Notts County and Norwich City deal proved invaluable: View | OneFootball

Notts County's deal to loan 'keeper Archie Mair from Norwich proved to be a massive moment in Notts' recent history.

When Archie Mair joined Notts County on loan from Norwich City in January 2023, few would’ve predicted the impact the youngster would go on to have at Meadow Lane.

The Scottish goalkeeper arrived with little experience to his name but left Notts having made a decisive contribution on the biggest stage of their season.

The then 21-year-old saved two penalties in the shootout at Wembley as Luke Williams’ side edged past local rivals Chesterfield to secure a return to the Football League after three seasons spent in the National League.

His brief loan spell at Notts was very memorable and Mair ended his time in Nottingham as potentially one of the most instantaneous heroes in the club’s recent history.

Few remember it now after his Wembley heroics, but Mair’s time at Notts actually began with criticism coming his way.

After spending the first half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Dartford in the National League South, Mair joined Notts as cover for first-choice 'keeper Sam Slocombe in January.

He made his debut in Notts’ FA Trophy third round defeat to Maidstone on 15th January 2023 and conceded a penalty as well as making an error while playing out from the back as the Magpies fell to a penalty shootout defeat against the Stones.

The Scot would have to wait until 25th March for his next chance to show what he could do in Notts colours, and it proved to be a chance he grabbed with both hands.

With Slocombe picking up an injury in the first half of a 4-0 win over Scunthorpe United, Mair had a run of three games between the posts for Notts, and he kept a clean sheet in all three outings.

His performance in Notts' 2-0 win at Altrincham (the second of those three games) gave a subtle hint as to what was to come. The Norwich loanee saved a first-half penalty to help secure a clean sheet and a 2-0 win on the night that Macaulay Langstaff broke Tom Keetley's 92-year-old club goalscoring record with his 40th league goal of the season.

Mair started again in the Magpies' goal on 22nd April when Notts triumphed 5-2 at Maidstone in their penultimate league game, but agonisingly fell short in the title race. However, his biggest moment was still to come.

Named on the bench for Notts' play-off final, it was highly unlikely Mair had played his final part in Notts' incredible season. But with just minutes to go in extra-time at Wembley and the game level at 2-2, he was thrust into the spotlight, replacing Slocombe ahead of the imminent penalty shootout.

It was a pre-meditated decision. A week earlier, he had been stood on the touchline waiting to be introduced to action, when Jodi Jones’ last-gasp extra-time strike dragged Notts through the National League play-off semi-final.

Having been on the pitch for just one minute, the Scotsman wrote his name into Notts folklore, with shootout saves from DJ Oldaker and Jeff King, with the second a scarcely believable left-footed stop that Mair put down to "complete instinct."

Cedwyn Scott, who’d seen a crucial stoppage time penalty saved at Wrexham just a month earlier, tucked his penalty away to round off an incredible season and secure promotion for Notts.

Mair has since enjoyed spells at Gateshead and Morecambe

Mair’s move to Notts turned out to be almost ideal for all parties. While his opportunities to play were few and far between, it exposed him to an unprecedented amount of pressure as a young footballer.

And while he may never find himself in a situation where he is under that level of pressure again in his career, he will always be able to draw upon his experience from that day under the arch.

Mair’s name was thrust into the spotlight after Notts’ Wembley win and the young ‘keeper secured a loan move to National League Gateshead at the start of last season, before his performances for the Heed opened the door for a step-up to Morecambe in League Two for his first taste of the Football League.

He made 21 League Two appearances for the Shrimpers in the second half of last season and is now back with his parent club, Norwich, as the understudy to Angus Gunn and George Long.

While his time at Notts was short, it will have provided Mair with invaluable experience and memories to last a lifetime, and it’s very rare to see a man with just six appearances for a club have made such a massive impact on its future.