Before the end of the season representatives of the Supporters Club, Clive Marshall and Keith Brookman, along with Chairman of the Former Players Association Tony Mills, were invited to The Quarters to present what have become known as legacy caps to a number of the first team squad.
Today we feature two of the loan signings who received their caps and who joined us in the January transfer window, namely Tommy Leigh and Kane Thompson-Sommers.
Midfielder Tommy was born in Portsmouth in April 2000 and was one of five loan signings made by Steve Evans when he arrived from Bradford City.
His CV to date reads as follows; Portsmouth; March 2017 Horndean; July 2017 Baffins Milton Rovers; July 2019 Bognor Regis Town; 10/07/2021 Accrington Stanley [85+17apps,28goals]; 18/06/2024 MK Dons [7+5,1]; 10/01/2025 Bradford City [16+16,1]
When Tommy arrived at The Mem he was joining a former Bradford City teammate in Richie Smallwood. He had played in both of Accrington Stanley’s games against the Gas in 2022/23, scoring the opening goal past James Belshaw in the away fixture, after Rosaire Longelo’s ball had been knocked down to him by Harvey Rodgers six minutes after half time.
His career began in Hampshire, playing two Wessex League games with Horndean and then scoring four times for Baffins Milton Rovers in 43 Wessex League fixtures, his father Steve Leigh, a former Bognor player, managing that club; they also won the Wessex League Cup, as he created the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Portland United in May 2019.
In addition, he was one of three hat trick scorers, alongside Jason Parish and substitute Tyler Moret, as New College Swindon were defeated 14-1 in an FA Vase tie in September 2018.
On his first appearance for Bognor Regis, the side lost 3-1 at Bishop’s Stortford, Jamie Cureton scoring the opposition’s second goal. Both Tommy Leigh and his brother Ashton scored as Bognor Regis defeated Cray Wanderers 7-2 in December 2019, one of 39 Isthmian League games which enabled ten goals.
Club form earned a transfer to Accrington Stanley, for whom he made his League bow against Cambridge United in August 2021 and scored his first goal three months later against Plymouth Argyle. He was named Player of the Year the following campaign, 2022/23, a season which ended in relegation to the basement division.
He scored twice in a League game on two occasions with Stanley, in a 4-1 win against Sutton United in September 2023 and in the astonishing 4-4 draw with Cheltenham Town in April 2022, when Harry Pell was a teammate. His solitary goal for MK Dons was a 35th minute opener, crashed home from eight yards out, again past the unfortunate Belshaw, in a 5-1 demolition of Harrogate Town in October 2024, and he scored in Bradford City’s 3-1 win at Cardiff City in September 2025.
However, he had also played in an FA Cup shock in November 2025, as the Bantams lost 1-0 to Isaac Hutchinson’s second minute goal for Cheltenham Town.
Currently back with his parent club, Rovers won all three games in which he scored, against Crewe Alexandra, Barrow and Shrewsbury Town and ended his time at Rovers with four goals from 14 league appearances.
Another midfielder, 25 year old Kane Thompson-Sommers also joined Rovers in the January transfer window, arriving from fellow League Two side MK Dons. His career path is as follows; 2012 Tottenham Hotspur; 2016 Birmingham City; 24/12/2018 Cockfosters (loan); 02/08/2021 Woking (loan); 27/07/2022 Cardiff City (trial); 04/082022 Hereford (free); 08/06/2023 FC Halifax Town (free); 30/08/2024 MK Dons [34 apps,3 goals].
In October 2025 Rovers lost 4-0 at home to MK Dons, a game that saw the left footed midfielder being sent on as a substitute for the visitors to The Mem. Just a few weeks later he arrived at The Mem, brought in by new manager Steve Evans.
Having scored six goals in ten matches for Birmingham City at U-23 level, Thompson-Sommers played in one Spartan South Midlands League game with Cockfosters and 11 times in the National League with Woking, scoring in a 4-0 win at Torquay United in August 2021.
A trial with Cardiff involved a friendly against Hereford who, impressed with their opponent, promptly signed him; his two goals in 33 National League North appearances included the winning goal against Kettering Town at Edgar Street in March 2023.
This was followed by 30 National League fixtures with Halifax, and a 35th minute goal in a 2-0 victory at Gateshead in December 2023.
Playing alongside Aaron Collins at MK Dons, he made his League bow against Walsall, being sent on as substitute for Tommy Leigh 25 minutes from the end of a 1-0 win in September 2024, and followed this up with goals against Swindon Town, Walsall and Tranmere Rovers.
Just seven days before joining Rovers, he was in the Dons side that held Championship side Oxford United to a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup, before losing on penalties.
Now back with MK Dons, his Rovers league appearances amounted to 14 and he scored one goal, but what a goal it was! His stunning strike at Swindon Town on 28th February gave Rovers a half time lead, though the home side equalised after the break and we had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
Whether or not they return to the club at some time in the future isn’t known, but they played their part in steering the club towards mid table security following their arrival.
Photos courtesy Bristol Rovers FC
