PILGRIMS IN PROFILE: Neil Thompson

The first Pilgrim in Profile to have managed United - this week’s focus is on a player with 76 Premier League appearances, who lead Boston through their first Football League campaign and left the side in 19th the following February.

He even added nine appearances to his Pilgrims record. That man is Neil Thompson.

Thompson spent his bulk of his playing career at Scarborough (1983-89) and then Ipswich Town (1989-1996), with whom he spent three seasons in the Premier League; appearing 73 times for the Tractor Boys.

His time at Scarborough had seen Thompson faced Boston multiple times in the mid-1980s, before Neil Warnock lead the side to Division Four via the first ever automatic promotion spot in 1987.

Moving to Barnsley from Ipswich in 1996, Thompson played three top-flight games for the Yorkshire club in his second season at Oakwell, but ended the season on loan at Oldham and then York City.

Bootham Crescent was his next permanent destination and soon Thompson took on the player-manager role, before joining Scarborough in a similar capacity in 2000.

Thompson's Seadogs secured a pair of 2-2 draws against mid-table Boston in his only full season at Seamer Road - Thompson playing in the York Street meeting in a defence alongside Paul Ellender.

It was the Non-League Paper which broke the news Thompson had joined Boston in a 'short-term coaching capacity' in September 2001.

Thompson spent the remainder of the season as Steve Evans’ assistant. He made four appearances to fill gaps in the backline - two in November with both Ellender and Mark Monington out of the team and a couple to fill an Ellender-sized hole in defence for the televised trip to Dagenham and following home game against Dover.

Boston, of course, won promotion that season and it was Thompson that Evans turned to in celebration at full-time as the Sky Sports cameras panned towards the Champions’ dugout.

United may have dropped 12 points in the final 10 games, but it was the dozen points collected in the final five minutes of games that proved crucial with Dagenham only second on goal difference.

The turbulence of the following summer culminated in a four-point deduction (applied to the following season of course), and Evans’ suspension as manager. Come mid-July, Thompson was manager of Boston, already four points adrift - but crucially preparing for Division Three and an opening day against AFC Bournemouth, not Leigh RMI.

Steve Evans claimed responsibility for the early signings, including Ben Chapman and Tom Bennett, but credited Thompson with the arrivals of Neil Redfern and Ben Morley in an interview with Sky Sports.

The caretaker manager soon introduced the likes of Mark Greaves, Stuart Douglas and Lee Thompson to the club.

An opening-day draw with AFC Bournemouth, a Division Two side the previous season, represented a credible start and a fortnight later the Pilgrims reached a positive points tally with a 2-0 win over Lincoln City, after collecting a point against Wrexham the weekend in between.

Thompson started both those latter games and started five of United’s first 10 - his last playing appearances for Boston.

Thompson-led Boston reached another milestone on October 19, clambering out of the relegation zone at Swansea City’s expense with a first league away win at Darlington.

December signing Richard Logan paid off immediately as the forward scored in each of his first five games including a 6-0 thrashing of Shrewsbury and a Boxing Day win over York City (3-0).

Winless in the following six, United briefly flirted with the bottom two but consecutive wins over Scunthorpe United, Exeter City and Kidderminster Harriers in February pulled the side to safety and they never returned to the drop zone.

Four wins from four at the end of the campaign rocketed the Pilgrims up to 15th, albeit six points off relegated Exeter.

“If we hadn't suffered the four-point deduction we would have been one point behind Hull, which is very creditable considering all that we have been through," Thompson told bufc.drfox.org.uk. "Our form since the home game with Shrewsbury Town on December 21, 2002 has been good; we have won 10, drew nine and lost six matches.”

With Thompson at the helm the Pilgrims began 2003-2004 strongly, peaking at 14th after taking 23 points from the opening 18 games. With Steve Evans’ return looming large, Jon Sotnick took over in February 2004 and Thompson left by mutual consent almost immediately - Jim Rodwell taking over until Evans returned three games later.

Thompson later looked after the Leeds United reserve team and is currently Sheffield Wednesday’s Under 23ss manager.

His United record reads won 26, drawn 22, lost 37 and although the 31 per cent win rate lists him third lowest of the club’s managers (above Steve Welsh at 29 and Graham Drury’s 15) arguably no-one faced tougher circumstances or fixtures and Thompson is rightly remembered for securing the club’s safety in 2002-03.

Ben Chapman’s programme notes paid tribute to Thompson following bhis York Street exit: “Thommo has been an integral part of this club since our promotion to the Football League, and he has battled against the odds to keep us afloat, especially with the four-points deduction last season. He has always done his job with dignity and professionalism… it is sad to see Thommo go but there is nothing the lads can do about it.”