Leeds United failed to get what Plymouth Argyle did out of 22-cap international
You can probably name most of the 03/04 Division Two winning team without missing a beat if you ask any Plymouth Argyle supporter of a particular generation.
Your Steve Adams, your David Norris, your Mickey Evans, your Paul Wottons, your Graham Coughlans, your David Friios, and your Romain Larrieus would all instantly come to mind. At Argyle, these players are invincible.
Tony Capaldi was another consistent member of the team under Paul Sturrock that season. The left-sided standout played more up the pitch and could also fill in at left-back when needed.
Although Leeds United supporters may have a very different opinion of the Norwegian-born great, the Northern Ireland international went on to be a key component as the Pilgrims advanced in the Championship before going to Cardiff City.
Tony Capaldi plays major part in Plymouth Argyle success
After leaving Birmingham City for Argyle in the summer of 2003, Capaldi quickly won over the Sturrock administration. The Scot in the dugout adored Capaldi’s ability to whip a wonderful ball into the penalty box.
Evans and company were hoping to feed off any aerial bombardment in the goalmouth, so he only required half a yard. His long throw may also be a useful weapon to use for the same effect.
The remarks made by Wayne Rooney will make Plymouth Argyle fans yearn for Paul Wotton.
At Home Park, the academy graduate might carry on the Argyle legend’s legacy.
Any decent Argyle supporter is aware of how the 03/04 season began, as they had some lacklustre performances to start the season, drawing with Grimsby, losing to Colchester in the cup, and then losing to Rushden and Diamonds. They then went on to lose just two of their next 26 league games on their way to winning the title.
Before everything fell into place, Capaldi received the consolation in that loss at Rushden. He went on to score six more goals during the season, including an early strike in a 7-0 thumping of Chesterfield.
Because of the atmosphere at Home Park at the time, teams were trailing 1-0 before they had even left the tunnel, and the Greens were up 5-0 in just eighteen minutes that day, demonstrating their dominance in the division.
In the latter part of the year, Northern Ireland called Capaldi up to their squad for friendlies against Estonia and Serbia and Montenegro, demonstrating how much credit he was receiving for his role in that victory.
The left-sided sensation continued to shine after moving up to the second division, playing 107 games in the Championship and earning 21 caps for his nation while playing for Argyle, which is still a record for a player signed to Home Park.
| Tony Capaldi Plymouth Argyle league stats (FBRef) | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 141 |
| Starts | 122 |
| Goals | 12 |
| Assists | 16 |
For the first time in twenty years, the Greens had finished in the top half of the second division, making them as successful as they had ever been. However, the rug was soon yanked out from under them.
When Capaldi declined a fresh offer at Home Park to join Cardiff City in the summer of 2007, he was one of the players who left as the core group that contributed to their success began to disintegrate.
Never again would the Devonport chant, “We’ve got Capaldi, you’ve got a baldy,” when an opposition player with a visible disability walked on the pitch. In many respects, it marked the end of a period.
Tony Capaldi’s Cardiff City career hampered by injuries
Capaldi was unstoppable that first season, playing in all but two of the Bluebirds’ league games and leading his team to the FA Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Portsmouth. He looked much like the player who had left Devon the previous season.
However, the following season was a completely different story. Due to a series of setbacks, he only made five appearances in 08/09, with his body failing him repeatedly. He then attempted to start over when the 09/10 season got began.
The Green Army in attendance was amused when he was ejected for a late second yellow on his return to Home Park, but in reality, it wasn’t the same man they had seen wearing the green years before. This athlete lacked confidence in his own body.
A drop to the third division was thought to be the answer, and Leeds United, who were vying for promotion, were more than glad to accept him in November with the goal of making a permanent move in January.
“I can’t wait to move up if I can sort a more permanent deal in January,” Capaldi stated at the time, as reported by the BBC. We’ll discuss that when we sit down.
“That’s the plan: a loan with an eye towards a long-term agreement. It is my responsibility to deliver some respectable performances.
However, those respectable performances were nowhere to be found. The Robins held the third-tier team to a 1-1 draw in their FA Cup debut against Kettering Town, which turned out to be a more difficult challenge than anticipated.
After three games against Brentford, Huddersfield Town, and Oldham Athletic, Simon Grayson quickly made up his decision, and the team decided they had superior possibilities to replace the left-back position.
The once-promising defender’s career took a turn for the worst after that setback. He only made nine more appearances for Cardiff before being cut that summer, followed by lacklustre periods at Morecambe and Oxford United in League Two.
Capaldi was leaving the Football League, with Tamworth as his next stop, just six years after departing Home Park, where he had established himself as a premier Championship operator.
The left-sided hero hardly had the opportunity to replicate his Devon performances elsewhere in the Football League, thus his time at Elland Road appeared to be the beginning of the end.
Having played such a large part in putting the Greens into the second division and establishing themselves there, Capaldi is still much regarded by the Argyle fanbase, although Leeds United will have quite differing views from his time at the club
