23rdjune03

DR MARTENS LEAGUE NEWS:

PROLIFIC PORTWAY CALLS IT A DAY
www.nonleaguedaily.com

One of the most prolific goalscorers in non-League football in recent years, Steve Portway, has decided to hang up his boots.

Like many good strikers, Portway has enjoyed a well-travelled career in non-League football. He spent his early days with Dagenham, Walthamstow Avenue, Bishop`s Stortford, Brentwood, Witham and Boreham Wood but really began to attract attention as a goalscorer after joining Barking.

He then broke all sorts of records for Gravesend & Northfleet which eventually earned a £17,500 transfer to then league rivals Gloucester City in 1994.

Sadly, a career-threatening eye injury suffered against Rushden & Diamonds severely restricted his spell at Meadow Park.

However, he made a successful comeback with Romford and then had spells with Purfleet, Collier Row, Erith & Belvedere, Gravesend again, Billericay Town, Fisher Athletic and Chelmsford City.

He-joined Fisher at the start of the 2001/02 season and then switched to Dr Martens Eastern rivals Tonbridge Angels in August 2002, moving on again in January 2003, this time to Heybridge Swifts, but returned to Erith, where he ended his career, two months later.

Undoubtedly Portway's eye injury affected him badly, but he still scored bucket loads of goals afterwards, but many thought he would have scored just as many at Conference level - something he was never to do because of his restrictive vision.

No doubt Dr Martens Eastern Division defenders will be extremely pleased to see the back of Steve Portway but non-League football will be poorer without him.