25th December 1946

East Ham, London

Goalkeeper

Goalkeeper Derek Bellotti, formerly with Gillingham, Charlton Athletic, Southend United and Swansea City, once helped out City's 'A' team at the age of forty-two in 1989. Both his son Ross and grandson Jack were later with the club as trainees.   

An East Londoner, he became an apprentice with Queens Park Rangers in September 1963 and spent time on loan with Bedford Town before joining Gillingham in 1966 where he made 35 league appearances. Transferred to Charlton Athletic for £5,000 in October 1970, Derek enjoyed 14 league outings during his time at the Valley prior to spending three seasons with Southend United for whom he appeared on 74 occasions in the Football League. 

After a solitary season with Swansea City (19 league games) in 1974/75, he was back in the South East until the late 1970s appearing for Maidstone United and Margate. Derek then relocated to South Devon to open a printing business and, after a spell with St Blazey, was non-contract goalkeeping cover for Vince O'Keefe at Torquay United during the 1980/81 season without playing. He then had seven or eight seasons appearing for the likes of Falmouth, Bideford, Saltash and Newquay.

At Torrington during 1988/89 as player-assistant manager - and available for dual-registration - he received a call in April 1989 to turn out for Exeter City's 'A' in the Devon and Exeter League against Torquay team Chelston. He was 42 at the time.

With an 11-year-old son as an aspiring goalkeeper at the time, Derek wasn't to know that a second member of the family was to take up position between the sticks for Exeter City as the now 16-year-old Ross did in 1994. Nor that grandson Jack, an outfield player, would become a scholar/trainee in 2025.

Meanwhile Derek's goalkeeping career wasn't quite finished. With Ross moving into non-league football after leaving St James' Park, he was injured playing for Ilfracombe Town and it was his father Derek - just short of turning fifty-one - who steppped into the breach for the North Devon club. 

He continued to run Kingfisher Print & Design in Totnes for many years before son Ross took over as managing director.