One-time Lincoln City goalkeeper Archie Mair has left relegated Morecambe to complete a permanent transfer to Carlisle United.
Mair spent the second half of the 25/26 campaign with the Cumbrian outfit, who missed out on promotion back to the Football League after losing in the play-offs.
He made a solitary appearance for Carlisle during that loan spell, playing the final match of the regular campaign against Brackley Town, in which he kept a clean sheet.
That was one more appearance compared with his time at Sincil Bank earlier this decade. His signing was announced in mid-September 2021, although a deal with Norwich City had been agreed before the summer transfer deadline. The delay was due to a wrist injury suffered by the former Scottish youth international, though he arrived in Lincolnshire as a highly-rated young goalkeeper.
Imps’ supporters never got the chance to see any evidence of that, though. Another loan keeper, West Bromwich Albion’s Josh Griffiths, was City’s first-choice goalkeeper, with Jordan Wright serving as Lincoln’s man in reserve. Sam Long was also on the Imps’ books, though he spent the campaign out on loan at Gainsborough Trinity and Drogheda United, alongside a handful of appearances back at his parent club.
Back to Mair, who did find himself involved in Lincoln’s matchday squad for a few third-tier fixtures in October 2021. He was also on the bench for both FA Cup fixtures against Bowers & Pitsea and Hartlepool, with Michael Appleton’s side exiting the competition against the Monkey Hangers. That disappointing defeat against the latter outfit also marked the last time that Mair was seen with the Imps, as he was prematurely recalled by the Canaries in the January transfer window.
Where Has Mair Played Since Leaving Lincoln?
The step up to League One proved too much for the Scotsman, who had a brief stint in the sixth tier of English football with Dartford during the following campaign. Ironically, it was his contributions at the end of that campaign that I remember Mair for, more than his time with the Imps. His fourth loan away from Carrow Road to Notts County proved to be incredibly memorable, despite only playing five times.
After four regular-season appearances for the Magpies, who battled with Wrexham for the title, they had to make do with a second-place finish. County overcame Boreham Wood in the semi-finals with Mair back on the bench, though his moment in the limelight arrived at Wembley. With the scores level against Chesterfield as penalties loomed, he was brought on for his penalty expertise after saving a spot-kick months earlier.
And sure enough, the gamble paid off, as Mair denied two efforts from 12 yards to help Notts County win promotion back to the EFL. Following that high, the 25-year-old returned to the fifth tier with Gateshead, before getting another shot in professional football with Morecambe. He even had top-flight experience in Scotland with Motherwell before leaving Norwich last summer. A permanent move to the Shrimps then followed, appearing 12 times in his second stint in the north-west of England.
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