TOP-FLIGHT JACKS: Max Thompson

We continue our focus on players who featured for Swansea City during the club's previous foray into the top flight of English football.
Here, we reflect on the career of former Swans midfielder Colin Pascoe.

MAX THOMPSON
Date of birth: December 31, 1956
Appearances/goals for the Swans: 35 apps; 2 goals.
Former clubs: Liverpool (1973-1977), Blackpool (1977-1981), Dallas Tornado (loan - 1977-1978), Seattle Sounders (loan - 1980), Swansea City (1981-1983), Bournemouth (1983), Port Vale (loan - 1983), Baltimore Blast (1983-1985)
Memorable moment: Thompson's stunning volley against Arsenal in October 1981 as Swansea made a surprise push for the First Division title.
Did you know? Thompson's memorable goal against Arsenal featured on Match of the Day's Goal of the Month for October in 1981.

With the excitement generated by manager John Toshack's headline signings of Bob Latchford and Colin Irwin, it's easy to forget that a lesser-known player, costing just £20,000, would go on and play an important part in Swansea's inaugural season in the First Division.
And that a goal scored by this player would still be remembered by those who witnessed it over 30 years later. That player was Max Thompson.  
Born in Liverpool, Thompson fulfilled every schoolboy's dream by signing for his local side on apprenticeship forms in January 1974. But due to the strength of the Liverpool sides of the 1970s, he made only one appearance for Liverpool's first-team, playing in the final game of the league season against Tottenham Hotspur in 1974.
In an attempt to gain regular first-team football, Thompson jumped at the chance to join Blackpool on loan in December 1977. The move was ideal for the defender, who made an instant impact at Bloomfield Road before signing for the club on a permanent basis in February 1978 in a deal worth £80,000.
For the next three seasons, Thompson became a regular component of Blackpool's back line, making over 100 appearances, while scoring some important goals along the way. But after the club were relegated to Division Four, Swans manager Toshack swooped for the player he knew so well from his time on Merseyside.
Although he was primarily thought of as a squad player, Thompson became a regular starter for the Swans in his debut season, going to help the club win the Welsh Cup after beating rivals Cardiff City in the final.
But it was a game at the Vetch Field against Arsenal in October 1981 that Thompson will be remembered for by fans of a certain age. With the Swans leading 1-0 following a first-half strike by Leighton James, the Gunners were pushing hard to get back on level terms. Tension was building inside the Vetch Field when the Swans were awarded a free-kick far out on the left-hand side of the pitch, just outside the visitors' penalty area. Full-back Jimmy Hadziabdic delivered the set-piece, which was met on the volley by Thompson, whose sweetly-struck effort flew into the back of the net. The strike proved to be the knockout blow as the Swans secured an unlikely victory over the English giants.
But as the second season financial implications threatened the very existence of the club, Thompson was prevented from playing for the Swans due to a financial premium that the club would have had to pay his former club Blackpool upon him reaching 30 appearances. And with no money available, the club let the player leave on a free transfer.
Thompson went on to play for Bournemouth nine times before moving to Port Vale, playing twice, before his contract was cancelled.
He then tried his luck in USA, where he spent two years before moving back to Europe and playing for a short spell in Portugal and Sweden.
He returned to Britain in 1989 to play for Newport County before retiring from the playing side of the game.
He later enrolled at Lilleshall on a football injuries course, becoming a physiotherapist and spending a couple of years at Southport and Liverpool before leaving football for good and becoming an ambulance driver.