I don't blame fans for venting – I once wrote Dan McCauley an angry letter

But do we need to Foster a positive atmosphere?

Welcome to One Team In Devon and a change in pace this time out.

Mark Lovell, football broadcaster, Pilgrims Podcast regular, and Argyle fan, explains how he’s found parallels in his football history with today’s predicament and fan unrest.

While the online fallout over Argyle’s decline might feel unique, the instincts are not so different from days gone by, and winds the clock back to 1993 to explain his own reasons for venting to Dan McCauley, and later, Mick Jones.

I love being able to host different voices via One Team In Devon – and thank you to Mark for his insights. - James.

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In an ideal world, Plymouth Argyle’s insipid 3-0 home defeat to West Bromwich Albion last month should have been banished to the absolute depths of the memory bank as quickly as possible.

A chorus of loud boos echoed out at the full-time whistle, with many fans present expressing their disappointment at the tepid display on home soil. But the booing soon paled into insignificance compared to the online/social media fallout following the miserable home defeat to the Baggies.

Fans now enjoy the immediate opportunity to make their views and opinions known and vent on social media. Many seize that opportunity. After all, it’s a free country; we live in a democracy, or words to that effect. It can provide instant relief and gratification.

Of course, there is always the danger on social media of crossing the line with those views/opinions/rants. It can all get very personal, hurtful, abusive, and inflammatory. Very quickly.

While feeling the pain for those present against WBA, at that particular juncture, given our success over the last few seasons, I did feel the reaction was slightly over the top. Our new gaffer Ian Foster had just been nominated for Manager of the Month, hadn’t he? Surely, there was no genuine need to panic after this home defeat?

Following four straight defeats at home - without the mere sniff of a goal - Ian Foster has become “Persona non-grata” among an increasingly vocal number of fans.

And the worst thing of all, following the defeat to Ryan Lowe’s (remember him?) charges, we faced endless days of festering over the current situation.

Festering over Foster’s failings. Until the trip to Norwich on Good Friday. With all these long days of fretting, I can only envisage a Bad Friday in Norfolk.

The Pilgrims Podcast provides some solace for an hour or so, but even that light relief is gone too quickly and is becoming an increasingly darker place.

I am currently trying to cut down on my own social media cesspit/footprint, only using it for research purposes. Honest. I will turn my back on Twitter/Facebook in due course; searching for the hashtag #pafc provides no relief for me. It only tends to fill me with more anxiety about our situation.

Getting things off my chest

But it’s made me hark back to my options as an Argyle fan in the past, to express their opinions, good or bad, negative or positive (imagine that). What could I do to get things off my chest with no social media?

After such a miserable experience, you could write to the local paper. Or even the manager or the chairman to vent.

Let’s go back to Easter Saturday April 1993 and a particularly abject home defeat to Exeter City. I can still feel the disappointment of that game in me today. It was that bad. I was home on leave from the Royal Air Force in Berlin.

Peter Shilton’s Argyle facing Alan Ball’s Exeter. Two coveted England internationals pitting their managerial wits against each other with local pride at stake. A horrendous experience, still harrowing to this day. It ended with the same scoreline (0-3) as the aforementioned WBA game.

I have a most vivid recollection of season tickets being launched onto the pitch from a fuming Mayflower. Those were the days when little personalized books were issued for season tickets. So, with this game taking place in April, there were still three home games remaining in the season, so that was quite something for the Argyle fans to be throwing their season tickets onto the pitch in disgust.

What was more galling, though, was witnessing Alan Ball and his overjoyed side celebrating on the pitch in front of the Barn Park End, with hundreds of jubilant Exeter fans. A relegation-haunted Exeter side did the double over Argyle that season.

Safely entrenched back in Berlin a few days later, I was still savage and feeling the pain, so what to do? I got out my pen and wrote to then-chairman Dan McCauley (RIP).

I wanted to get a few things off my chest regarding the derby dross, delving into Peter Shilton’s tactics and the ignominy of losing to Exeter in that fashion - at home in front of a “bumper” 9,000 crowd. I thanked him for his investment and wished him good luck for the future. As one does. I then stuck the letter in an envelope, into the British Forces Post Box, and thought nothing of it as Argyle ended in 14th place, languishing in lower mid-table obscurity under Shilts.

Those were different times, but I was certainly chuffed to bits to actually receive a letter from the chairman, Dan McCauley, a few months later. The initial pain of that defeat had subsided a little as hopes turned optimistically to the new season. (See letter above).

Incidentally, on the back of that horrendous Exeter defeat, less than 48 hours later, Shilton’s side went up to high-flying WBA and stuffed them 5-2, with a stunning Steve Castle hat-trick. Comparing to the present day, following that WBA defeat, Argyle made the long schlep to Teesside a few days later and eased past Boro 2-0.

A fully deserved win and halcyon days under Foster. That was their last win on 24th February. It seems such a long time ago.

More parallels

In similar fashion, in 1998 I wrote to the admirable Mick Jones (RIP) who was trying to stave off relegation, having taken over in the aftermath of Neil Warnock’s chaotic final months at the club.

Jones picked up the pieces after “Colin” had a massive falling out with chairman Dan McCauley.

Now Warnock is being hailed (by a few lively souls on social media) as the new Messiah who simply has to take over from Foster.

I was around the first time with Warnock. And yes, we did enjoy that special day out at Wembley with Ronnie’s headed winner. But his expensively assembled squad was Route One, industrial, alehouse, long ball to Adie Littlejohn – so don’t expect pretty football with Colin.

Fostering a positive atmosphere

But as we navigate these turbulent times, it's also important to remember that our present-day Chairman, like us, feels the impact of every defeat. These days I don’t have to write a letter to our Chairman. Simon Hallett’s also on social media where fans can freely tag him.

The power of social media has provided fans with a platform to voice their opinions more readily than ever before.

However, with this accessibility comes a responsibility to express criticism constructively rather than resorting to personal attacks.

Ian Foster is now very much on the receiving end of fans' frustration. Only positive results on the pitch can reverse the tide of discontent. It may be already too late. But if he is not relieved of his duties, somehow "Fostering" a positive atmosphere at the former fortress Home Park until May will be key as we attempt to steer clear of the bottom three.