Hailing from Felling-on-Tyne, Jimmy Lagan signed from West Stanley in 1912 and made over sixty Southern League appearances for Exeter City before football was suspended in 1915. He was a member of the team which toured Argentina and Brazil in 1914.

With a brother who later appeared for Gillingham, Jimmy played initially for St John’s Felling, Murton, Craghead and Felling (Eastern Region) before he eventually signed on a semi-professional basis for West Stanley of the North Eastern League.

Exeter City obtained his signature in the summer of 1912 and he made a belated debut at Stoke in a Southern League fixture in December 1912. Quite possibly a few years older than was reported at the time, Jimmy stayed at St James’ Park for three seasons until the suspension of football in 1915. Playing in just over half of City’s fixtures during that time, he travelled to Argentina and Brazil in 1914.

Not known to have played beyond the Great War, Jimmy returned to the north east as reported by his grandson when contacting the archive:         

"He lived in Falla Park Crescent in Felling, Gateshead. Not sure if he played any more football. He worked in Gateshead in a foundry or steel works (Armstrong Whitworth, The Close Works) and was renowned for breaking pig iron with nothing more than a sledge hammer such was his strength. He later lost the sight of one eye when a shard flew off and hit him."

Jimmy Lagan died in the Gateshead area in 1962 at the age of seventy-seven.