A record level of participation from the Green Army saw more than 1400 respondents providing their input on 94 questions this year, including some brand-new queries inserted by the club to test responses on important topics, such as iFollow.
The coronavirus pandemic has completely changed the world in recent months, and that includes football and Argyle.
The results from this year’s survey clearly show that the club’s response to the crisis has brought Argyle and the community closer together than ever before.
91% of respondents agreed that “PAFC is an important part of what Plymouth is about“.
The statement “I feel a real part of my club” saw agreement from 77% of respondents. That’s a notable improvement, rising from 58% last year.
When asked “how valued you felt” by the club, the average score jumped to 7.95 out of ten from 6.3 in 2019, while 8.92 out of ten said that they would recommend Argyle to their friends and family (up from 7.88 last year).
The significant outreach work of the club and the Argyle Community Trust in recent years may well be a factor in these improving scores.
95% of respondents agreed that they were “optimistic about the future of the club” (up 13%), while 89% agreed that they feel that they “know where the club is headed” (up 26%).
The scores for Argyle’s communication and marketing have also improved significantly, with 75% (up 33%) approving of the club’s marketing and 77% (doubling from 38%) commending the club’s communication with the fan base, particularly during the lockdown period.
Preparing for the new football season initially being played behind closed doors, the club asked for opinions on the iFollow streaming service.
46% of respondents said that they had made use of the streaming service, with 56% of those saying that they were satisfied with the quality of the content, and just over half thinking it was “good value for money”.
The Grandstand redevelopment was finally completed at the turn of the year, with supporters returning to their seats in the Mayflower after a series of test events. Of those who said that they’d been to the stand since the reopening, 76% said that they were satisfied with the new facilities.
Off-field, there are continued signs of improvement in many areas, although there are still some aspects of club operations where improvements might be made.
73% are satisfied with the club’s official website, although its social media accounts score lower, with 60% approving of their content.
There is a third year-on-year improvement in the approval ratings for the stewarding team, increasing 7% to 44%. Not only that, but there was a 5% drop in those who said that they were “very dissatisfied” with the performance of the hi-viz staff.
Getting a pint and a pasty at Home Park continues to be an issue for some, even after the opening of the new Grandstand facilities. In a revised format for this question, the three most selected opinions were:-
- I don’t think the food and drink offer is great and I think the prices are quite high (26.57%)
- I don’t buy my food and drink at the stadium because I think it’s too expensive, so I buy elsewhere (23.5%)
- The food and drink offer meets my needs and I understand why the prices are set as they are (20%)
A massive majority – 97% – agree that the “club should invest in youth“, while a similar score (90%) think it’s important for the club to continue to combat discriminatory behaviour at Home Park.
The Green Army is looking forward to the new season with optimism.
Two-thirds of all respondents are predicting a midtable finish in EFL League One, while 20% think the playoffs are a feasible target. Just 10% fear a season of struggle in the lower third of the table.
That optimism is no doubt a direct result of the upswing in the matchday mood at Home Park, after Argyle won promotion back to the third tier at the first attempt.
In his debut season in the Home Park hot seat, Ryan Lowe and his management team earned a 99% approval rate, ranking as “good” or “very good”, with the first team scores at almost exactly the same level.
Top marks for Argyle.
90% of respondents were male, 71% aged 46 or more, 74% are married or living with a partner, with 20% having children at home.
