Porter
brings a wealth of managerial experience with him, having managed at Hythe Town
for five years, where he took the club from the Kent League to the BetVictor Isthmian
League South, as well as achieving an incredible journey in the FA Cup First Round
proper in 2010, where they played then-League side Hereford United – becoming the
first Kent League club to reach that stage of the competition for 53 years.
Following
that cup run, Hythe sealed the Kent League title and with it promotion to the Isthmian
South, where they finished a respectable eighth-place in their debut season.
Porter
also won the Kent Senior Cup by winning at Dartford, after causing upsets
against Ebbsfleet United and Dover Athletic en-route to winning the showpiece final
at Princes Park.
Hythe
finished in the play-off zone by finishing in fourth-place in 2013 and secured
a top eight finish in his last season in charge of the club in 2014.
Porter
followed this achievement by taking over the reins at Whitstable Town in 2016,
where he again won promotion to the Isthmian League South and also won the Kent
Senior Cup and Kent League Cup.
More
recently he moved to the director of football role but wanted to test himself
once again in the dug-out.
Welford (pictured) and Porter were together at Hythe and Whitstable, with the veteran 39-year-old
striker also having had spells with Dover Athletic, Ramsgate, Margate,
Maidstone United, Ashford United and Corinthian. |