Hollands & Blair unveil Scott Porter as their new manager

HOLLANDS & BLAIR appointed Scott Porter as their new manager last night.

The club parted company with Simon Halsey on Wednesday 3 November and have turned to the former Hythe Town, Whitstable Town and Hawkinge Town manager.

“Having played for the likes of Folkestone Invicta, Lydd Town and Hythe Town, it was with the Cannons that he began his managerial career when stepping up from assistant manager to replace Paul Fisk in April 2009,” said a club statement.

“While he was in charge at Reachfields, Hythe won promotion from the Kent League, lifted the Kent Senior Trophy and reached the First Round of The FA Cup.

“He finally departed in May 2014 unhappy on budget constrains placed upon him.

“In March 2016 he replaced Ian Cox as manager at Whitstable Town and eventually moved upstairs into a director of football role just over three years later.

“However he decided to return to the dugout in October 2019 when taking charge of home-town club Hawkinge Town of the Kent County League Premier Division but decided to leave just last month.”

Porter’s first game in charge of the Gillingham-based club will be after their trip to fifth-placed Deal Town on Saturday.  Porter is renowned for playing a direct brand of football.

Hollands & Blair are in fifteenth-place (bottom six) in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table, with a playing record of four wins and two draws from 16 games.

Chairman Paul Piggott was in temporary charge of Blair’s 4-2 defeat at Crowborough Athletic last Saturday and will continue at Deal Town on Saturday.

Porter has appointed the same management team that he had at Isthmian League South East Division side Whitstable Town.

Mark Lane has just left the Oystermen to become Porter’s assistant manager and coaching the side will be Darren Anslow and Bob Reardon.

Sam Clark-Keen will be Porter’s analyst, while Becky Stone will continue to be be Blair’s physio.

Anslow was Epsom & Ewell’s manager for only 16 days earlier on in the season before leaving the Combined Counties League First Division side.

Visit Hollands & Blair’s website: www.hollandsandblair.co.uk