Plymouth Argyle's Home Park to undergo Grandstand redevelopment after loan from director

The owners of Plymouth Argyle are to invest more than £5 million pound on a new grandstand at Home Park replacing the existing Mayflower stand.

The development will be part-financed by a £4 million loan to the club from director Simon Hallett and his wife Jane.

They hope the grandstand - which will include a new conferencing and banqueting centre - can be completed in 2020 in time for the city's Mayflower 400 celebrations.

They are planning for work to start as soon as planning permission is granted and after consultation with Argyle's fans.

In a statement this afternoon the club described the announcement as 'a further important and exciting milestone for Argyle' which will provide 'additional revenues to invest into the club and team'.

The owners say the investment will also help the club clear some of its debts.

Argyle Chairman James Brent said:

The current Grandstand was built in 1952 and has a capacity of around 7000 fans.

In 2001 it should have been replaced when the stadium was redeveloped but the second phase of the redevelopment including the Mayflower Grandstand never took place.

When Argyle went into administration into 2011 it looked like it would never happen but that's now all changed.

American director Hallett says the loan is part of a wider attempt to put the club into a 'forward gear':

For the fans it could mean a completely new match-day experience.

Ken Beale and Mike Gale have plenty of happy memories of the Mayflower Stand but even they would be happy to see it knocked down and replaced.

They have followed Argyle for a combined total of more than 130 years and they say the current stand is holding the Pilgrims back.

They say it will bring a lot of money into the club and might mean a chance to not sit on wooden seats for the first time ever.