The football register of players from Devon – Part Two

In Part Two of our football register of players from Devon, we have dived right back into the slightly sketchy source of Wikipedia for more information.

If we have missed anyone in these lists, please drop us an email on tim.herbert@clearskypublishing.co.uk and we will run a follow-up to plug the gaps.

For now, however, here is Part Two of our list:

Ian Leigh: Born in Ilfracombe 1962, goalkeeper Leigh earned his football stripes with Bournemouth and earned a lifetime of pizzas from a local restaurant after a clean sheet against Manchester United. He also had a brief loan spell at Torquay. 

George Ley: Exminster 1946, a junior at Exeter City, Ley played the bulk of his English career with Portsmouth before moving Stateside to become a leading figure in the North American Soccer League, both as a player and manager.

Leandra Little: Torbay 1984, defender Little represented Doncaster Belles, Liverpool and Sheffield United and then switched to basketball, earning recognition for the England team. She now works as an education lead at Liverpool and the FA.

Mark Loram: Paignton 1967, for pure talent, Loram is one of the finest players Devon has ever produced. His left-foot was a genuine wand and Loram’s ability earned him a move to QPR but homesickness brought him back to Torquay United, where he is regarded as one of the club’s best ever.

Sam Malsom: Teignmouth 1987, forward Malsom won his pro contract at Plymouth after impressing for Bishopsteignton in the Herald Cup Final. He spent much of his career in non-league football and currently plays in Iceland.

Nicky Marker: Budleigh Salterton 1965, Marker enjoys the rare status of being a legend at both Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle, and the even rarer accolade of being a Devon winner of the Premier League during his time with Blackburn Rovers. He later managed Ivybridge Town.

Jim McNichol: Glasgow 1958, unfairly remembered for being the Torquay player bitten by Bryn the dog, an incident that indirectly saved the Gulls from relegation, McNichol was also an outstanding defender for the Gulls, Exeter and Brentford. He was then landlord of the Exeter Inn in Ashburton for over 30 years.

Louis Morison: East Devon 2001, after spending time in the Exeter Academy, Morison has become a top performer for Tiverton Town and Exmouth Town.

Marcus Murphy: Tavistock 1914, Murphy made a handful of appearances for Plymouth Argyle in the period after World War Two.

Pat Parker: Bow 1929, Parker served in the Royal Air Force and was playing local football for Newton Abbot when a pre-season friendly with Southampton prompted a move to the Saints. After a decade of football, he became a sales administrator for a computer company.

Robbie Pethick: Tavistock 1970, Pethick played as a defender for the likes of Weymouth, Portsmouth, Bristol Rovers and Brighton.

Jason Pope: Exeter 1995, another graduate of the Grecians’ Academy, Pope has played for Hereford and Bath, now part of the National League South squad at Weston-super-Mare.

Jamie Reid: Torquay 1994, a schoolboy friend of Ollie Watkins and Matt Jay, Reid moved from Exeter City to Torquay United, where his prolific goalscoring led to a deal with Mansfield Town. He now plays for Stevenage in League One and has also won international caps for Northern Ireland.

Connor Riley-Lowe: Paignton 1996, an accomplished full-back, Riley-Lowe came through the Exeter youth scheme but he is probably best known for spells with Truro City.

Cameron Sangster: Newton Abbot 1999, a graduate of the Argyle Academy, Sangster put football to one side to form a unique football boot company with clients including some chap called Lionel Messi.

Gary Sawyer: Enfield 1985, Sawyer was brought up in Bideford and signed for Plymouth Argyle. After a loan stint with Exeter, defender Sawyer established himself as a Home Park icon in two spells with the Greens. He still works as a club Ambassador at Argyle.

Gary Smart: Totnes 1964, Smart was originally a PE teacher when he was picked up by Oxford United. He spent six years with the U’s before moving into the non-league game.

Jack Sparkes: Exmouth 2000, Sparkes was another product of the Exeter youth system, playing six years as a pro before a switch to Portsmouth. He then moved to Peterborough and currently on loan at Chesterfield.

George Stabb: Paignton 1912, wing-half Stabb played for Dartmouth and Paignton Town before signing at Torquay United. His career moved on to Notts County and Port Vale, scoring against First Division champions Sunderland in the FA Cup.

Adam Stansfield: Plymouth 1978, Stansfield started his career with Yeovil and Hereford but it was four years at Exeter that made him a local hero. A fine footballer and dedicated family man, Stansfield tragically died from cancer at the age of just 31 in 2010.

Jay Stansfield: Tiverton 2002, proudly following in his father’s footsteps, Jay Stansfield emerged from the Fulham youth system and enjoyed an emotional loan spell with Exeter City. He is now leading the attack for Birmingham City and a supremely talented former England U21 striker.

Luke Summerfield: Ivybridge 1987, midfielder Summerfield was a star of the Plymouth Academy, with his dad Kevin a legend of the Pilgrims as a player and coach. Luke has enjoyed a tremendous career with the likes of Cheltenham, Shrewsbury, York, Grimsby and Wrexham.

Mike Thresher: Cullompton 1931, one of six footballers who played in the Chard area of Somerset, Thresher signed for Bristol City in 1954 and went on to make almost 400 appearances for the Robins.

Jeffrey Tolchard: Torquay 1944, a footballer for Torquay United and Exeter City, Tolchard and the rest of his sporting family were better known for their cricketing exploits. Jeffrey spent seven years at Leicestershire and his niece Sophie and nephew Sam are both England internationals in bowls.

Ollie Tomlinson: Ivybridge 2002, a graduate from the Plymouth Argyle Academy, defender Tomlinson spent two-and-a-half years at Torquay United before switching to Bath City at the end of 2024.

Peter Wakeham: Kingsbridge 1936, goalkeeper Wakeham turned pro at Plainmoor in 1953 and later signed for Sunderland, Charlton and Lincoln

Ollie Watkins: Torquay 1995, we await correction here but we think Watkins is the only Devon footballer to play in the final of a major international tournament. Part of the South Dartmoor Community College Holy Trinity, Watkins came through at Exeter, and now banging in the goals for Aston Villa, via Brentford. His dramatic semi-final winner against the Netherlands last summer was an iconic moment in English football history.

Kevin Wills: Torbay 1980, spotted by Argyle while playing for Stoke Gabriel, Wills was a cultured midfielder, helping the Pilgrims win promotion in 2002. He later played for Torquay, Tiverton and Truro City, scoring at Wembley in the FA Vase Final. He is now U18s manager at Plainmoor.

Craig Woodman: Tiverton 1982, a graduate of the Bristol City youth system, Woodman then enjoyed three seasons at Wycombe before moving to Brentford and Exeter, where he amassed around 250 appearances in eight seasons.

Martin Worthington: Torquay 1981, Worthington made one appearance for Torquay United but he is definitely more of a rugby man, enjoying a fine career in the oval game as a player and coach.

Jim Wright: Okehampton 1910, a full-back from the Moors who played for Torquay, Grimsby, Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea.

Paul Wyatt: Modbury 1989, Wyatt played locally for Tiverton Town but has spent much of his football career in the USA with Reading United and Oklahoma City Energy.

Ashley Yeoman: Kingsbridge 1992, an accomplished finisher, Yeoman was an exciting prospect at Torquay for many years before dropping into the amateur game and most recently in the South Devon League.

Editor’s Note: We know there are loads of Devon footballers missing, blame the Wikipedia page for slightly spoiling our bit of listicle fun.