In what may have been a careful publicity stunt at the time of peace in Europe in 1945 - and with the staged resumption of football appearing on the horizon - it was announced that Jack Hylton had taken out shares in Exeter City. Reportedly this was at the suggestion of his cousin Percy Hilton who, after playing a single league game for the Grecians in 1921, had remained in the area with Torquay United before returning to St James' Park as a reserve team coach.

Jack Hylton (who had changed his name from 'Hilton' for professional purposes) was born near Bolton in 1892 and had become well-known for his band's American jazz-derived dance music during the 1920s. Also an impresario and producer he worked through until the mid-1960s when he was involved in the stage production of Camelot shortly before his death in January 1965 at the age of seventy-two. He helped launch the career of comedian Eric Morecambe who made a guest appearance at St James' Park in the early 1970s.

A similar shareholding was taken out by Eddie Calvert, a noted trumpet player and cousin of Exeter City's Frank Houghton, a decade later.