Morecambe FC have made eight signings ahead of the troubled club’s belated season opener against Altrincham tomorrow (Saturday 23rd August).
Archie Mair, Ludwig Francillette, Ben Williams, Jake Cain and Alie Sesay all put pen to paper as new boss Ashvir Singh Johal, who was appointed as English professional football’s first Sikh manager, as well as the youngest in the top five divisions, following the eventual completion of Panjab Warriors’ protracted takeover last weekend, and the subsequent lifting of the transfer embargo on the club on Wednesday.
Keeper Mair is well known to Morecambe fans, having played 21 times for the Shrimps after joining on loan from Norwich City in the second half of the 2023/24 season.
That was one of seven loan moves Mair had away from Norwich, who released him at the end of last season on expiry of his contract.
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Johal said: “Archie was our number one target as a goalkeeper, we were eager to get him in the building and he’s excited to get going. He’s a young goalkeeper but the experience he’s had will help shape the mentality we have here. He will use this opportunity to springboard his career and, if he can help the club back to where it needs to get to, that will help him take his career to the next level. His skillset is outstanding, the way he plays with the ball at his feet is a perfect fit for how we want the team to play.”
Francillette started his career with Dijon FCO before joining AS Quetigny Football, where he was spotted by Newcastle United. The Guadeloupe-born central defender joined their U23 set-up in the summer of 2019, leaving two years later to join Crawley Town before another two-year spell with Eastleigh.
Williams joins the Shrimps following spells with Barnsley, Cheltenham Town and Carlisle United, who he left in January this year. The left-back’s career began with Blackburn Rovers and also included a loan spell with the Morecambe academy in 2015.
Midfielder Cain (23) has moved to Morecambe after being released by Swindon Town at the end of last season. He came through the ranks at Liverpool, making one FA Cup appearance and featuring five times in their EFL Trophy campaigns. After a season-long loan with Newport County AFC in 2021/22, he joined Swindon in January 2023 with 66 matches and three goals in that time.
Sesay (31) is a Sierra Leone international defender who has played in a variety of countries. A former Arsenal academy youngster, he had three years with Leicester City which brought loan moves to Colchester United and Cambridge United before joining Barnet permanently in January 2016. He played 20 times in all competitions for them before plying his trade for clubs in Sweden, Greece, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Moving in the other direction, teenage striker Billy Whaite who has left Morecambe to join Blackpool. The 17-year-old Blackpool fan, who made his senior debut against Salford City last season, has signed a three-year deal with the Seasiders and will initially join up with their U18 squad.
Whaite told Blackpool’s website: “To be able to play for the club you support is a great feeling and I can’t wait to get started. ]Me and my family are season ticket holders, so hopefully I can work my way up and go from being in the stands to the pitch.”
