Charlie McClelland, son of Jim who played alongside Dick Pym and Harold Blackmore when Bolton won the FA Cup in 1929, arrived at Exeter City from Blackburn Rovers in 1949 and made 183 league appearances - scoring 60 times (including 19 in 1953/54) - before finishing in professional football in 1955. 

The son of Jimmy McClelland (Middlesbrough, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, Blackpool, Manchester United and other clubs in the 1920s and 1930s), Charlie was on the books of Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers and Hyde United before signing professionally for Blackburn Rovers in December 1946 where he made his league debut. 

Moving to Exeter City in July 1949 for a “substantial fee”, he made a goalscoring debut at Crystal Palace the following month and appeared in 33 league games in his initial campaign, the first of five seasons in which he played at least thirty games. Starting off as an inside-forward he became a winger but always had an eye for goal and netted nineteen times in 1953/54 when he was City's top-scorer.  He also managed eleven goals from 35 league starts in a 1951/52 season that finished prematurely because of injury. 

Placed on the transfer list at his own request in November 1951, Charlie eventually left Exeter at the end of the 1954/55 season and played for Portland United, Cheltenham Town, Worcester City and Bromsgrove whilst settling in Malvern.