Jack Franklin 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. He was a professional with Middlesbrough and Darlington.  

Jack signed for Middlesbrough in December 1943 and played twenty games during three years of wartime football through to 1946. Appearing as a guest player for Exeter City during a posting to the area as a Royal Artillery physical training instructor, he played for the Grecians against Bristol Rovers at Eastville in a Division Three South (South of the Thames) on 22 September 1945.

Leaving Ayresome Park after the war, he signed for Bath City prior to moving to Darlington in August 1947 where he scored 3 goals in 8 Third Division (North) before finishing his career playing non-league football for Stockton.

He died in Stockton-on-Tees in 2005 at the age of 80.