Jack Fantham played for Exeter City during 1935/36. He joined the club from Chester and later played for Rhyl Athletic. He was the father of Sheffield Wednesday and England player Johnny Fantham, a well-known footballer of the late 1950s and 1960s.  

After playing for Manchester Central, Jack joined Stockport County for the 1930/31 season where he featured in a single league match before signing for Rotherham United in the summer of 1931. Winning a regular place in the side, he totalled 100 league appearances (scoring two goals) for the Millers prior to being allowed to join Chester in 1934 when the Yorkshire club hit a financial crisis. 

Making just fifteen league appearances for his new club, Jack arrived at Exeter City in the summer of 1935 and made a goalscoring debut in the 5-1 victory over Aldershot on the opening day of the season. Appearing in the first five league matches of the season he played just once more - against Queen’s Park Rangers in October 1935 - before leaving City to play for Rhyl Athletic.

Settling back in the Sheffield area where he died in 1958, Jack knew little of the career of his son Johnny who went on to score 166 times in 434 senior appearances for Sheffield Wednesday between 1956 and 1969 and play once for England in 1961.