Jimmy Gardner, signed from Cardiff City, made fifty league appearances for Exeter City having earlier featured for Queen’s Park, Motherwell, St Mirren and Scarborough. After leaving Exeter he finished his senior career with Stirling Albion and Arbroath.   

Son of Pat Gardner (Raith Rovers, Dunfermine, Dundee United, Motherwell and Arbroath) Jimmy commended his career with Queen’s Park in 1986 aged nineteen and, after just two league appearances, signed for Motherwell in 1988. Making no more than sixteen appearances for his new club in five seasons, Jimmy joined St Mirren in 1993 and played on a more regular basis ahead of switching to Scarborough on a non-contract basis in September 1995. Free to sign for another club, Jimmy attracted the attention of Cardiff City with whom he agreed terms in October 1985. 

With the Bluebirds struggling in the third-tier, Jimmy notched up 63 league appearances (scoring five times) prior to joining Exeter City in July 1997 a few months short of his 30th birthday. Making his debut on the opening day of the 1997/98 season Jimmy made 27 league and cup appearances in his first season followed by another 33 during 1998/99. Scoring twice during his time with Exeter, he made his final appearance at Hull in April 1999 before leaving the club to return to Scotland to play for Stirling Albion and Arbroath prior to dropping into junior football with Shettleston in 2002.