The 2009–10 season was the 115th season in the history of Plymouth Argyle Football Club, their 85th in the Football League, and 41st in the second tier of the English football league system. Their 21st-place finish in the 2008–09 season meant it was their sixth successive season playing in the Championship. Their campaign ended disappointingly as they were relegated to League One with 11 wins, 8 draws, and 27 losses from 46 matches. The club exited both domestic cup competitions at the first stage, being eliminated by Newcastle United in the third round of the FA Cup and by Gillingham in the first round of the League Cup. The club changed managers in December due to a string of poor results as Paul Sturrock was replaced by Paul Mariner.

The club began their league campaign with two draws, but defeat by Cardiff City marked the beginning of a seven-game losing streak. Results improved in October and November before three more successive defeats saw Sturrock replaced by Mariner. Performances gradually improved and the club won both of their fixtures during the Christmas period, including a 4–1 win against Reading; their best of the season. The club signed Damien Johnson in the winter transfer window from Birmingham City and made a number of signings on loan, including Kenny Cooper and David Stockdale, in order to try to improve their league position. A succession of draws and narrow defeats followed in February, which prompted Mariner to make more signings.

Argyle lost three of their next nine matches to give themselves a chance of avoiding relegation, but their win at Doncaster Rovers proved to be the last game that they would collect any points in. Defeats at home to Middlesbrough and away to Watford left the club on the brink of a return to England's third tier, and that was confirmed in their next game. Newcastle United won 2–0 at Home Park to secure the Championship title, and relegated the home side at the same time. The club finished 23rd in the league table after defeat by bottom club Peterborough United on the final day of the season, eight points adrift of safety. Jamie Mackie finished as the club's top scorer with eight goals in all competitions, and captain Carl Fletcher was voted Player of the Year.

Background

The 2008–09 season was Paul Sturrock's first full campaign in his second spell as the club's manager."Paul Sturrock's managerial career". Soccerbase. Retrieved 20 August 2010. The club secured their status in the second tier of English football for a sixth season after finishing 21st in the league table, five points above Norwich City."Argyle survival relieves Sturrock". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2010."English football's slippery slope". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2010. A number of players returned to their parent clubs at the end of the season after successful loan spells,"Sturrock predicts wage reductions ". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2010. including Craig Cathcart, David Gray, Alan Judge and Paul Gallagher. Sturrock wanted to bring Gallagher back to the club on a permanent basis, but was eventually unsuccessful after admitting before the season finished that the transfer fee and wages were an issue."Sturrock rules out Kuqi bid". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 August 2010. Three apprentices of the club's youth system were offered professional contracts in May, including Irish youth international Joe Mason."Plymouth youngsters handed deals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2010. The club's first signing of the summer was Carl Fletcher, who returned to Home Park permanently after signing on loan in February. Fletcher replaced Karl Duguid as the team captain,"Sturrock puts faith in Fletcher". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2010."Crystal Palace 1–1 Argyle". Plymouth Argyle. Retrieved 20 August 2010. and Romain Larrieu was named club captain."Larrieu named Argyle club captain". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2010. Sir Roy Gardner was confirmed as the club's new chairman in July, replacing Paul Stapleton who remained on the new board as vice-chairman."Former Manchester United chairman takes over at Plymouth Argyle". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2010. The club added to their squad that month with the permanent signings of Bradley Wright-Phillips, Kári Árnason and Réda Johnson, while Jermaine Easter and long-serving Frenchman Mathias Kouo-Doumbé were among the players who left. Doumbe was released from his contract by mutual consent in August after five years with the club."Dons clinch double deal". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 August 2010.

Championship

August–October

Plymouth Argyle began their campaign at Selhurst Park on 8 August against Crystal Palace, with Carl Fletcher captaining his new side against his former club."Progress". Plymouth Argyle. Retrieved 19 July 2010. An early goal from Hungarian international centre-back Krisztián Timár put Argyle ahead but the home side responded in the second half to give both teams a share of the points."Crystal Palace 1–1 Plymouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. Argyle faced Queens Park Rangers in their first home game of the season and an injury-time own goal from Kaspars Gorkšs salvaged a point after the visitors had taken the lead in the first-half."Plymouth 1–1 QPR". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. Alan Gow's first goal for the club in their next match against Cardiff City was merely a consolation, as a hat-trick from Michael Chopra consigned Argyle to their first league defeat of the season."Plymouth 1–3 Cardiff". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. A stoppage time goal from Derby County's Miles Addison denied Argyle their third draw of the season after they had taken a first-half lead through Alan Judge,"Derby 2–1 Plymouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. and a second 3–1 home defeat followed a week later, this time against Sheffield Wednesday."Plymouth 1–3 Sheff Wed". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. A first-half goal from Jamie Mackie gave Argyle hope of their first victory of new the season at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion, but the home side responded with three goals either side of half-time to claim a comfortable win."West Brom 3–1 Plymouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010.

The club's poor run of form continued in their next home match against Watford, as they suffered their fifth straight defeat and slipped to the bottom of the league table."Plymouth 0–1 Watford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. Another 3–1 defeat, against Newcastle United,"Newcastle 3–1 Plymouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. was followed by a second successive 1–0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest,"Chris Gunter breaks duck to give Nottingham Forest victory at Plymouth". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2010. to leave Argyle with just two points from their first seven matches."Plymouth 0–1 Nottingham Forest". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. Paul Sturrock kept faith with the young defensive pairing of James Chester and Shane Lowry for their next game against Peterborough United,"Youth vs Experience". Plymouth Argyle. Retrieved 19 July 2010. and two second-half goals Mackie and Rory Fallon secured Argyle's first three points of the new season."Peterborough 1–2 Plymouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. "It's nice to get three points, but now we have to build on it," said Sturrock. "There's no point in us getting this result and then kicking ourselves in the teeth again." Argyle earned their first home win of the season four days later against Scunthorpe United. A penalty from Judge gave the hosts a 2–1 win after Fallon's opening goal was cancelled out by Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper."Plymouth 2–1 Scunthorpe". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. Their upturn in results was halted by Blackpool, who won 2–0 at Bloomfield Road."Blackpool 2–0 Plymouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. The hosts opening goal was scored by Marcel Seip, a player on loan from Argyle."Ipswich stuck in no-win situation after frustrating Swansea draw". The Guardian. Jason Tomas. Retrieved 27 August 2010. He took part in the match following a request from former manager Ian Holloway,"Loan arrangement". Plymouth Argyle. Retrieved 21 July 2010. a decision which was criticised by supporters but defended by senior Argyle officials. "I suppose it was bound to happen that Marcel would score the goal, but I don't think we should look on it as anything other than probably the cover should have been better," said executive director Keith Todd. "We understood exactly what we are doing.""Dutch courage". Plymouth Argyle. Retrieved 19 July 2010.

An Argyle Hall of Famer returned to Home Park on 18 October 2009,"A hero to return". Plymouth Argyle. Retrieved 19 July 2010. when former England international Paul Mariner was appointed as the club's new head coach. "In football, there is not much sentiment. But, if sentiment is involved in this scenario, then they gave me my very first chance as a player so I grabbed it with both hands," said Mariner on the New England Revolution website, the club he left to rejoin Argyle. "Plymouth Argyle are in my blood. Obviously the teams you're associated with are the ones you look for every week, and when they came knocking on my door asking me to be employed there, I was delighted.""Mariner set for Plymouth return". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 July 2010. His first match in the dugout alongside Sturrock ended in disappointment as Argyle lost 3–1 to Bristol City at Ashton Gate."Bristol City 3–1 Plymouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. They faced Ipswich Town, another side struggling for form, at home in their next match and a first-half goal from Fletcher put Argyle ahead, but their hopes of claiming three points were dented when the visitors equalised through striker Jon Stead, who capitalised on a poor back pass from Gary Sawyer."Plymouth 1–1 Ipswich". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010. Welshman Darcy Blake, on loan from Cardiff City, was shown a straight red card late in the game as it ended all square. Their final game of October took place on Halloween against Middlesbrough, in Gordon Strachan's first game as their new manager."Gordon Strachan fails to find right formula for tentative Middlesbrough". The Guardian. Jeremy Alexander. Retrieved 27 August 2010. Argyle came away from the Riverside Stadium with all three points, in a game that saw Adam Johnson miss from the penalty spot, thanks to a second-half goal from Mackie to lift them to 22nd in the league table, within three points of Doncaster Rovers."Middlesbrough 0–1 Plymouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2010.

November–February