Whitstable Town turn to Scott Porter to keep them in the Ryman League

WHITSTABLE TOWN have appointed Scott Porter as their new manager until the end of the season.

The Oystermen are rooted to the foot of the Ryman League Division One South table, having won four and drawn two of their 37 games.

They travel to eighteenth-placed Walton Casuals tonight (at Merstham FC) 16 points adrift from safety with nine league games left to play.

Whitstable Town chairman Adam Lopez-Lightowler issued a statement on the club’s website www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk  saying that he hopes Porter can hit the ground running and keep the club in the Ryman League.

He said: “We are pleased to confirm that we have appointed Scott Porter as first team manager to the end of the season.

“This is as a result of Whitstable Town’s desire to finish the season strongly and not losing sight of the fact that we as a club want to do all we can to stay in the Ryman South, which we feel is where we belong.

“As mentioned previously we have a long term development plan that we are implementing but our current objective is to get as many points on the board as we can.

“All the team and members are supportive of this decision for the remaining games of the season and again ask that our supporters join us to do the same.”

Porter, 36, who lives in Folkestone, enjoyed many good times while in charge at Hythe Town.

He guided the club to The FA Cup First Round in November 2010, losing 5-1 away to League Two side Hereford United, the first Kent League club to reach that stage of the competition for 53 years.

That Cup run galvanised the club and they sealed the Kent League title at the end of that season, taking their place in the Ryman League Division One South, where they finished a respectable eighth-place in their debut season.

Porter also clinched 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 Town 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.

Tommy Warrilow kept Cray Wanderers in the Ryman League after winning a club record ten wins on the spin at the end of last season.

Visit Whitstable Town’s website: www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk

STORY UPDATE:
Tonight's match between Walton Casuals and Whitstable Town was postponed at 14:15 due to a waterlogged pitch at Merstham's ground.