Date / Year of birth: 24th September 1984

Position: Striker

Season of first appearance: 2002/03

Season of last appearance: 2011/12

Also played for: Chelsea (0), Gillingham (0), Ramsgate, Eastbourne Borough, Folkestone Invicta, Erith & Belvedere, Dartford, Chatham Town, Faversham Town, Whitstable Town and Melbourne Knights (Australia)

Locally-born son of 1970's Margate player John Pulman who spent six seasons on Chelsea's books as a youngster. Ian progressed through the ranks to become a regular in the youth team during 2001/02 and he also played for Chelsea's reserves that season before being released at the end of the campaign.

Towards the end of 2002 Ian had a spell on trial at Gillingham and scored twice for their Under-19's in a 3-2 win at Queens Park Rangers during his time with the Gills. He also played for Ramsgate's Under-18's side during the 2002/03 season.

Towards the end of March 2003 Ian joined Margate as a non-contract player after impressing whilst training with the club and manager Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "We were very impressed, and he will be staying around the squad." Ian had his first outing in a 3-0 win at Erith & Belvedere in the Kent Senior Cup semi-final on 1.4.03 and the Gazette said he "looked lively on his debut, showing good pace and touch" up front. He went off ten minutes from the end of normal time (the tie needed extra time to settle it) after crashing into the perimeter fence. Ian then made three sub appearances in Margate's next four Conference games and rounded off the season by coming off the bench as Margate won 2-1 at Welling on 30.4.03 to claim the Kent Senior Cup. In June 2003 Chris Kinnear told the Thanet Times "I definitely think he's part of the plans - he's a good lad for the future. He's one that's knocking on the door I'd like to think, and he looks a very good prospect."

Ian scored twice in Margate's friendlies ahead of the 2003/04 campaign and had his first taste of competitive action on 23.8.03 when he came on as a substitute in a 1-1 draw at Tamworth in the Conference. The Thanet Times said Ian was "particularly impressive" and on 25.8.03 he came on at half-time in a Conference game against Stevenage at Dover. He volleyed home Margate's goal in a 4-1 defeat - his first for the club - and the KM Extra newspaper said it was a "quality strike". The Isle of Thanet Gazette said Ian's "fine performance" was the "one consolation" of a bad day. On 30.8.03 he made his first start of the season in a 2-1 win at Forest Green and the Thanet Times said Ian "impressed again and could easily have had a couple of goals".

Chris Kinnear told BBC Sport Online "He is under contract with us now, but it won't be long before he's back in the League. Everyone's impressed with him and he did very well in his first full game for us in the win over Forest Green." Kinnear then told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "With Warren Patmore retiring, sometimes you find a player who really comes through, and Ian Pulman could do that. All the players have got a lot of respect for him, and he is real talent. He's got an unbelievable attitude, and if it was just down to that he'd still be in the Premiership. He's got as good a chance as anyone I've seen of making it. He can do it - it takes a lot of hard work as well, but's he's definitely putting it in. He's one of the strongest players out there - he really is powerful. There's not one bit of fear in him."

Ian made his next start in a 2-1 defeat against Chester at Dover on 6.9.03 and on 9.9.03 he scored a hat-trick as Margate won 4-2 at Sittingbourne in a friendly. He made two more sub appearances during September but Ian didn't feature at all in the first four games of October. He had his first outing for almost a month when he came on in a 3-3 draw at Grays in the FA Cup on 25.10.03 and Ian then started in the replay at Ashford three days later. Margate lost on penalties after another 3-3 draw.

In the last two months of 2003 Ian only made two sub appearances, both in November, and after he'd come on in a 2-0 win over Forest Green at Dover on 4.1.04 he was loaned to Southern League Premier Division club Eastbourne Borough.

Ian made his debut for Eastbourne in a Southern League Cup tie at Welling on 6.1.04 and scored after only 11 minutes although Welling went on to win 2-1 thanks to a strike from former Margate star Phil Collins. Ian scored twice more in his next three matches for Borough and his loan was soon extended from one month to three.

He returned to Margate in April 2004 and on 24.4.04 Ian came on as a sub in a 2-0 defeat against Scarborough at Dover - Margate's last game in the Conference. He then featured as a sub in a 2-1 win at Folkestone on 28.4.04 that secured the Kent Senior Cup and it was Ian's second winners' medal in the competition. In its end of season round-up the Isle of Thanet Gazette said Ian had "looked lively when given the chance" and he'd scored once from 14 outings, all bar three of them as a substitute.

Ian stayed at Margate for the start of the 2004/05 campaign and played in some pre-season friendlies but he couldn't break into the first team and at the end of August 2004 he was loaned to Isthmian League Premier Division club Folkestone.

On 11.9.04 Ian was sent off for fighting after coming on as sub as Folkestone beat Wealdstone 3-0 and he made a total of five appearances (three as sub) without scoring before returning to Margate.

Ian still didn't get an opportunity in the side and in November 2004 he was loaned to Southern League Division 1 East outfit Erith & Belvedere.

He scored twice in his first three games for the Deres and at the start of February 2005 Ian briefly returned to Margate. He was an unused substitute for a Kent Senior Cup tie against Cray at Ashford on 8.2.05 that ended up being abandoned. A week later he was released.

After leaving Margate Ian returned to Erith & Belvedere for the remainder of the 2004/05 campaign and scored nine goals in a total of 25 appearances for the Deres.

In the summer of 2005 he joined Dartford of the Southern League Division 1 East and Ian stayed with the Darts until February 2006 when he signed for Ramsgate. Ian was still living in Margate at the time. Dartford's manager Tony Burman said "Ian did not ask to leave and his decision was not down to finance on his or our part. Ian felt Dartford was the best club he had played for and while he was here his attitude has been second to none."

Ian went on to make ten appearances for Ramsgate (seven as sub) without scoring before the end of the 2005/06 season which saw the Rams win the Isthmian League First Division title.

After playing in some of Ramsgate early pre-season friendlies in the summer of 2006 Ian joined Chatham in July 2006 and scored twice in 12 Isthmian League Division 1 South outings (five as sub) before returning to Margate in December 2006.

Ian was working as a window cleaner in Thanet at the time but he didn't play at all during his second spell at Margate and in March 2007 he moved on to Faversham.

Ian told www.kentishfootball.co.uk "I must admit, I don't know a lot about the club other than they are back in the Kent League after folding a couple of years back ...I'm looking forward to the chance of scoring some goals and pushing the club back up the table." Ian stayed with Faversham until December 2007 when he linked up with Whitstable.

He scored 15 goals in 22 Isthmian League Division 1 South appearances (one as sub) before the end of the 2007/08 campaign. Ian then scored 20 goals for Whitstable during 2009/10 and his overall record was 35 goals from 72 appearances by the time he left the club at the end of the season to travel in Australia.

Ian wrote to numerous Australian clubs ahead of his trip to the country and secured a deal with Melbourne Knights of the Victorian Premier League, joining them in May 2009. He played regularly there for the remainder of the 2009 season which had started in March and ended in August. Ian scored twice for the Knights.

After returning to England Ian rejoined Whitstable in February 2010 and scored eight goals before the end of the 2009/10 campaign.

In June 2010 Ian signed for Isthmian League Division 1 South side Ashford but a few weeks later they went out of business and left him without a club.

On 24.7.10 Ian played for Faversham in a friendly against Margate and in the week leading up to the game he'd been training with Margate. Three days later Ian scored for Whitstable in their 4-0 friendly win at Deal and he then rejoined the club.

He went on to score a career best 28 goals for the Oystermen during the 2010/11 season after turning down moves to both Faversham and Thamesmead in February 2011.

In June 2011 Ian moved up to the Conference South when he joined Eastbourne Borough - the club Margate had loaned him to during 2003/04. He found his opportunities there limited and in October 2011 Ian returned to Margate on loan.

Manager Chris Kinnear talked to the Isle of Thanet Gazette about Ian and said "I've known him for a long time...he does score goals. He's been around a bit and is much more experienced now." Ian made his first Margate appearance for seven and a half years when he came on as a half-time substitute in a 1-0 defeat against Carshalton in an Isthmian Premier League game at Hartsdown Park on 8.10.11. He then started as Margate beat visitors Cray 2-0 in a Kent Senior Cup tie on 11.10.11 and Ian played twice more during his loan spell. After coming on as a sub in a 3-2 FA Cup defeat against Bromley at Hartsdown Park on 15.10.11 he was in the starting line-up for a 3-1 home win over Kingstonian in the Isthmian League Cup on 18.10.11 but Ian then stayed on the bench for Margate's next two league matches. When Ian's loan ended at the start of November Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "Finances were the problem - we couldn't afford to keep him" and instead of returning to Eastbourne Ian signed for Ramsgate on a permanent basis.

He started his second spell with the Rams by scoring in a 3-2 win over Folkestone in an Isthmian League Division 1 South game at Southwood on 8.11.11 and by the end of the 2011/12 season Ian had scored 14 goals from 27 outings.

In May 2012 he signed for Whitstable once again but after scoring once in two league outings Ian returned to Ramsgate at the start of September 2012 and found the net in his first outing as they drew 1-1 with Merstham at Southwood on 8.9.12. He went on to score 23 goals from 43 appearances (one as sub) in all competitions before the end of the 2012/13 campaign.

In May 2013 Ian announced that he'd be staying with the Rams for the 2013/14 season and he told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "I love it at Ramsgate and I am going to stay. I made a mistake last season when I left and went to Whitstable and realised after two weeks that I had made an error. I don't know why I would even consider leaving when I love it so much." Ian also commented about interest from other clubs and said "I have had a ridiculous number of phone calls, mainly from clubs at this level and Ryman Premier because I'm quite well know at this sort of level, but there are no other teams, apart from Margate, that are so close to Ramsgate. With my baby being born and everything like that I have decided to stay, and not just that but I love everyone at the club, the fans are great and it's a really friendly club to play for."

Ian scored 23 goals from 51 outings (three as sub) for Ramsgate during 2013/14 before rejoining Whitstable in May 2014, shortly after former Ramsgate manager Jimmy Ward took over at the club.