We want to move forward after the success of last year, says Hythe Town boss Scott Porter

HYTHE TOWN boss Scott Porter has today unveiled Craig Cloke as his first summer signing on a one-year contract.



Hythe Town finished their inaugural Ryman League Division One South campaign in a respectable eighth-place and they stunned Conference Premier and Conference South sides in the shape of Ebbsfleet United, Dover Athletic and Dartford to win the Kent Senior Cup for the first time.

Cloke spent nine years with Dover Athletic, where he started off in the club’s youth programme, before captaining the reserves before making his first team debut in 2001.

He won all four of the club’s player-of-the-year awards at the end of the 2004-05 season.

But injuries curtailed his promising career between 2008 and 2009, but he made his return to action while on loan at Ryman League Division One South outfit Ashford Town in February 2010.

Cloke opted to leave his beloved Dover Athletic to sign for Ryman Premier League side Margate in the summer 2010 and he made a total of 71 appearances, scoring 10 goals, for the Hartsdown Park club.

Cloke, 27, was one of three players to leave Margate last week.  Defender Dean Hill has re-signed for Ramsgate and former Sittingbourne striker, Tom Bradbrook, has teamed up with his former manager Richard Brady at Leatherhead.

Porter spoke of his delight of bringing Cloke to the club, before the squad jetted off for a three-day break in Ibiza.

He said: “We had two in mind and Craig was one of them.  I met up with him a couple of times and he’s signed a one-year deal yesterday on contract so I’m delighted to have him on board and it’s a great signing for the club.”

Porter says he wants to build on the club’s fine showing in their first season in the Ryman League.

He said: “It proves we want to move forward after the success of last year.  Bringing someone from the Ryman Premier League – he’s won a lot of things at this level – is important to us.

“He’s got a lot of experience, goals at one end and obviously his quality defending at the other end. He can play at a number of positions. He’s a good lad in the changing room, he’s a bubbly character and he’s impressed with what he’s seen and we’re delighted to have him on board.

“We want to build on what we done last year and it’s important we go that way.  We don’t want to step back. As a manager and the club want to move forward and Craig is one of the first people we’ve wanted for a while and we’ve got him here so I’m delighted.”

Porter also revealed that Nick Reeves, Nick Barnes, Taser Hassan and Ronnie Dolan have all signed one-year contracts to stay at Reachfields Stadium.

He added:  “I’ve secured the majority of the squad.  I’ve got five on contract but everyone I want to stay is staying and we’re building on what we done last year.

“We want to add one more and build on what we’ve done.  The lads have got us where we are and it only needs two to push on, to improve it.  Craig is one of them.  If I can get someone else we’re finished.”

Porter knows his side can push on further next season.

“We’re looking forward to it. We want to do the best we can, but you have to get the experience and better quality players in to push that way,” he said.

“Obviously we’ve done that with Craig, but we want to have one more in and then we’ll be done and dusted.”

Visit Hythe Town’s website: www.hythetownfc.co.uk