have covered, all-seater single tier stands which completely enclose the ground on those 3 sides. The Grandstand on the South side of the ground is now the only throwback to the “old” Home Park. Since the 2007-08 season, the original terracing at the front of the stand has been replaced by seating. A new, multi-tier stand, with a capacity of 6,000 is planned, though no date has been fixed for the commencement of this development.
How to get to Home Park
By Road:
For satnav purposes, the postcode of the Home Park stadium is PL2 3DQ. Home Park is the most southerly and westerly league ground in England. Follow the southbound M5 to its end and continue on the A38. On entering Plymouth, turn left onto the A386, keeping left when the road forks. The stadium is on the left, after about a mile.
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By Rail:
Plymouth railway station is about ¾ of a mile from the ground. On exiting the station, turn right, down the hill under the railway bridge and follow this road to the ground, which is on the right. Click here to check the current train timetables
By Air:
Plymouth Roborough airport is about 3 miles from Home Park. Regular bus services and taxis are available from near the airport terminal. Click here to check the current flight times
Where to Park?
Limited on-street parking can be found by driving past the ground, heading away from the city centre. There is a large, free car park at the ground. It operates on a “first in, first out” basis, and there is only one entrance/exit so early arrival is advised. Late arrivals may have to wait up to an hour to exit the car park.
Away Friendly Pubs near Home Park
The most popular pub with visiting fans appears to be the Britannia, in Wolseley Road. This is a large Wetherspoons outlet, about a 10-minute walk from the ground. It tends to be extremely busy, with fans queuing to get in, but the doormen are excellent, so the wait is minimised.
The Embassy Club, opposite the Britannia is definitely a “home fans only” establishment. Alcohol is also available within the ground.
Hotels near Home Park
The Copthorne Hotel Plymouth, Armada Way, Plymouth PL1 1AR is a centrally-located hotel, just over a mile from Home Park. It has received excellent guest reviews, commenting on its bright, clean décor and friendly, helpful staff. Ample on-site parking is provided. 
Jurys Inn Plymouth, 50 Exeter Street, Plymouth PL4 0HG is a slightly cheaper alternative, one mile from the main railway station and within 5 miles of the airport. If offers all the requisite facilities for a short stay and has limited on-site parking.
What have other Away Fans said about their trip to Home Park?
The vast majority of visiting fans have enjoyed their trip to Home Park and have been at pains to note it as a venue worthy of recommendation. The atmosphere within the ground is reported to be very good, with a friendly rivalry between home and away support. Many fans “make a weekend of it”, staying a few nights in the area and visiting the local beaches, towns and making the most of the nightlife.
The view of the play is quite good from the away end. On the downside, the stands are small, with overcrowded concourses and long queues at catering outlets. Several fans have been annoyed by the time taken to exit the car park, but have praised the stewards for their efforts in this department.
A little bit of local knowledge from an Argyle fan..
Parking There is a car park at the ground. It’s free, but it gets full pretty quickly, and if you arrive any later than an hour before kickoff, then abandon any hopes of getting in here. It also has horrible bottlenecks after the game. There is on-street parking nearby, but please don’t block anyone’s drive or park on chevrons etc. Almost every week the PA guy reads out some poor souls registration number as their car is towed away.
I find it easier to park a good 20 minutes walk away from the ground (around peverell area of the city) and walk to Home Park, which you can see from a distance, or just follow the sea of Green and White.
Pubs If you are walking from Peverell, then a detour via Mutley Plain is probably a good idea. The Hyde Park is the first pub you’ll get to, and the venue of choice for many an Argyle fan – as an away fan, you’ll be more than welcome here. There are a number of chain pubs (Wetherspoon, Hogshead, etc) along the strip, but you’ll need to keep colours covered.
The king of them all however is the Britannia Inn, which is closer to the ground. Arrive late and you’ll find huge queues to get in, and four-deep at the bar, but you can’t beat it for a friendly mix of home and away fans, chatting over a pint. This is football as it should be. It’s a Wetherspoons pub too, so you won’t be paying the earth for your drinks, but they’ve also bent the usual rigid Wetherspoon “rules”, so you’ll have no problems wearing colours in this pub.
Food If you’re coming to Devon, you HAVE to try the local cuisine. And that means a genuine pasty. Which isn’t what you’ll find in the ground (or being sold by our sponsors – sorry!) – instead, seek out one of the Ivor Dewdney vans outside the ground (one conveniently on the way from the Britannia pub to the ground, and one at the bottom of the Barn Park entrance to Central Park) and get yourself a “real” pasty.
HotelsThe hotels mentioned in the main review are very good hotels, and convenient for exploring Plymouth and the surrounding areas. They are around a 15-20 minute walk from Home Park. There is a rumour of a hotel being built attached to the ground as part of the redevelopment of the main stand, but nothing has been announced yet.
Atmosphere There can be a tremendous atmosphere within Home Park, depending on the number of away fans in attendence – the Home Park faithful enjoy very good humoured banter with almost all away teams’ fans. The acoustics on the new stands are pretty good, so you should be able to generate some noise. As the club has unallocated seating in the Mayflower (to the left of the away stand), you’ll find that there’s vocal support for the club coming at you from both sides, which although disjointed at times really helps keep a large away crowed buzzing.
Nightlife/Other attractions Plymouth is famous (or infamous!) for Union Street, a “strip” of bars, clubs and bars that is the destination for most of those seeking fun on a Friday/Saturday night. It can get quite rowdy however, and those looking for a quieter night out might want to investigate some of the smaller bars and pubs on the Barbican, such as the Jazz Cafe, The Navy or The Distillery.
There’s a whole wealth of attractions in and around Plymouth, so you might want to make a long weekend of it – You can grab a boat from the Barbican and sail around Plymouth Sound, or head into your car and up onto Dartmoor where you can meet wild ponies, pixies and go rock climbing. Take an hour to chill on the Hoe, looking out to sea with an ice cream. Five minutes drive, and you’re in Cornwall, which opens up the possibility of going to the Eden Project, Jamie Oliver’s “Fifteen” restaurant or one of the stunning sandy beaches, for surfing or sunbathing!
Overall Home Park should definitely be on your list of grounds to visit – make a weekend of it, and enjoy the Devon sunshine and hospitality. Many away fans left Home Park with a smile on their face last season, and not just because of our disastrous home form!
I only have two down points when it comes to Home Park.
Firstly the turnstiles at the away end are so slow where pay on the gate is offered.
And secondly, the floodlighting is extremely poor in comparison to other Premier League and Championship grounds.