Former Players

[JimGNFC]

Anyone else notice that Portway has decided to call it a day?

 

http://www.thenon-leaguepaper.com/news/index.php?&newsmode=FULL&nid=10869

 

Portway in his prime was by far the best striker I have seen in non-league football, although Micky Cotter's tireless running certainly helped him get the number of goals that he did.

 

Even now, I can remember the radio-waves buzzing with news of Portway putting us a goal up at Leyton Orient in the FA Cup. This was when there was a lot of hype about him going to Charlton.

 

Never really understood why he chose to go to Gloucester City. They were ambitious at the time but surely League Clubs aside from Charlton were interested in him. There were rumours at the time that the G&N board wanted a £100,000 for him before they would let him go to a league club - so never really understood why he was sold for JUST £17,500 to Gloucester.

 

As for more recent players, Aaron Barnett has signed for Bishop Stortford:

 

http://www.thenon-leaguepaper.com/news/index.php?&newsmode=FULL&nid=10904

[Loyal GNFC]

Its a pity about Portway. He was indeed quality. Equally surprised there were no moves from other league sides.

 

Didn't he have a bad injury with his sight? Maybe this affected him?

 

Cotter was a big hearted player and important for the Fleet, weren't sure about his hairdo!

[JimGNFC]

He sustained the eye injury playing for Gloucester after only a handful of games I believe.

 

During his second spell with the "Fleet" I always felt his reactions in front of goal were not quite as sharp for obvious reasons.

 

It would have been interesting to see how many goals he would have scored at a higher level of football. Most of his goals, including those with the Fleet were scored at the Dr. Martins Eastern League level.

 

With defences being tighter at Conference level he may have scored less goals but given the fact he only needed the 1 chance to put the ball in the back of the net I reckon he would have got 30+ goals for us last season in his prime.

That would have put us in the play-offs at least!

 

[Student Scum]

Quote:

He sustained the eye injury playing for Gloucester after only a handful of games I believe

True, it was a detached retina.

Cracking player, nice bloke too.