Ian Thompstone, who had made a goalscoring debut for Manchester City as a teenager, played half-a-season for Exeter City ahead of appearing for Halifax, Scunthrope, Rochdale and Scarborough. 

Ian started his career with Manchester City as a trainee in 1987 and, called upon in an injury crisis at the age of 17 years and 82 days, became City’s (then) youngest-ever scorer when he came on as a substitute and immediately netted against Middlesbrough in April 1988. Playing in a FA Youth Cup final, and signing professionally in September 1989, Ian never made another first-team appearance and departed for Oldham Athletic in May 1990. Sustaining a knee injury, Ian didn’t make the senior team whilst at Boundary Park and moved south to sign for Exeter City in January 1992.

Appearing initially against Fulham on 25 January 1992 Ian appeared in most of the remaining games of the season and scored against Swansea, Stoke and Peterborough. 

Not retained at the conclusion of the 1991/92 campaign, Ian agreed terms with Halifax Town and later played for Scunthorpe (for whom he appeared the most), Rochdale and Scarborough as he added around a hundred games to his tally of Football League games scoring twenty times in the process. He then featured for Atherton Laburnum Rovers before dropping into the Bury Amateur League whilst becoming a financial adviser.