Lancastrian Jack Fort, signed from Atherton when Exeter City were in the Southern League, made around eighty appearances for the Grecians before joining Millwall in 1914. Playing for the South London club until 1930 - and representing England in a full international in the process - he served Millwall in various capacities until his death at the age of seventy-seven. He took part in Exeter City’s South American tour in 1914      

Working as a ‘coal trammer’ underground, and playing semi-professionally for Atherton in the Lancashire Combination, Jack was in many ways a typical Arthur Chadwick signing when he joined Exeter City during the summer of 1911. 

Having also previously played for Plank Lane, Jack made his debut for Exeter against Swindon Town on 28 October 1911 during the Grecians’ fourth season as a professional outfit. He soon became the club’s first-choice right-back, and ever a model of consistency, appeared in 34 league games in 1912/13 followed by another 33 during the next season. With the Southern League set to continue beyond the outbreak of war, it was largely business as usual and the Grecians were unable to resist a bid for Jack from Millwall in 1914 but not before Jack had toured Argentina and Brazil with City (later being portrayed by James Cotter in the 2014 production of The Day We Played Brazil). 

Having already represented the Southern League against the Football League, and after wartime service with the Dragoon Guards, Jack became a firm favourite at Millwall and - in an age where international teams were often selected rather differently than in latter times - he represented England against Belgium on 21 May 1921.       

Playing over 250 league games for Millwall, up to the age of forty-two, he later served the club in the capacity of coach, trainer, assistant groundsman and scout and was still working on the pitch a few weeks before his death on 23 November 1965 aged 77.