Date / Year of birth: 29th October 1974

Position: Centre-back / Right-back

Season of first appearance: 1999/00

Season of last appearance: 2003/04

Also played for: Maidstone United (0), Millwall (0), Horsham, Erith & Belvedere, Dover Athletic, Ashford Town, Gravesend & Northfleet, Maidenhead United, Heybridge Swifts, Hythe Town, Larkfield & New Hythe Wanders and APM Contrast

Solid Maidstone-born defender who started his career as a YTS player with his hometown club at a time when they were in the Football League. Graham was in Maidstone's youth team during the 1991/92 season and scored a hat-trick for them in a 7-0 win over Luton on 24.8.91. He played alongside future Ireland international Gary Breen before the Stones folded at the start of the 1992/93 campaign.

Graham spent the rest of 1992/93 at Millwall where he played with future internationals Ben Thatcher and Mark Kennedy but he picked up a bad groin injury which kept him out of action for four months and ended any hopes of a professional contract.

Having regained his fitness Graham moved into non-league football and joined Horsham for the 1993/94 season. He spent 1994/95 there too before moving on to Erith & Belvedere in the summer of 1995.

Graham went on to make 54 appearances for the Deres (three as sub) and also had a short spell with Dover before joining Ashford for the 1997/98 campaign.

He became a popular player at Ashford and on 8.9.98 he scored an extra time winner as they beat Margate 2-1 in an FA Cup replay at Hartsdown Park. Earlier in the game Margate's Phil Collins had been sent off after a clash with Graham. He scored ten goals in 72 appearances for Ashford before signing for Margate in July 1999. Manager Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "he's skilful and reads the game well". Graham was a fireman at the time.

He initially struggled to break into Margate's defence at the start of the 1999/00 campaign with Bill Edwards, Iain O'Connell and Tony Dixon well established but after being an unused substitute for the first four games Graham finally made his debut as a substitute in a 3-2 home win over Ilkeston on 28.8.99. In Margate's next game - a 0-0 draw at Cambridge City on 30.8.99 - O'Connell went off injured and Graham replaced him on the day before taking over the number five shirt for a 3-1 defeat at Newport on 4.9.99. He was a fixture in the side from then on and on 11.9.99 Graham scored his first goal for the club with a late header that gave Margate a 2-1 win over Clevedon at Hartsdown Park. He was on target again in a 3-0 win at Taunton in an FA Cup tie on 2.10.99 but on 2.11.99 Graham headed past his own keeper Lee Turner in a 3-2 home win over Tonbridge in the Kent Senior Cup.

As the season progressed he became a key figure in the heart of Margate's defence and captained the side when Tony Dixon didn't play. Graham was always a threat from set pieces and on 1.2.00 he scored his third goal of the campaign in a 5-2 win at Fleet. Graham followed that with another goal in Margate's next match at home to Boston on 5.2.00 - securing a 2-1 win against the Southern League Premier Division's runaway leaders with a deft header from a Paul Lamb free-kick. He then missed four of the next five games due to a finger injury but immediately regained his place when he was fit again and on 18.4.00 Graham took five minutes to recover after being punched during a 2-0 win at Rothwell. The home side's Wayne Morris was sent off for the assault. As the season drew to a close Graham scored back-to-back goals in a 2-0 win over Salisbury at Hartsdown Park on 24.4.00 and a 4-0 win at Gloucester on 29.4.00 to take his tally for the campaign to six. He made a total of 45 appearances (two as sub) and the Thanet Times said he'd been a "consistent performer" throughout the season.

Graham became Margate's full-time captain for the 2000/01 campaign following the retirement of Tony Dixon but after playing in the opening game of the new season he had to sit out the next two matches due to suspension. Graham returned to the side for a 5-0 thrashing of Fisher at Hartsdown Park on 28.8.00 and played at right-back. He made the number two shirt his own after that and on 19.9.00 Graham headed his first goal of the campaign in a 5-0 home win over Welling. In October 2000 he signed a new three-year contract and on 4.11.00 Graham scored with another header as Margate beat visitors King's Lynn 3-1. He was chosen to play for the Southern League against an FA X1 on 21.11.00 along with several other Margate players but the game was called off.

The Thanet Times said that Graham was "virtually faultless" in a famous 2-1 win at Woking in the FA Trophy on 13.1.01 and the paper then said he was "impressive" during a 2-1 win at Clevedon on 21.4.01 as Margate closed in on the Southern League Premier Division title. On 1.5.01 Graham lifted the huge wooden shield awarded to the Southern League winners after a 0-0 draw with Newport at Hartsdown Park sealed Margate's triumph and promotion to the Conference. He'd made 47 appearances (one as sub) and scored three goals during the season.

Graham retained the captaincy for the 2001/02 campaign and on 18.8.01 he was part of the Margate side that won 1-0 at Boston in the club's first-ever Conference game. He played as a centre-back and continued in the number six shirt for the rest of the season. The Thanet Times said Graham was "quick thinking" during a 2-2 draw at Stalybridge on 22.9.01 and "faultless at the back all afternoon" as Margate lost 1-0 at home to Barnet on 29.9.01. That was his 13th consecutive start but Graham then had to serve a one match ban. He didn't miss another game until sitting out a Kent Senior Cup tie against Bromley on 13.11.01 due to another ban and on 20.11.01 Graham played for an FA X1 against a Southern League X1 at Crawley in what was effectively a trial for the England semi-professional team. He continued to fall foul of referees on a regular basis and in December 2001 Graham was suspended for two matches after reaching the yellow card limit once more.

He started 2002 in good form and The Non-League Paper said he "marshaled the defence well" as Margate beat Leigh 2-0 at Hartsdown Park in an FA Trophy tie on 2.2.02 whilst the Thanet Times praised an "excellent show" from Graham in its report on a 4-3 win over visitors Woking on 9.3.02. The paper credited him with keeping Woking's big money signing, and future Margate striker, Warren Patmore quiet. On 12.3.02 Graham suffered a head injury that required ten stitches as Margate won 4-2 at Hayes and he missed the next two games. He returned to the side for a home match with Southport in the Conference on 23.3.02 and scored in a 2-0 win. The Thanet Extra said Graham's goal - his first of the season - was a "deserved reward...for consistently solid performances" whilst the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he was "immense at the back". In its report on a 1-1 draw at Northwich on 30.3.02 the Thanet Times described Graham as "ever-trusty" and on 18.4.02 he scored Margate's goal in a 1-1 draw with Morecambe at Hartsdown Park. Graham also picked up his 13th Conference booking that night. He made his last appearance of the campaign in a 5-0 win over visitors Ashford in the Kent Senior Cup semi-final on 23.4.02 and Graham then missed Margate's last two games through suspension. He made a total of 45 appearances and scored twice during the season.

Graham was suspended for the first two games of the 2002/03 campaign, Margate's second in the Conference, before returning as captain in a 1-0 defeat at Northwich on 24.8.02. He had to settle for substitute appearances in the next two matches but Graham then returned to the starting line-up as Margate drew 2-2 with Barnet at their adopted home in Dover on 3.9.02. He played regularly again after that and the Isle of Thanet Gazette praised him for keeping expensive striker Warren Patmore quiet as Margate won 5-1 at Woking on 17.9.02. The Thanet Times said Graham was "ever-dependable" in its report on a 2-1 win over Doncaster at Dover on 21.9.02 but on 8.10.02 he was sent off in the dying minutes of a 4-1 defeat at Farnborough after picking up two bookings. After serving a one match ban Graham returned as a substitute in a 3-2 defeat at Scarborough on 2.11.02 and then resumed his captaincy duties for a 1-1 draw with Telford at Dover on 9.11.02. On 16.11.02 he played in a 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient in the 1st Round Proper of the FA Cup and Graham also featured in the replay at Dover on 26.11.02. Margate won 1-0 and The Sun said the side were "superbly marshalled by their skipper - firefighter Graham Porter".

He was taking part in the national fireman's strike at the time and on 5.12.02 the Daily Telegraph ran an article about Graham ahead of Margate's FA Cup 2nd Round tie against Cardiff at Dover on 7.12.02. The piece began "The best of times are also the worst of times for Margate's captain, Graham Porter. The Kent club are enjoying their best FA Cup run for 30 years but for Porter, a fireman in the county, it has come against the bitter backcloth of the Fire Brigades Union's strike action". The paper said Graham had "been forced to juggle the Cup limelight with picketing duty outside Medway Fire Station, in Gillingham" and he said "None of us wanted to go on strike, we were drawn into the dispute. We believe we are doing it for the right reasons, though it is not something we are enjoying. It is a horrible time, really, and it has made things a little bit hard, though playing football has helped, especially with us doing so well in the Cup".

Margate lost the Cardiff game 3-0 and after that Graham missed two matches before returning to the heart of the defence for a 2-2 draw with Kettering at Hartsdown Park on 28.12.02. On 1.1.03 he scored in a 4-2 win over Gravesend & Northfleet at Hartsdown but on 21.1.03 Graham was sent off five minutes from the end of the return game at Gravesend that Margate won 2-1. He received his marching orders for picking up two yellow cards and in February 2003 Graham had to serve a two match ban. He returned to the side in a 1-0 win at Barnet on 15.2.03 and then played twice more but after a 2-1 win over Woking at Dover on 1.3.03 Graham missed three games in the aftermath of his wife giving birth to his daughter.

After coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat against Yeovil on 22.3.03 Graham returned to the starting line-up for the last nine matches of the campaign and finished the season by playing as Margate won 2-1 at Welling on 30.4.03 to claim the Kent Senior Cup. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said his performance was "impressive". Graham made a total of 42 appearances (five as sub) and scored once during 2002/03.

In June 2003 he signed a new contract and Graham was Margate's captain once again for the 2003/04 season. In his second outing of the campaign on 12.8.03 he was sent off as Margate lost 2-1 to Aldershot in a Conference game at Dover. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said Graham could have "few complaints after his match-long feud with Fiston Manuella ended with the gangly Shots midfielder taking a whack just under the eye". After a 4-1 defeat against Stevenage at Dover on 25.8.03 Graham served a three match ban before featuring in a 1-0 win at Halifax on 20.9.03. The Thanet Times said he "impressed on his return from suspension".

For the next few months Graham was a fixture in the Margate side and on 4.10.03 he scored his first goal of the season in a 1-1 draw at Telford. The Thanet Times said he "had a fine game marshalling the defence" in a 2-0 win over Leigh at Dover on 11.10.03 and on 15.11.03 Graham was on the scoresheet as Margate lost 2-1 at Hereford.

As January 2004 drew to a close he fell out of favour and after playing in a 3-1 defeat at Barnet on 24.1.04 Graham was used as a substitute in Margate's next five matches. He returned to the starting line-up in a 4-2 defeat at Leigh on 28.2.04 and then played regularly again until the end of the season. On 23.3.04 Graham scored with a diving header in a 3-1 win at Dover in the Kent Senior Cup semi-final and the Thanet Times' report on a 3-0 win over Farnborough at Dover on 3.4.04 said he'd been "impressive in the unaccustomed role of left wing-back".

Graham scored twice in a 3-2 win over Tamworth at Dover on 10.4.04 and the Thanet Times said he he'd "hit a purple patch despite moving to left wing-back after struggling through the first half of the season". The paper said his second goal as "brilliant" and described how Graham picked the ball up on the left, just inside the Tamworth half, and then ran on before cutting inside and crashing home a dipping 25-yarder. He was also on target in Margate's next game - a 2-1 defeat at Stevenage on 12.4.04 - and Graham then captained the side that won 2-1 at Folkestone on 28.4.04 to retain the Kent Senior Cup in the last game of the season. In its round-up of the campaign the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he'd "put a disappointing first half of the season behind him with some superb displays near the end, even when forced to play at left wing-back". Graham had scored six times in 46 appearances (five as sub) and in all had played over 200 games for Margate.

In May 2004 his contract expired and Graham joined Conference club Gravesend & Northfleet along with Jay Saunders as uncertainty about which league Margate would play in during 2004/05 abounded. Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "It's hypothetical whether I would have liked them to stay or not - I knew they were going to go before the last game."

Graham's time with Gravesend was blighted by injuries and he missed much of the 2004/05 season. He was still struggling for fitness during 2005/06 and in January 2006 he was loaned to Conference South club Maidenhead United.

After a month at Maidenhead Graham returned to Stonebridge Road but then went to Heybridge on loan almost immediately. Unfortunately he picked up a season-ending injury there and went back to Gravesend.

In March 2006 Graham's Fleet contract was terminated by mutual consent as he decided to take some time out of football to get fully fit. He'd made a total of just 25 appearances (one as sub) in nearly two years with the club.

Graham rejoined Ashford in August 2006 and after missing most of the first half of the 2006/07 campaign through injury he had a run in the side towards the end of the season. He made 12 Isthmian League appearances without scoring and managed to get himself sent off in a 2-1 defeat at Horsham YMCA on 27.3.07.

Graham made three more appearances for Ashford at the start of the 2007/08 campaign before being released in November 2007 shortly after Steve Lovell took over as manager. Striker Adrian Stone also left at the same time. Lovell said "They are both great lads but they aren't fit enough to play and that is no good to anyone."

After almost two years out of football Graham made a comeback when he joined Kent League club Hythe in the summer of 2009 but although he was on the subs bench a few times and played in a friendly against Canterbury in November 2009 he didn't make a competitive appearance. Graham left the club towards the end of the year.

He spent the remainder of the 2009/10 season with Larkfield & New Hythe Wanderers in the Kent County League and scored twice in 16 outings for them.

Graham then joined Aylesford-based APM Contrast for the 2010/11 campaign. They finished second in Division 1 East of the Kent County League and Graham scored twice from 17 appearances. He was still playing regularly for APM in the Premier Division during the 2011/12 campaign at the age of 37 and captained the side. At the start of May 2012 APM's manager Kris Browning spoke to the Kentishfootball website about Graham and said "The experience he's got and the appetite for the game he's got is superb. To have him at the club is just a joy. He never loses it. He's so composed. He's been a godsend to us really and one of the reasons we've got a good defensive record." Shortly afterwards - on 12.5.12 - Graham returned to Hartsdown Park to play in Bill Edwards' testimonial match.

He was still playing for APM Contrast during the 2013/14 season.