Lifelong Notts fan Belshaw 'living dream' as a Magpie

Goalkeeper James Belshaw says helping boyhood club Notts County to promotion would be the achievement of a lifetime – and just about as good as becoming a husband and father.

The last part, it must be added, he said in an almost whispered tone.

The 35-year-old joined the League Two club he has been a lifelong fan of on an 18-month deal from fourth-tier rivals Harrogate Town last week.

Nottingham-born Belshaw moved to Meadow Lane to become first-choice keeper for a side pushing for promotion, with previous number one Kelle Roos leaving for a loan spell with Scottish side Kilmarnock within 48 hours of his arrival.

On his debut, Belshaw helped Notts keep their place in the play-off spots with a 2-1 victory at Crawley Town that ended a four-game winless run for Martin Paterson's Magpies.

Belshaw brings promotion-winning knowhow with him, having gone up with Harrogate and Bristol Rovers in the past, but he calls what he is trying to deliver at Notts "something special".

"To do it here is the stuff that dreams are made of. And it's already a dream being here," he told BBC East Midlands Today.

"To be able to contribute to getting this club back into League One would be a life high. There is your wedding and birth of your daughter and whether that [promotion] would run those close - I'm not sure my wife would be happy."

One of the two promotions that Belshaw helped Harrogate to achieve - across his two spells and 284 appearances for the club - came at Notts' expense, with the Sulphurites beating Magpies in the National League promotion final behind closed doors at Wembley Stadium during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

When Belshaw talks of playing for Notts now, he admits he does so as a supporter first.

And when he talks of supporting the Magpies, he does so as one man among "generations of Belshaws who have been Notts County fans".

"Playing for Notts County is something that I've always wanted to do in my career," he said.

"I want to go out and represent this football club as a fan because I am one of the fans - I've sat up there (in the Kop) numerous times and I used to sit in the Family Stand as a kid.

"For all those people, I want to do it for them."

This is a goalkeeper who was on the Magpies' books as a youngster and who served as a matchday mascot at Meadow Lane, where he would attend games with his dad.

To this day, his father Paul remains a season ticket holder in the Kop.

It's from there that he will watch his son make his home debut against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.

"My dad can watch me every week now as a Notts County player," Belshaw said.

"In football you never really get fairytales, that happy ending or that thing you really want from the game.

"To come here (to Meadow Lane) and work every day is a real honour.

"I will be whatever this football club wants me to be.

"I'll do all I can to help this club get to where it wants to be and where it deserves to be."