Football fan proposes to girlfriend on big screen at Plymouth Argyle match with 16,000 onlookers

The message on the screen read: “I told you I was serious. Samantha Rickard will you marry me?”
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A football-mad man proposed to his girlfriend on the big screen at a match with over 16,000 onlookers - and she said yes.

Tony Philpotts pulled the risky move during the Plymouth Argyle vs Ipswich game on Sunday, 25 September.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thankfully, it paid off when his blushing bride-to-be, Samantha Rickard, said yes.

Tony, 44 from Barnstaple, North Devon, bravely proposed on the big screen lit up with a sign reading: “I told you I was serious. Samantha Rickard will you marry me?”

Tony Philpotts proposed to his girlfriend on the big screen at a match with over 16,000 onlookers.Tony Philpotts proposed to his girlfriend on the big screen at a match with over 16,000 onlookers.
Tony Philpotts proposed to his girlfriend on the big screen at a match with over 16,000 onlookers.

‘I was so surprised to see it on the screen’

Samantha, 37, also from Barnstaple said: “It was all a shock really, I didn’t expect any of it.

“I was so surprised to see it on the screen - I could feel myself going really red. I’m a massive Plymouth supporter, and so are my dad and son so it means a lot to me and it’s a big thing for my dad.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“When it happened we were just really excited - on cloud nine and then got to watch one of the best matches ever.”

The affair was marveled by the entire stadium - Home Park - which holds 16,000 onlookers, plus online viewers.

He had originally planned the proposal for a previous game - but it was cancelled due to the Queen’s official mourning period.

Tony said: “I wasn’t sure whether it was even going to happen because I asked them to rearrange and I didn’t hear a response. But it came up on the big screen anyway and I just had to improvise.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I chose to propose that way because it’s such a big thing to us, and in front of so many supporters it’s just something different.”

They were also joined by three of Samantha’s children, her dad, brother-in-law and her nephew.

Tony Philpotts proposed to his girlfriend on the big screen at a football match.Tony Philpotts proposed to his girlfriend on the big screen at a football match.
Tony Philpotts proposed to his girlfriend on the big screen at a football match.

‘The whole thing is just meant to be’

The couple have been inseparable since they met on a night out two years ago - Sunday’s unique proposal marks the second anniversary of this magical evening.

They have seven children between them ranging from ages 18 to 9-months-old.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

When they returned home, Samantha was faced with one more surprise - their youngest baby, Bowie, in an adorable sleep suit that read: “mummy said yes.”

They don’t have any formal wedding plans as of yet, but hope to wed next year.

Samantha said: “We want to get Christmas out of the way and just have a nice small family wedding. I just feel amazing - the proposal was on our anniversary and we even have the exact same birthdays, the whole thing is just meant to be.”

Turns out, the game ended well for both the happy couple and Plymouth Argyle - who won 2-1 at their home stadium.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.