Camelford-born Dudley Kernick appeared as a guest for Exeter City during 1945/46 when two interim league competitions - Division Three South (South of Thames) [played until Christmas] and the Division Three South Cup (Southern Section) [played from January] - were organised ahead of a return to ‘normal’ league football in 1946/47. Signing for Torquay United at the start of 1939, he returned to Plainmoor after the war before later spells with Northampton Town and Birmingham City

Son of a blacksmith, Dudley had been playing local football with Tintagel when he attracted the interest of both Exeter City and Torquay United when still a teenager in the 1930s. Signing as a professional for Torquay United in January 1939, he failed to make his league debut during the few months before the outbreak of war, 

Also appearing for Birmingham City in wartime football, Dudley made the first of eight appearances as a guest player for Exeter City at Aldershot on 5 September 1945 when he scored in a 5-3 win. Scoring four more times in Division Three South (South of Thames) games for the club, Dudley returned to Torquay United after the resumption of ‘normal’ football and scored 7 goals in 39 league starts before signing for Northampton Town for a fee of £3,000 in August 1948. 

Not making a league appearance for the Cobblers, Dudley was transferred to Birmingham City in December 1948 where he again failed to make the first-team before a stint with (then) Midland League side Shrewsbury Town. At one time owning a restaurant and coffee bar with Birmingham City and England goalkeeper Gil Merrick, Dudley also played for Kettering Town and managed Hinckley Athletic and Nuneaton Borough in the late 1950s and 1960s.  

Later working as commercial manager of Stoke City until 1985, Dudley moved to Florida where he owned a pub/restaurant and wrote a book titled ‘Who The Hell is Dudley Kernick?’ ahead of his death at the age of ninety-eight on 15 December 2019.