After playing a number of exhibition matches against tougher opponents, they joined the Southern league in 1903 and in the year 1920, they joined the third division like many other Southern league colleagues. They achieved promotion in the year 1930 after a decade of frustration Plymouth, captained by Welsh international Moses Russell, set a record by finishing as third division south runners up for six successive years from 1922 and 1927. They then finished in third and fourth place. In the year 1953, they reached the fifth round of the FA Cup, only to lose to Gateshead, a side that was 92nd in the league at that point.
Plymouth Argyle had various managers between 1946 and 1960, including, Jack Tresadern, Jimmy Rae, Jack Rowley and Neil Dougall.
At the end of the 1931 – 1932 campaign they came narrowly close to gaining promotion in to the top flight as they finished it off in fourth place.