PLYMOUTH Argyle captain Carl Fletcher has lifted the lid on an incredible behind-the-scenes fallout at the struggling Championship club.

Fletcher scored for the Pilgrims in their 1-1 draw against bottom-of-the-table Ipswich Town at Home Park on Saturday.

His goal put Argyle 1-0 up in the 22nd minute and both he and his team-mates celebrated below the directors' box.

As they did so, Fletcher and some of the other players gave a thumbs up gesture.

The midfielder pulled no punches when he explained the reason behind that.

It stemmed from the Pilgrims' 2-0 defeat away to Ian Holloway's Blackpool the previous Saturday.

That was when Blackpool's on-loan Argyle centre-back Marcel Seip scored the opening goal of the game.

Seip, who was transfer listed earlier this season after a dressing room bust-up with boss Paul Sturrock, is the son-in-law of Pilgrims' deputy chairman Paul Stapleton.

Not only did Seip get one of the goals for the Seasiders, the Dutch defender stated afterwards he would not play for Argyle again while Sturrock remained as manager.

Then, in a picture which was published in The Herald last Thursday, Stapleton's wife, Kim, was shown apparently giving Seip a thumbs up gesture at the end of the game against Blackpool.

That clearly annoyed the Argyle players, and they made their point on Saturday.

Fletcher was critical of the decision to allow Seip to play for Blackpool against the Pilgrims.

The 29-year-old claimed it had portrayed Argyle as 'a Mickey Mouse club'.

Fletcher carefully chose his words when explaining his goal celebration against Ipswich.

However, the motive behind it still came across crystal clear.

Fletcher said: "There are a lot of politics in football and players don't mind that if it doesn't affect them.

"But when certain things start to affect us on the football field, then we have got a right to stand up and say something.

"Marcel playing for Blackpool last week should never have happened. At any other club in the country they wouldn't have let someone play on loan against them.

"I'm not saying it would have made a difference to the scoreline or anything.

"But it shouldn't have happened and it made us look like a Mickey Mouse club, and players take that to heart.

"At the end of the season, if we get relegated by one goal, that's going to affect all our livelihoods, not only the players but the people working at the club."

Fletcher added: "There was a certain photo this week where people appeared to be celebrating us losing, and things like that.

"Like I said before, it's just the politics of football really, but when it affects the players straight on then they are likely to stand up and say something.

"At the end of the day, it's going to bring us closer together. It's not nice when it feels like some people are not wanting us to go out there and win on a Saturday."

When asked who he was referring to, Fletcher replied: "I will let you figure that one out.

"It's just disappointing from everyone's point of view, when the players are working hard – day in, day out."

Argyle had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Ipswich after a 68th minute equaliser from Jon Stead.

They remain in 23rd position in the Championship table, one point above Ipswich.

Fletcher said: "In times of adversity, you find out the true characters of people.

"Usually it brings people closer together, and I think we have always had quite a strong team spirit here anyway.

"We know we are in a tough position, and we know we haven't played great this season.

"There are some games we should have won when we didn't, and some games we deserved to lose.

"But we are trying our hardest to put things right.

"When you have got other people working against you it's not nice," added the Pilgrims' skipper.

An Argyle spokesman, when contacted by the Herald yesterday, declined to comment.