Andy Porter (footballer)

Football player infobox


playername = Andy Porter
fullname = Andrew Michael Porter
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1968|9|17|mf=y
cityofbirth = Holmes Chapel
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height = height|ft=5|in=9
currentclub = Port Vale (caretaker-manager)
clubnumber =
position = Midfielder (retired)
youthyears = 1985-1987
youthclubs = Port Vale
years = 1986-1998
1998-2000
1999
2000
2000-2002
2002
2002-2003
2004-2006
clubs = Port Vale
Wigan Athletic
→ Mansfield Town (loan)
→ Chester City (loan)
Chester City
→ Northwich Victoria (loan)
Kidsgrove Athletic
Port Vale
caps(goals) = 357 (22)
021 0(1)
005 0(0)
016 0(0)
038 0(4)
009 0(0)
00? 0(?)
004 0(0)
manageryears = 2001-2002
2002-2003
2008
managerclubs = Chester City (caretaker)
Kidsgrove Athletic
Port Vale (caretaker)

Andrew Michael Porter (born September 17 1968, Holmes Chapel) is an English former professional footballer whose playing career spanned from 1986 to 2006, as he came out of retirement in emergency on several occasions with former club Port Vale, for whom he is currently co-caretaker manager alongside Dean Glover.

The first Vale spell

The son of a farmer, midfielder Porter joined Port Vale as a youngster and made his Football League debut for the Valiants in December 1986. It marked the beginning of a long association with the Vale Park club, as more than 350 Football League appearances were made before he departed for Wigan Athletic in July 1998. His spell with Vale had been one of the most successful the club had enjoyed for many years, including appearances at Wembley Stadium, FA Cup giantkilling acts and twice winning promotion to the second tier of English football. He enjoyed a testimonial match against Derby County in 1996.

Moving on

Porter struggled to establish himself with Wigan and spent time on loan with Mansfield Town in October 1999 before ending the season on loan with Chester City, but he was unable to help them avoid relegation to the Nationwide Conference. In October 2000 he joined Chester on a permanent basis and helped the club win the Nationwide Variety Club Trophy at the end of the season. In December 2001, Porter was named as part of the club's caretaker-managerial team that helped defeat Hayes 3-1 to help Chester in their fight for Nationwide Conference survival.

Despite Porter scoring a winning penalty against Barnet the following month, he was soon deemed surplus to requirements by manager Mark Wright and spent time on loan with Northwich Victoria.

Back to Vale

After a spell as player-manager with Kidsgrove Athletic, Porter returned to Port Vale as a youth coach. In December 2004, Porter made an unlikely playing comeback when he replaced Levi Reid early in Vale's 3-1 win over Tranmere Rovers. Over the next two seasons he made three more Football League appearances and enjoyed two FA Cup outings under his former team-mate Martin Foyle.

Youth-team manager

After these brief cameos Porter settled down to his duties as youth coach and achieved a large amount of success with the youth team in 2007 and 2008. In the summer of 2007 the youth team entered the prestigious Irish youth tournament the Foyle Cup, beating their Bournemouth compatriots 1-0 in the u-18s final to claim the trophy. Porter also steered the team to a club record quarter final appearance in the FA Youth Cup beating Premiership Academy sides Bolton Wanderers (3-2 at the Reebok Stadium) and Tottenham Hotspur (1-0 at Vale Park) on the way, before losing to eventual finalists Chelsea 2-5. Ironically the previous club record had been set by previous youth coach and Porter's former teammate Martin Foyle 4 years beforehand.Porter's charges then won the Midland Youth Cup for the first time in many a year beating Lincoln City 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Sincil Bank. Porter had also taken charge of the reserve side for the majority of the 2007-08 season, the team was made up of a combination of first team fringe players and youth teamers and despite the first teams poor season managed to finish 2nd in the Pontins League Midland Division in front of several so-called 'bigger clubs' and clubs that have youth academy status. It is now hoped that many of the players developed by Porter in the youth team can make an impact in Lee Sinnott's first team with several being handed pro-contracts for the 2008-09 season.

Managerial honours

Port Vale Youth Team 2004-

*Foyle Cup Under-18s
**Winners (1): 2007

*Midland Youth Cup
**Winners (1): 2007-08

*Shrewsbury International Soccer Tournament Under-18s
**Winners (1): 2008

External links

*soccerbase|id=6414
* [http://www.port-vale.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10381~1289765,00.html Midland Youth Cup Final] port-vale.premiumtv.co.uk
* [http://www.port-vale.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10381~1295646,00.html Port Vale Official Site Article] port-vale.premiumtv.co.uk
* [http://www.soccerscene.ie/p2330.html Foyle Cup Results 2007] soccerscene.ie