Jason Banton’s January 2013 loan from Crystal Palace gave Plymouth Argyle a timely attacking option during a relegation fight. He scored six goals in 14 matches in that loan spell, according to BBC Sport, but the available reports do not show that the deal rescued the club financially or that Banton alone kept Argyle in the league. “Saved Plymouth Argyle’s skin” works as a dramatic description of his contribution—not as a proven account of the transfer’s impact.
What was the Crystal Palace–Plymouth Argyle deal?
On 31 January 2013, Plymouth signed the 20-year-old Crystal Palace winger on loan until 2 March. Banton had joined Palace the previous October and made his debut as a substitute in a 0–0 FA Cup draw with Stoke City, BBC Sport reported at the time. BBC Sport’s report on the loan establishes this as a temporary move, not a permanent transfer.
The loan was extended in February. By then, Sky Sports reported that Banton had scored three goals in five games. The report described Argyle as bottom of the Football League and fighting relegation, and quoted manager John Sheridan calling Banton “an important player and a matchwinner.” Sky Sports’ account of the extension captures why the signing mattered in the moment: Plymouth needed attacking contributions during a difficult league campaign.
How much did Banton contribute on the pitch?
BBC Sport reported in January 2014 that Banton had scored six goals in 14 matches for Plymouth during the previous season’s loan. That is the reported total for the spell; the three goals in five games cited by Sky Sports in February 2013 were an earlier snapshot, not a conflicting full-season figure. BBC Sport’s January 2014 transfer report gives the full loan tally.
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The figures support a clear conclusion: Banton made a meaningful scoring contribution in a short spell. They do not establish that his goals alone decided Argyle’s league fate. Nor do the cited reports show a financial rescue, a fee or wage saving, or that Plymouth faced imminent financial collapse because of the transfer.
How did the loan become a permanent signing?
Banton’s Plymouth story continued after his initial loan. In July 2013, he joined MK Dons on loan until 5 January 2014; BBC Sport’s report again summarized his Plymouth loan return as six goals in 14 league games. The MK Dons loan report places that intervening spell in the timeline.
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On 9 January 2014, Banton returned to Argyle on an 18-month contract. BBC Sport reported the permanent signing and quoted him saying: “I had options elsewhere but I felt this was the perfect place for me to kick on.” The move was a different arrangement from the short-term 2013 loan: it brought him back to Plymouth on a permanent deal, though the report does not state financial terms.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened after his return?
Plymouth released Banton in May 2015 after he made 29 appearances that season. The announcement followed Argyle’s 5–3 aggregate defeat by Wycombe in the play-off semi-final, according to BBC Sport’s report on the releases.
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The end of his time at Argyle gives the signing a longer arc: a brief loan that produced goals during a relegation battle, followed by a permanent return the next year and a later departure. The record supports a sporting story about a player who helped a struggling side; it does not substantiate the stronger claim that the original deal saved the club in a financial or singularly decisive sense.
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- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
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