What’s your role at PAFC Displays and what does a typical day look like for you?
My role is Lead Coordinator. I am the point of contact with the club and the team. I work closely with club officials to ensure everything we do is carried out safely and doesn’t interfere with matchday operations. I also work with the Community Trust to make sure they have enough flags for their matchday activities.
A typical matchday for me starts with arriving at Home Park around 10:30am. I’ll check that all our wavers are out and in position, ready for the team to collect at 14:45 to welcome the players to the pitch, including the guard of honour flags.
Once that’s done, I head outside the Devonport End to set up the pop-up shop for the afternoon. At 14:30, we dismantle the shop and head into the ground to get ready for the day’s display.
How did you first get involved with PAFC Displays or the club?
In 2011, a group was formed called “Forza Verde.” It didn’t really gain the support we hoped for, and eventually the group disbanded. Steve and I were keen to keep something going at Home Park, so we formed PAFC Displays and, in 2013, we led our first display — against Exeter City.
Between 2013 and 2017 we organised one or two TIFO displays that the supporters enjoyed, and we started getting buy-in from the fans. In 2017, I was approached by Jamie Yabsley (Head of Marketing and Communications), and we discussed taking PAFC Displays to the next level. That season we collaborated on the first “We Are Argyle” flag, which we unveiled at our home game against Portsmouth. From there, it has grown into what it is today — although there’s still much more to do.
Kevin Nancekivell has become a good friend and a strong supporter of PAFC Displays over the years. He even helps set up displays when he can and always makes a point of telling the players what we do as a group.
What’s your favourite part of working at Home Park on a matchday?
Having the privilege of being in the ground before big games when no one else is around. Before the Burton game in 2023, I sat in my seat at the back of the Devonport End and just took a moment to reflect on all the pain and heartache the club and fans had been through since being relegated from the Championship. Knowing that, in just a few hours, we’d likely be back there again — it was an emotional moment.
Is there a particular display or moment you’ve worked on that you’re especially proud of?
I’m proud of every display we’ve worked on, but the standout for me has to be the Paul Mariner tribute after his passing. We had 15,000 sheets covering the entire “horseshoe,” including the away end occupied by Ipswich Town.
There were around 150 hours of work over the course of three nights to sort, count, and place all the sheets. I was lucky enough to be standing on the centre spot when that display went up, and it genuinely made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
What’s one thing people might not realise goes into creating the displays?
The sheer number of hours that go into making everything happen. Fans might only see the flags for 5–10 minutes before kick-off, but behind that are countless hours spent raising funds to pay for them, having the very talented James Curno design them, and the time he puts into each one.
They might see the Janner flag going around the ground and then being packed away, but they won’t see the effort it takes to get them out, inspect them, return them to storage — and then do the same with all the other matchday flags.
What’s been your most memorable matchday while working with the team?
For me, the most memorable display we’ve done was last season’s Remembrance banner. It was 5 metres high and 15 metres long — other than our surfers, it’s our biggest flag.
We knew we wanted to carry it on poles and walk it out to the edge of the 6-yard box, but it only arrived on the day of the game, so we had no time to test it. When we lifted it for the first time, disaster struck — one of the poles snapped and we had no replacements!
After a big panic, I came up with the idea to splint the broken section. It worked. No one noticed, and the design went down really well with our supporters.
How long have you been a fan?
My dad started taking me when I was four years old, but we don’t know what my first game was.
What’s one thing you’ve learned since joining PAFC Displays?
You can never please everyone.
And — be prepared to retire flags once players move on.
If someone wanted to get involved with the group, what would you tell them?
Give us a shout!
Come meet us at the tent outside the Devonport End on matchdays for a chat. If you’re still keen to get involved, turn up and help us when we ask for support with displays — and become part of the team
