I have been attending games at Home Park for at least 50 years. In that time there have only been two interludes when Argyle have not run out to Semper Fidelis by J. P. Sousa - obviously the best recorded version is by the Band of the Royal Marines.
The two interludes were the 1995-96 season when manager of the time, Neil Warnock, insisted the team run out to 'Simply the Best' as warbled by Tina Turner. After six games the team were 92nd in the league with no points ('Simply the Worst').
I have tried hard to remember which season in the early 70s Argyle ran out to 633 Squadron composed by Ron Goodwin who, as a boy, lived in Goodwin Crescent when it was still Swilly Crescent, about 100 yards from the mansion of my childhood.
Apparently, the record used for playing Semper Fidelis had been damaged and the club was finding it difficult to get a replacement - my Dad (who played SF on a 78 when Argyle won away) said that Argyle had failed to win in the several matches when they had to run out to 633 Squadron (which I like and wish we heard often at Home Park) but won when Semper Fidelis was restored.
I am pleased that currently Semper Fidelis gets a pretty good airing as the teams enter the field of play - I just wish that no pre-recorded music were played after it. Presumably, the people responsible for the intrusive noise are inside and don't realise that we do not need this right up until the first ball is kicked. The same applies to Led Zeppelin after Dave Banana's somewhat eccentric offering when the second half is about to begin. 'A Walk in the Black Forest' by Horst Jankowsky is compulsory after the game, whatever the result.
Dear Mr Announcer
You must play SF in full before the game, and play Dave Banana's version before the second-half if you must. But don'[t play anything after both of these.
Dear Mr Researcher
Every success with your project!
Swillyboy (brought up within the sound of Home Park)
