423 Trevor Porteous

Biography

Trevor Porteous was a wing-half that attended Endike High School in Hull and won two caps for Yorkshire’s county football side during the 1948/49 season. He joined Hull City on apprentice terms during the summer of 1949 and was soon pushing for a place in the Midland League Reserves side. Trevor signed professional terms in October 1950 a few weeks after he had made his Reserves debut, making his mark at the club as it rebuilt its squads following the end of Second World War.

Porteous made his first team debut a year later in October 1951, a few days after his 18th birthday, and was a dutiful reserve for three seasons as he combined his National Service duties to the Royal Armoured Corps with first team appearances when injury and suspension required it. He scored his first, and only, goal for the Tigers against Luton Town in October 1953, during a spell when he played both for the Tigers and for various Army representative sides. He left the Army in January 1054 and in the 1954/55 season Porteous got a regular first team start, finding his place in an emerging Tigers side that would mostly stay together as a unit for several seasons. Alas during the 1955/56 season Porteous was again on the fringes of the first team and after seven years’ service to his local club he moved on in June 1956.

In June 1956 Trevor, still just 22 years of age, joined Division Three North side Stockport County for a £1,500 fee. He quickly established himself as the Hatters’ first choice right half and was a key part of the Edgeley Park side for nine seasons as they hovered around the lower half of the Division Three North table and, from the 1958/59 season, the Division Four table. Trevor had to wait two and a half seasons for his first Stockport County goal, netting against Halifax Town in November 1958, and between the 1958/59 and 1962/63 seasons he was an ever-present in three of four seasons. In his later years at Stockport he reverted to right back and made his last appearance for the side in April 1965, by which time he had scored nine goals for Stockport County in 365 appearances.

In July 1963 Stockport County manager Reg Flewin made a surprise departure from the club and Porteous took temporary charge of first team training during the vital pre-season period – Trevor had been on a part-time contract at Stockport for two seasons while working as a physical training instructor at a local Stockport school, so his transition to first team coach was manageable. By September 1963 he had relinquished his teaching role and was appointed full-time player-manager at Stockport County, a role he maintained for two years. In the 1964/65 season Porteous piloted his side to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup, earning a lucrative replay against top flight side Liverpool despite his side propping up the Division Four table.

Having hung up his boots in the 1965 close season to focus on his managerial duties, Porteous was awarded a testimonial match against Division One side Stoke City in October 1965. Two weeks after his testimonial in late October 1965, after 115 matches in charge, Porteous resigned from his manager’s post after his role was reduced to administrative duties with first team selection decisions made by German former Cup Final goalkeeper Bret Trautmann – Trautmann took over the manager’s reins when Porteous departed.

In November 1965, a month after his departure from Stockport, Trevor was appointed first team coach at Division Four side Crewe Alexandra. Just two months later in January 1966 Porteous was offered the assistant manager job at ambitious Division Three side Oldham Athletic, a club that had recently been acquired by millionaire business and future Chelsea owner Ken Bates, however when Bates appointed a new first team manager Trevor decided against the move and remained at Crewe. In November 1966, after swallowing of a modicum of pride, Trevor returned to Stockport County where he was appointed assistant manager to newly appointed manager Jimmy Meadows. He remained in this job for nearly three years until being sacked in October 1969, shortly after Meadows had left the club.

Porteous stayed in Stockport after his football management career ended and became the Hatters’ social club manager while also treating injured players and establishing the Ex-Players Association, extending his association with the club to over 40 years and being regarded as “Mr Stockport County”. When the inaugural Hatters Hall of Fame was drawn up, Porteous was a first selection. In May 1997 he died of a heart attack during a bowling match at the tender age of 63.

Details

Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 9 October 1933, Hull
Hull City First Game: 27 October 1951, Rotherham United H (Division Two), 18 years, 18 days old
Hull City Final Game: 3 March 1956, Swansea Town H (Division Two), 22 years, 146 days old

Clubs

Hull City (1949-1956), Stockport County (1956-1965)

Hull City Record

Career: 63 apps, 1 goals