As was reported on the Padiham FC Twitter feed, fans favourite Luke Thompson left the Rams and signed for the North West Counties League outfit today, managed by former Rammy striker Mickey Morrison.

‘Thommo’ brings to an end a second stint with the club having joined up when Paul Fildes and Mark Fell were managers and Fildes brought the defender with him from Nelson for the 2016/17 season.

He left at the end of the 2018/19 season to join his old boss Fell at Lancaster City before returning to the HWRS some six months later for the Covid-shortened 2019/20 season, joining the club at the same time as Mason Fawns – another player who has sadly left the club recently.

He played a total of 157 games for the Rams across five seasons, being a virtual ever present in the 2017/18 season where he played in 46 games and 2018/19, appearing in 48.

Luke was rewarded for his stellar performances in defence by being named as the Supporters Club Player of the Year for the 2017/18 campaign, where he scored two goals but was lauded for his work rate at the back.

If there was one thing he will be remembered for, it would be the Rams’ opening goal in the epic 5-5 draw with AFC Fylde – a game that he described in the “Get To Know” feature on the RamsbottomUnited365 site as his favourite in a Rammy shirt.

OUR ‘GET TO KNOW’ FEATURE WITH LUKE:
https://www.ramsbottomutd.com/get-to-know-luke-thompson/

Only once in his career with the Rams did a game where he scored a goal end in a defeat – his strike at Clitheroe in September 2017 in a 3-4 loss – while he also scored at both ends in the 5-1 win over Yaxley in the clubs’ incredible FA Trophy run.

He was also pivotal to the Rams’ charge to the NPL Division One North play-offs in 2018/19, scoring six goals in total.

157 games for the club (156 starts and one sub), 11 goals, 24 yellows and a couple of reds to his name – when he signed for the club, he was described as “combative 25-year-old”. Any member of the Rammy faithful will vouch that that description was certainly accurate.

In his last 10 games for Ramsbottom United, we only conceded four goals from January through to October. With Thommo at the heart of the Rammy defence, was that a surprise?

Luke returns to one of his former clubs in signing for Padiham, mainly due to work commitments and the NWCFL club being more local to his home. He played for them, as well as Colne before joining the Rams in our first season back in NPL Division One after the disappointment of our first and only relegation the year before.

Thank you “Terminator Thompson” for everything you have done in the Rammy blue – you will always be a Rammy legend.

We are having a party no longer.