Thomo looks back on his playing career and his current work with Ace Academy…
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Top bloke Wayne known him years used to play against him Keatesy and Lee Naylor Wayne was by far the most gifted of the 3.
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Early on in his career I thought Thomas would do better in the game than Keates. Didn’t work out like that.
The Sorensen season was interesting, I thought our only young player to make progress under Big Fat Jan was Keates, who established himself as a regular. The others, Roper, Ricketts, Platt, Thomas went backwards, or at best stagnated, having shown great promise under King Chris.
The Cup success that season papered over what a mess we were at times. I think we failed to score in 9 or 10 of our Home games.
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Roper and Ricketts come good though and Platty also carved out a decent career.
They did, and credit to them, but 97-98 was a difficult season for them I think.
I remember that when Sir Ray took over he was quoted as being appalled by Roper’s lack of progresssion as a player since he’d last seen him as a youngster - and that chimed in with the fans’ view as he was not the most highly regarded on the terraces while under BFJ. In fact there were groans that we hadn’t got rid of him in the close season - which turned to “What have they done with the real Ian Roper?” after just a few weeks of pre-season under Graydon.
And the rest is history …
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Wasn’t his weight loss coincidental with the acquisition of a new girlfriend?