'Wonderful news' for Harrogate Town as goalkeeper James Belshaw triggers contract extension

The 34-year-old goalkeeper has triggered an additional 12 months on the 18-month deal he agreed last January, meaning that he will remain at Wetherby Road until at least the end of 2025/26.

The Sulphurites have endured a season of struggle in League Two and are not yet mathematically safe from the drop, but would have been far worse off without Belshaw, who has been consistently excellent between the sticks and pulled off numerous big saves.

In the last week alone he has made eye-catching stops to prevent what looked certain goal against Tranmere and AFC Wimbledon, underlining his importance to the club.

And while manager Simon Weaver has described the news as “wonderful”, a view doubtless shared by the vast majority of Town supporters, the player himself is equally as thrilled to be sticking around.

"I’m delighted,” said Belshaw, who played a key role in helping Harrogate secure promotion into the Football League for the first time ever back in 2020.

"I am so pleased to have the opportunity to create more memories at a club I love playing for and hopefully we can go on and write another chapter in the history books at some point in the future.

"I feel very fortunate to be here, in a place where I’ve built some great relationships over the years and where I am now playing with some of my best mates.

"I am enjoying my football, I’ve been lucky enough to stay injury-free for the most part and at 34 I feel like I am just into my prime.

"So, long may it continue. I’ve said I want to keep playing until I am 40 if my body allows it, so hopefully the gaffer will keep me around and we can go on and make more history.”

On the circumstances that led to his contract extension being triggered, Belshaw added: “My contract when I came back permanently was 18 months with a clause for another year on pre-agreed terms if I played 23 games this season.

"I triggered it some time ago but the secretary spoke to me last week about signing off on the paperwork, which was just a formality.”

Belshaw initially joined Harrogate from Tamworth in 2017 and helped the Sulphurites escape National League North in his first season in North Yorkshire.

Two years later, Town beat Notts County 3-1 at Wembley in the National League play-off final to secure that historic promotion to League Two.

Belshaw remained Weaver’s first choice stopper during that first Football League campaign, but his four-year stint at Wetherby Road came to an end in July 2021 when he joined then-League Two rivals Bristol Rovers for an undisclosed fee.

He had been given permission to find himself a new club after Harrogate moved to bring in Mark Oxley and handed the ex-Southend United custodian the number one jersey.

Belshaw subsequently went on to help the Gas earn promotion back to League One, establishing himself as their first-choice keeper and winning their 2021/22 player of the season award.

Then, in December 2023, with Town in the midst of a goalkeeping crisis, he rejoined the club, initially on a seven-day emergency loan.

That move was made permanent once the January window opened and Belshaw has been almost ever-present since.

"He has played so many games that his deal has been triggered for next year, so that’s wonderful news for the team and the club and long may it continue,” boss Weaver told BBC Radio York following Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Wimbledon.

"I’m very happy indeed. He is a great lad, we get on really well and go back a long way – and he has been brilliant.

"That save [at Wimbledon] was awe-inspiring. He is at the peak of his powers.”

Belshaw made 184 appearances during his first spell with Town, keeping 58 clean-sheets and chipping in with no fewer than five assists.

He has played 72 times since returning in late 2023, with 46 of those appearances coming this term and including each and every one of the club’s 41 League Two fixtures.

In total, he has featured in 256 competitive matches for Harrogate, managing 79 clean-sheets.