Background
Jack Fort was born in Leigh, Lancashire, where he played youth football with Street Andrew"s Mission in the Bolton and District League.
Jack Fort was born in Leigh, Lancashire, where he played youth football with Street Andrew"s Mission in the Bolton and District League.
In his three seasons at Exeter, they finished each season in a mid-table position.
He also made one appearance for England. He began his professional career with Atherton in the Lancashire Combination in 1907, before moving to the South Coast to join Southern League Exeter City in 1911. After three years in Devon, Fort switched to London to join another Southern League club, Athletic, thus beginning an association with the club that lasted for the rest of his life.
Fort also gained representative honours with the Southern League.
Fort retired as a player in 1930 having made 332 appearances foreign He continued to be associated with for the rest of his life in a variety of roles, including coach, trainer, assistant groundsman and scout. and was still working for the club until a few weeks before his death on 23 November 1965, aged 77.
Jack Fort also gained three England caps playing in trial internationals against the home countries. He holds two records at which are unlikely to be broken.
He is the oldest player ever to have played for in a league match at 42 years of age and he is still "s longest serving employee having joined from Exeter City in 1914 and staying on in various capacities until he died in 1965 a total of 51 years.