Like short-term signing Paul Shepherd, he joins a Scarborough team struggling against relegation to the Unibond League. Shepherd is reportedly doing well at sweeper and there is hope for the Yorkshiremen – where Andy Ritchie and Mick Wadsworth are former coaches – as Hotte is one of seven new signings. Bradford-born Hotte, who joined Athletic as a 14-year-old, was under contract to June, 2003, but the agreement was cancelled by mutual consent.
His initial deal with Scarborough, which will probably be extended, is to the end of this season. In all, his Boundary Park career lasted 74 games, starting with a belated league debut in late 1999. Ben Futcher also dropped into the Conference when he moved to Stalybridge and, in the next few weeks, both will be come up against Steve Whitehall, the ex-Latics striker now with Southport.