Jim Brown was a wartime guest player for Exeter City during 1944/45 when, as the situation eased, a number of games were organised to constitute the first football played by the club since 1939. He remained to play seven times in the interim Division Three South (South of the Thames) competition during the autumn of 1945. He is likely to have been a one-time Motherwell, Chesterfield, Bradford City, Queen of the South and Carlisle United player. 

Jim is recorded as playing against Plymouth Argyle in March 1945. Remaining with the club he made his competitive debut in the hastily-arranged Division Three South (South of the Thames) competition against Aldershot on 5 September 1945 and played through until the game against Crystal Palace in early October.

Reported as having played for Motherwell, this is highly likely to have been Jim ‘Buster’ Brown who originally appeared for the Lanarkshire club in 1943 after earlier playing for Kello Rovers. Later appearing for Chesterfield, Bradford City, Queen of the South and Carlisle United, he was put on a rowing machine in motorbike leathers on his arrival at Chesterfield to get his weight down and increase his fitness.  

(additional information from Chesterfield Football History including a picture)