Jimmy Thompson hardly missed a game between making his Exeter City debut in December 1958 and leaving the club in March 1961. Having played over a hundred league games for Oldham Athletic, he made nearly 200 appearances for Rochdale in a 438-game Football League career. 

Jimmy was playing for Chadderton when Oldham Athletic gave him a professional contract in January 1954 before he went on to make 110 league appearances scoring on nineteen occasions. 

Exeter City paid a fee of £2,000 for Jimmy in December 1958 and, after making his debut for the 3-2 home win over Southport, he appeared in all 26 of the remaining league games of the season. Keeping his place in 1959/60 and usually wearing the number six shirt, he missed just two league games as he clocked-up a further 44 league appearances whilst scoring six goals in the process. 

Jimmy subsequently started the following campaign in similar fashion and had played in all 35 games (scoring three times) when, after the Workington game on 11 March 1961, he moved to Rochdale for £1,700 (plus 50% of any future fee received over that amount). Settling immediately, Jimmy was a success back in Lancashire and enjoyed 199 league outings (15 goals) before a move to Bradford City in December 1965 and a later spell as player-manager of Buxton during the 1966/67 season.

[Jimmy’s son Steve played for Bolton Wanderers, Luton Town. Leicester City, Burnley, Rotherham United, Halifax Town and Leigh RMI.]