Martyn Starnes

As Chief Executive I reckon

Edit: It's official!

Things are really looking up!

Looks like Brent is using Yeovil as a yardstick for Argyle to follow, big mistake 2 totally different kettles of fish

Was at Yeovil and Swindon. Report on official site-

Starnes and Deliver

It comes to something when the massive news is the appointment of admin stff from a Club that was just a few years ago 3 divisions and one league below us. Sign of the times I guess.

Well we are a different kettle of fish to Yeovil but hopefully Starnes can modify his approach to suit the needs.

We've certainly needed a CEO or some shape or size for a long time- hopefully now we can have strong leadership throughout the club and get the best out of all staff.

Edit- Having just seen P&C's post over on PASOTI, that doesn't look too promising actually. Lets hope he proves the critics wrong. We need someone with a firm hand on the rudder.

About feckin time too! Let's hope he actually does something other than pore over plans, I see on the OS they can't get "low budget" crow barred into the article enough, I wonder if we managed to het crowds of 4000 if we would then have a low enough budget to compete?

Yeovil fans seem to be overcome with ambivalence at him leaving. Perhaps he's dropping two divisions to his true level of Chief Executiveness.  

PLYMOUTH Argyle have appointed Martyn Starnes as their new Chief Executive.
Martyn, 58, joins the Pilgrims from Championship side Yeovil Town, where he held the same position for five and a half years. Prior to that, he was Chief Executive at Swindon Town.

Martyn will also join the Board of Plymouth Argyle.

Argyle Chairman James Brent said: “My fellow Directors and I are delighted to welcome Martyn to Plymouth Argyle.

“Martyn brings years of experience in running football clubs and has demonstrated that, even for a club which has a much smaller fanbase than Argyle, financial prudence can be combined with league success.

“We are confident that Martyn will leverage the additional revenues anticipated from the new grandstand to support John Sheridan in moving Argyle back up the Football League. It is a measure of Martyn's confidence in Argyle that he has decided to join us from a newly promoted Championship club.

“I look forward to the new season with enthusiasm and excitement.”

A qualified accountant by trade, Martyn was also Chairman of the Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust and Chairman of the Yeovil Town Centre of Excellence.

He was responsible for the Glovers’ successful commercial, stadium, finance and football operations, including the Centre of Excellence, planning and executing the club’s overall strategy during their rapid rise through the divisions.

His final season at Huish Park was marked by the Glovers’ promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time, following their 2-1 play-off final win over Brentford.

Yeovil’s remarkable rise was achieved on one of League 1’s lowest playing budgets and an average home crowd of 4,071.

Martyn also oversaw the development of the Glovers’ Community Sports Trust which has generated more than £850,000 since its formation five years ago, latterly in the position of Chairman.

Martyn’s involvement in football throughout his life runs from top to bottom.

A semi-professional player, he later managed Sherborne Town, supervising the completion of a £100,000 ground development and securing a fourfold increase in the club’s turnover. He has also worked as a scout for Stockport County and is currently a Somerset FA Councillor.

Martyn takes up his post at Home Park on Monday, July 8.

He's cheap, accept it and move along. We're getting a webcam at HP FFS, what more do you want!  

If he brings the success that has shared at Yeovil then we'll be needing a bigger Grandstand!

Good luck Mr Starnes, God knows with this mob at HP you will need it!

Taking things from the perspective of where we are it's a good CV fit. He has been at the heart of a small West Country Club and played his part in their ascent to the Championship. It looks like he is a football man and as an accountant I am sure will get on well with the bean counters in the Boardroom.
My slight worry is how this Martyn also oversaw the development of the Glovers’ Community Sports Trust which has generated more than £850,000 since its formation five years ago, latterly in the position of Chairman. may effect the GTs.

Just a gut feeling Damon but my instinct is that the GTs have been used and abused and are now no longer needed or wanted

Think you're right GOB

He has a track record for making chicken salad out of chicken shit and he is local and cheap so ticks all of Brents boxes. Dont know any more than that about this guy but im prepared to see what he does and welcome him here. After all, he cant be any worse than brent running the football side of the club.

The only thing i pray for that he isnt a yes man otherwise we're fecked.

This is a good news story as far as I am concerned. A real football admin man who has been involved in two west country football success stories. Hopefully this will at last see an end to the chief bucket rattlers influence and we can once again become a professional looking outfit.

Pedlar does'nt rate the guy, he probably told him to take better care of his road sweeping gear and pedlar got the hump!

Does this mean we can finally get rid of Sue the Bucket rattler?

Brent is starting to off load now, he'll be starting at the bottom and working his way up to Jones.

A CEO was badly needed so on the face of it this is good news.

If he gels with Sheridan and it means JB has more time to concentrate on property development then it's got to be better than it is now.

Hopefully he susses out that Newell is a cnut fairly quickly and tells him to keep away unless it's a matchday. If he tells Webb that his stupid feckin ideas are also no longer needed then he'll do for me.

I don't like the look of him (rubs chin).

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i'm trying to get my head around why someone would leave a club for a similar sized club that is two leagues below the club he is leaving, because with both clubs having similar sized stadiums, it can't be for ambition.

Person Of Interest wrote:

I don't like the look of him (rubs chin).

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Ut Oh!

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I would have Mad Dan back in a flash over that Tapeworm Brent

Whatever happened to that bloke from Bristol City who was appointed awhile back-Sexstone? Don't hear much about him these days,is he still around?

GOB wrote:

i'm trying to get my head around why someone would leave a club for a similar sized club that is two leagues below the club he is leaving, because with both clubs having similar sized stadiums, it can't be for ambition.

That's the big question.

Would Gary Johnson ( who was out of work 18 months ago and should have been offered the Argyle job) step down to join us now/  Without trying himself and his team in  the second tier?

I think not.


He's also a qualified Accountant. Having an Accountant on the Board should ensure that the money side of things is looked after, no unsustainable debts, financial probity etc. Last time we had an Accountant on the Board certainly worked out very well.