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 | |||
| Full name | Portadown Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | The Ports, Wee Reds, Shamrock Aces | ||
| Founded | 1887; 138 years ago (1887) | ||
| Ground | Shamrock Park | ||
| Capacity | 2,770 | ||
| Chairman | David Jameson Sr | ||
| Manager | Niall Currie | ||
| League | NIFL Premiership | ||
| 2024–25 | NIFL Premiership, 8th of 12 | ||
| Website | www | ||
 Current season | |||
Portadown Football Club is a semi-professionalNorthern Irishfootball club who play in theNIFL Premiership.
The club was formed in 1887 as a junior team seeking to participate in theMid-Ulster Cup, eventually joining the Irish League with the support of other local clubs in 1924..
They are based inPortadown,County Armagh and play their home matches atShamrock Park. The club's colours are red and white. Their home are kit consists of red shirts, red shorts and red socks with white trim on all. The badge shows a red apple inside it. Many believe this comes from the "orchard county" nickname to the area.
The club's main rivals areGlenavon, with their matches being known as the "Mid Ulster Derby". The club also has a longstanding rivalry withGlentoran.[1]
TheMid Ulster Football Association was established in 1887 and a series of meetings were held in the Young Men's Institute in Edward Street inPortadown to create a club to compete in theMid-Ulster Cup. Early matches were played at Tavanagh, Ripley's Field, Armagh Road and Old Shamrock Park which was located close to the site of what is now Clounagh Junior High School. Among the early names to turn out forThe Ports were Val Wilson, who would later become High Sheriff forCounty Armagh; and Harry Bell, whose father owned brickworks on the Armagh Road.
The club won the Irish Junior Cup after defeatingLarne atGrosvenor Park on 18 March 1899. That same season,The Ports won their first ever cup double by winning theMid-Ulster Cup for the first time. Portadown retained the trophy the following season and the following next five seasons before the outbreak ofWorld War I. While the Irish Intermediate League was formed in 1916, and Portadown were selected as one of its inaugural clubs, they withdrew as a large number of the club's players left to fight in World War I. With the return of local men from the war, there was a demand for senior football in the region.[2] A number of junior clubs in the area put aside their rivalries and backed Portadown's bid to join theIrish League. In 1923, the Irish League was expanded from six to ten clubs with the introduction ofNewry Town,Ards andBarn. Subsequently, after a number of years of preparation, representatives of the club (including William Mullen, Tom Dawson and a committee) met the league chiefs in June 1924 and were able to present a case for joining the league. Portadown became a full member club of the Irish League together with the readmittance ofBelfast Celtic.[2]
Portadown played their first senior game, in August 1924, againstGlentoran. The first Irish League game played atShamrock Park was against the championsQueens Island in a game that finished 0–0.
In that first season, Portadown finished fourth, two points behind Belfast Celtic withQueens Island taking second place, behind champions Glentoran. Along the way,The Ports played some memorable matches, including a 4–3 victory overLinfield at Shamrock Park and a 1–0 win against Belfast Celtic in theCity Cup.
The 1925–26 season saw a continuation of their consolidation in the league with away victories at both Belfast Celtic and Linfield.
After nine seasons in senior football, Portadown won their first senior trophy, defeating Glentoran 1–0 atSolitude in theGold Cup Final. Around 5,000 fans travelled to witness the win. With three minutes remaining and the scores level at 0–0, William Johnston scored the winning goal.
As the team returned to town that night, they were met by thousands of people at the railway station and toured the town in an open top bus before stopping at St. Mark's Church for speeches. Chairman William Mullen led the speeches before igniting a large bonfire.[citation needed]
Tommy Sloan was appointed manager in 1932 and his and Portadown's first major trophy success came in the 1933–34 season when they won theGold Cup under Sloan's charge and won the same trophy again in the 1937–38 season before his resignation due to the coming war in 1938. He was replaced by Hugh Bullough, but would return to the club for a brief spell duringWorld War II.
Post-war, Portadown were in the shadow of Mid Ulster rivals Glenavon, who were undergoing their period of glory years in the 1950s that is yet to be repeated byThe Lurgan Blues.
In 1958, the club appointed Scottish manager Gibby McKenzie. The press[which?] described him as "the fast-talking Scot with the fanatical zeal for the game who eats sleeps and breathes football" after Harry Walker's short spell in charge. McKenzie very nearly clinched that first elusive league title in the 1960–61 season with Albert Mitchell missing a penalty that would have secured the league championship against Glentoran and in the 1961–62 season, where they finished second to Linfield in these seasons and finished third in the Irish League the following season. McKenzie leftThe Ports for good in 1977 after his second spell in charge of the club.
In 1977, the club appointed formerBangor Bertie Neil, famed for the development of Northern Ireland legend and nowSky Sports commentatorGerry Armstrong. Neil's spell, although short, was considered successful, with another Gold Cup and an Irish Cup Final appearance in a 3–2 defeat toCliftonville. In 1979, the club announced that Neil had left the club "by mutual consent".
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After Jon Flanagan's short spell in charge, the club appointed former player Terry Kingon. His team reached theUlster Cup final in 1985, defeating Linfield 3–1 in the semi-final atThe Oval. But the serious injury in that match to star Scottish strikerBilly Paton (who had scored 28 goals the previous season forThe Ports) was a devastating blow.
Portadown heldColeraine to a 0–0 draw during the 90 minutes but collapsed in extra-time, losing 5–0. Paton, who had started the game with pain-killing injections, broke down early on. Deprived of his scoring qualities for the rest of the season, Portadown struggled financially and this resulted in the sale of the training ground to meet creditors' demands. Kingon did his best with limited resources and one of the fascinating features of his season in charge atShamrock Park was the large number of drawn games involving Portadown. In fact, before he resigned in December 1986, Portadown had drawn 9 of the first 14 Irish League games, losing the other five.[citation needed]
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From December 1986 to March 2016, the club's manager wasRonnie McFall. He signed another in five-year contract in 2009 and signed a two-year deal in August 2014. McFall brought several successes to the club, winning their first ever league title in 1989 and league title wins in 1991, 1996 and in 2002; he also won three Irish Cups. He was born and raised in Portadown and played left-back for the club during the 1960s and 1970s. He has also played forDundee United of Scotland, and afterwards Ards and Glentoran, the latter where he began his managerial career. McFall was the longest serving manager in European football, surpassingSir Alex Ferguson in 2013. McFall is one of the most successful managers in Irish league football. Following a run of poor results, McFall announced he would step down from his position as manager following a 3–2 defeat to Lurgan Celtic in the Irish Cup quarter-final.[citation needed]
In the 1989–90 season, the club finally won the Irish League, and in the final match there was a pitch invasion by the club's fans. In the following 1990–91 season, the club dominated the Irish League, nearly defeating every team in the division.[citation needed] They retained the title that season and they beat rivals Glenavon in the Irish cup final 2–1 to secure the club's first ever league and cupdouble. The season after was less successful with a number players starting to age and attendances started to fall.[citation needed]
In the 1993–94 season, the club had partially recovered from this slump and were involved in a three-way battle for the title between themselves and Linfield and Glenavon.[original research?] With an updated,The Ports took on Glenavon and the winners would secure the league title, however a draw atMourneview Park would hand the title to Linfield. Glenavon raced into a two-goal lead against Portadown atMourneview Park, and with Linfield drawing with Glentoran,The Lurgan Blues would have won their first league title in 34 years. However, Portadown scored two quick fire goals to level it at 2–2 and with Linfield beatingThe Glens – theBelfast side were now champions. Everything at Mourneview had now turned in Portadown's favor, who were creating chance after chance with the Ports missing the chance to win the title themselves when Robert Casey missed an easy chance,[original research?] with Linfield eventually being crowned champions. For the 1995–96 season, a new crest was introduced andThe Ports won their third league title that season, withGary Haylock andSandy Fraser the instigators in the title winning team.[citation needed]
After their title win, the club lost many of their aging star players to retirement and to other clubs, and McFall is fondly remembered signingNotts County strikerVinny Arkins and "Big Vin" famously talks about how McFall refused to let him walk away from talks until he signed the contract offered to him. A generation of players such asPhilip Major and Kyle Neill coming through and a few signings helped McFall build another team to win yet another league title in 2002 and losing 2–1 to Linfield in the Irish Cup Final to prevent another league and cup double.[original research?]
Thereafter, the club implemented cost-cutting measures and several aging players retired or moved to larger clubs.[citation needed] The club's last major trophy came in 2005 when the club took onLarne in the Irish Cup Final, with theInver Park side scoring early on beforeThe Ports scored five goals to secure the Irish Cup.[citation needed]
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On 30 April 2008, Portadown, who had been a senior football club in Northern Ireland since 1924, were demoted to theChampionship as a result of the club's final application form for the newIFA Premiership (due to replace the Irish Premier League for 2008–09) having been received 29 minutes late and thus not considered. The club unsuccessfully appealed its exclusion.[3] Due to the drop from Northern Ireland's top domestic football league, theIFA Premiership, Portadown took on intermediate status, due to theIFA Championship, which was Northern Ireland's second tier of football, being an intermediate league at the time. McFall described the time as "the toughest point of his managerial career" but kept several star players and in their first season in the Championship. The club won promotion straight back into senior football, defeating their closest rivalsDonegal Celtic 2–0 in the last (and decisive) match of the season. Also, after beatingNewry City 1–0 atMourneview Park on 28 February 2009, Portadown became the first intermediate club to win theIrish League Cup with ScotsmanGary McCutcheon scoring the winning goal.
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Portadown qualified to playUEFA Europa League football in the 2010–11 season on account of being runners-up in the2009–10 Irish Cup to Linfield. They famously defeated professional side and Latvian championsSkonto 2–1 on aggregate to advance to the second qualifying round. It was their first win in European competition since 1974. The second qualifying round first leg match was played at Shamrock Park on 15 July 2010, with Richard Lecky scoring the opening goal against Azerbaijani championsFK Qarabağ, but two second-half goals fromAfran Ismayilov saw the away side take a 2–1 lead back home for the second leg on 22 July.[4] The second leg inBaku ended 1–1 withThe Ports taking the lead through a free-kick fromKevin Braniff. Despite an effort against the Azerbaijani champions, it was not enough forThe Ports to progress to the next round and they were eliminated 3–2 on aggregate.[5]
The 2011–12 season sawThe Ports recover and mount a title challenge that was largely spearheaded by Welsh strikerMatthew Tipton, with themselves and Linfield the runaway leaders in the race. However,The Ports' challenge began to fade following an injury to Tipton, and Linfield finished comfortably as champions.
The 2012–13 season saw Matthew Tipton sign for championsLinfield and another European win against Macedonian sideShkëndija in the summertime. The Ports would take onSlaven Belupo ofCroatia in the next round, with the promise of a mouth watering tie againstLa Liga sideAthletic Bilbao should they progress. Any hopes of progression were quickly dashed when the Ports lost 6–0 at theGradski stadion Ivan Kušek-Apaš, being hampered by the unavailability of goalkeeperDavid Miskelly, with a respectable 4–2 defeat atShamrock Park ending the clubs time in Europe, its last to date.[6]
The Ports would make waves in the transfer market in January when it was announced they had beaten strong competition fromThe Blues forShamrock Rovers strikerGary Twigg,[7] who scored on his league debut againstDonegal Celtic, althoughThe Ports could only muster a seventh-place finish in quite a disappointing season.
The 2013–14 season was a largely frustrating one of what might have been, with Gary Twigg playing a valuable part and scoring regularly, along with in-form young striker Darren Murray and some ofKevin Braniff's moments of sheer class displayed at times and the skill of Peter McMahon. The club showed form at times capable of winning the league by beating rivals Glenavon comfortably and notably beating Ballinamallard United 11–0. However, poor results against teams lower in the table meant they finished only fourth, and a falling-out between striker Kevin Braniff and Ronnie McFall resulted in the former leaving the club and moving to Australian sidePort Melbourne.
In the 2014–15 season,The Ports signed Linfield playmakerRobert Garrett,Blues captainMichael Gault and reliableBlues striker Mark McAilaster. This had meant a lot was expected of the club to challenge for the title and they started the season with an impressive 3–0 win overWarren Feeney's Linfield and several wins over Glenavon and eventual championsCrusaders They also showed the capability of being champions when in a match against basement sideInstitute; with the match leveled at 1–1 in the dying minutes,Michael Gault scored a late, long distance effort to secure the three points. However, a shock 2–1 defeat away toWarrenpoint Town sawThe Ports miss out on the chance to go seven points clear in the NIFL Premiership, and the club lost 3–2 to Linfield, with Ross Redman missing a penalty in the final minute of the match. This sawThe Ports fall away in the league, but in the Irish Cup quarter-final, they took on Linfield once again at Shamrock Park. Portadown were 3–0 up after about 30 minutes. They went on to win the match 3–2.
Portadown took onBallymena United in the Irish Cup semi-final at The Oval. Portadown sealed their place in the final by winning 3–1. With the Kop Stand atWindsor Park collapsing, the final was forced to be moved to The Oval, where they would take on Glentoran. In the league, Portadown played Glenavon atMourneview Park with the winner being guaranteed third place and a lucrative UEFA Europa League qualifying round spot. Glenavon raced into a two-goal lead before James Singleton was sent off for clashing withKen Oman. Portadown had levelled it 2–2 through Peter McMahon and Gary Twigg goals, beforeEoin Bradley was hauled down by Ross Redman and a last-minute penalty was dispatched by Andy McGory to give the Lurgan Blues European football. The Irish Cup final atThe Oval saw the Ports go into the game as favourites, in what was initially quite a cagey affair on an incredibly wet day in East Belfast. In the second half,David Scullion scored to giveThe Glens the lead and what would prove to be the only goal of the game after an incredibly controversial moment, when Ports midfielderMichael Gault was fouled clean through on goal, and Glens keeperElliott Morris picked up the resulting pass, with the referee, linesman and goal line official unbelievably letting play continue. Goal line official, Raymond Crangle would state in the aftermath his apology to Portadown officials, stating his belief that he thought it was a clear foul, but due to a technical glitch with his headset, was unable to attract the referees attention. Ports boss Ronnie McFall was quoted in saying the following: "It was a trip and straight red card, the television pictures clearly show that," he blasted."Gary Twigg was also pulled down in the box in the first half and there was a blatant handball in the second half but the referee and officials just weren't up to it."They keep making major mistakes and they are never downgraded. Things carry on as if nothing happened."It's a straight red card and free-kick for us. And it's not one person making a decision, you have the assistant and man behind the goals and they missed these incidents?"I'm looking at the standard of refereeing and some of them should still be in junior football, learning the game."[8]
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The club suffered greatly financially from the result in the final meaning their transfer activity was limited in the summer of 2015. However, they started the season by beating the champions Crusaders 2–1 andWarrenpoint Town by the same scoreline three days later. Results declined rapidly thereafter, and the fans began to pressure the board to consider McFall's position as manager. The manager and staff were barracked by the support, and during a 3–1 defeat to Crusaders at Shamrock Park, supporters protested with a banner asking for the sacking of the manager, which was removed by the chairman, who argued with supporters. After the game assistant manager Kieran Harding, accusing Portadown fans protesting as being "...not real supporters," called them "Imposters".[9]
In January the club signed former Linfield midfielder Philip Lowry in the hope that fortunes would improve. Lowry created a reasonable impact, scoring from outside the box in a win overColeraine in the Irish Cup, and again in a 2–1 win over Linfield. Things were slowly improving until Portadown were beaten 4–1 by rivalsGlenavon atMourneview Park.
The club took onNIFL Championship 1 sideLurgan Celtic in the Irish Cup Quarter Final, with the Lurgan side scoring twice in quick succession to go into a 2–0 lead at halftime. Portadown piled on the pressure in the second half to level the score at 2–2 with goals from Marcio Soares and Sean Mackle, before conceding a penalty in the closing minutes which Lurgan Celtic defender Raymond Fitzpatrick converted to send the Lurgan side through to their first-ever Irish Cup Semi Final againstLinfield. The result that afternoon markedRonnie McFall's last game as Portadown boss. He resigned following the defeat, marking an end to his 29 years at the club.[10]
The following day, it was announced former defenderPat McGibbon, who had come in earlier that season as the club's physiotherapist, would take over as interim manager until the end of the season, with club legendVinny Arkins coming on board as his assistant coach. Despite only winning once in ten games as caretaker manager, McGibbon was appointed as manager on a two-year contract and helped the club successfully avoid relegation. They finished the season ninth in the league.
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Before the start of 2016–17 season, the club was fined £10,000 which was halved on appeal to £5,000 and received a one-year ban on signing professional contracts until June 2017 for not declaring extra payments made to striker Gary Twigg for performing coaching work over the summer.[11] The club also received a 12-point deduction in the league for 2016–17 season for an administrative error made in relation to the contract of exiled midfielder Peter McMahon, who later left the club in July 2016.[12]
Despite starting the season with a major disadvantage, McGibbons side produced victories overCarrick Rangers andBallinamallard United and were narrowly beaten by many of the teams higher up in the table. However, after a series of poor results in October 2016, Pat McGibbon resigned as manager.[13]
Both Arkins and long serving coach Trevor Williamson remained at the club with Arkins taking over as caretaker manager. Arkins took charge for the match againstColeraine at Shamrock Park, where they lost 1–0.
Arkins won his first official match in charge as interim manager in a 2–1 win againstBallinamallard United with goals from Stephen Hughes and a penalty fromNiall Henderson. It was followed up with a 3–1 win over Ards with goals fromRobert Garrett, Stephen Hughes and Brendan Shannon scoring his first goal for the club from the penalty spot. However, it was later found that the club had fielded midfielderRobert Garrett, who was supposed to be serving a one-game ban with Ards officials informing the club that they believed that Garrett was suspended.Ards were subsequently awarded a 3–0 win with the Ports being fined £500. Arkins left the club following a 0–5 defeat toLinfield. On 5 December 2016, Portadown-born Niall Currie was appointed as manager after successfully agreeing his release fromArds with him and his loyal assistant Jay Willis joining the club. Upon his first match againstCliftonville atSolitude, they were defeated 1–0. Prior to the match, it was announced that longtime goalkeeperDavid Miskelly would be retiring immediately due to a shoulder injury sustained the previous season after serving 12 years and making over 400 appearances with the club.
Currie's first win as Portadown manager came in a 2–0 win overDungannon Swifts atShamrock Park. The Ports approached the annual Boxing Day derby with rivalsGlenavon not being in great form with the Ports racing into a surprise two-goal lead with goals from Mark Carson and Aaron Haire. However, the Lurgan Blues had seemingly grabbed a point with them pulling a goal back within the last ten minutes and Sykes scoring a long distance free kick in the dying seconds of the game amid wild scenes of celebration from theGlenavon supporters. Portadown's luck had finally changed, however, with it later being found thatGlenavon had fielded defenderDavid Elebert, who was due to serve a suspension through yellow cards picked up in reserve league fixtures with the Lurgan side, receiving a fine, and the Ports being awarded a 3–0 win and a valuable 3 three points.
The club earned a 1–1 draw with title chasing Linfield atWindsor Park. This was followed up with another credible 1–1 draw with champions Crusaders. The club went into a game against relegation rivalsCarrick Rangers with the knowledge that a defeat would all but condemn them to relegation to which they lost the game 3–2.The Ports' relegation was officially confirmed following a 3–2 defeat to Ards on Easter Tuesday fixture.
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The summer following Portadown's relegation saw significant changes in the playing line up. The club opened their Championship campaign with a 3–0 win overLarne and a 2–1 win overLimavady United atShamrock Park before dropping their first points in a 1–1 draw away toPSNI. The following fixture was the first defeat for the Ports in the Championship, losing 2–1 at home toInstitute. The response that followed was a 4–1 win away to Newry City. However the response was short lived and saw four consecutive league defeats toDergview,Knockbreda,H&W Welders andBallyclare Comrades with mounting pressure on Ports boss Niall Currie who had built a team which very quickly had not lived up to expectations. A 3–0 win overLoughgall served to paper over the cracks for a Saturday, before a 1–4 home defeat toNewry drew heavy criticism from the home support who made their feelings well known throughout the game and at full time.
At this point the club, who had expected winning the league and promotion as a certainty was languishing closer to the bottom of the league than the top with the thoughts of potentially another relegation entering the minds of many. The winter period however saw a slightly better improvement with the Ports picking up 15 points from the next eight games which included a 1–1 draw and a 6–0 win overLurgan Celtic and a 7–0 win overDergview having lost to the Castlederg side earlier in the season. Furthermore, the Boxing Day fixture saw a 4–1 win away toLoughgall which featured a hat trick from Gary Warwick. The January period saw the Ports sitting in 6th place with the split looming and picking up 5 points from 3 games to secure a top six with a late equalizer against Larne (Sitting in 7th) scored by Chris Lavery sealing it. Furthermore, however The Ports lost out in theIrish Cup in extra time to league rivals toBallyclare Comrades.
What followed was a run of fixtures that was of huge importance which started with a 2–1 win overLoughgall with many[who?] thinking that the team had hit form at just the right time. The positivity quickly disappeared however following a 1–0 defeat away toBallyclare Comrades in the first of nine crucial fixtures and what was the 4th defeat that season to Ballyclare. The following fixture saw a 0–0 draw with the Welders, the game saw the end of Niall Curries tenure as Portadown manager who was relieved of his duties following the result.[14] In February 2018 it was confirmed that Portadown had made an approach and had been successful in appointing ex striker andWarrenpoint Town bossMatthew Tipton withDavid Miskelly joining as his assistant.[15]
In Tiptons first game in charge the Ports secured a 1–1 draw with league leadersInstitute and 4 consecutive wins followed againstLoughgall,Newry City andHarland and Wolff Welders with anticipation building that a play off spot would have been very much possible. The team were positioned in 4th place needing 3rd to secure a play off place. A huge game away toNewry City followed with three points for the men in red securing a pre play off spot against Newry. The game ultimately ended 0–0 with a red card forJamie Douglas and the visitors ultimately coming up short.[citation needed]
The following season, Tipton would seek to shape the Portadown squad to his liking, making a total of 16 signings notablyKevin Braniff andJohnny Flynn on free transfers fromBallymena United, former players Darren Murray and Sean Mackle returned to the club fromCrusaders andWarrenpoint Town respectively. That particular season the Ports were challenged in a big way byLarne F.C., who were now subject to significant investment and were favourites to win theNIFL Championship in 2019. The first ten games of the season would see the Ports pick up 5 wins, 4 draws and 1 defeat in what was a fairly respectable return from the opening part of the season that saw them score 19 points out of a possible 30. As the season progressed, they often failed to pick up points away from home that saw them ultimately finish in third place behindLarne andCarrick Rangers with the latter overcoming the men in red in a promotion playoff which the Gers won 2–0.[16]
The club achieved promotion in the 2020-21 NIFL Championship season, having foughtBallinamallard United down to the wire, in a season that was curtailed by theCOVID-19 pandemic. The following season, the Ports finished 9th, with wins overGlenavon andLarne to secureNIFL Premiership safety. StrikerLee Bonis contributed 14 goals throughout the season.
The following season proved to be a more difficult one, which saw the departure of managerMatthew Tipton with the club languishing in the relegation play-off place, under threat from the chasingWarrenpoint Town.[17]Former midfielderPaul Doolin was appointed as Tiptons replacement, and his initial appointment saw Ports defeatWarrenpoint Town,Ballymena United andColeraine to secure safety from automatic relegation and set up a play-off with neighborsAnnagh United. A standout performance fromBilly Stedman saw the Ports come from 2–1 down to win 3–2 in the 1st leg, and a 1–0 win in the 2nd leg securing safety for the 2021–22 season.[18]
The following season the Ports would struggle for form, picking up just 1 point from 11 games, with heavy criticism from supporters following a 3–1 home defeat to newly promotedNewry City, in what many considered a must win game, and a worrying sign of what was to come.[19] Doolin would depart the club after a 4–0 defeat away toCrusaders the following game.[20]
The club would move fairly quickly to appointDundela manager Niall Currie, who previously managed the Ports from 2016 to 2018.[21] Currie would bring in formerGlenavon striker and free agent Greg Moorhouse, who would prove a needed addition to address the Ports lack of goals.[22]
The Ports would continue to struggle before Christmas, picking up their first win of the season at home toBallymena United on 10 December. Currie would sign heavily in the January transfer window, bringing in players from former clubDundela, as well as notably Cathair Friel and Alan O'Sullivan, on loan fromColeraine andWarrenpoint Town respectively, and Paul McElroy fromBallymena United.[23]
O'Sullivan would star with two goals in a 3–1 win over Mid Ulster rivalsGlenavon in February, with the Ports picking up a further 10 points from the next 5 games, including a 4–3 win away toNewry City, having been 3–2 down in stoppage time, with some heralding 'The Great Escape' for a side whose survival hopes appeared to be gone at Christmas. However, the great escape wasn't to be, and the Ports 3–2 defeat away to relegation rivalsDungannon Swifts sealed their relegation after a spirited survival attempt under Currie.[24]
The Ports would have a relatively difficult start to life in the Championship, which saw defeats toBangor,H&W Welders andBallyclare Comrades, however would remain in promotion contention. The Ports would also defeatDungannon Swifts in the final of theMid-Ulster Cup, their first win and appearance in the final of the competition since 2003, and would also reach the final of theLeague Cup for the first time since 2011, following wins overCoagh United,Crusaders,Loughgall andGlenavon to set up a final againstLinfield.[25]
The Ports would seal their return to the NIFL Premiership following a draw with table rivalsDundela, lifting the trophy the following week againstInstitute.[26]
| Attendance at Shamrock Park[27] | |||
| Season | No of Home Games | Total Season Attendance | Average Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | 17 | 15,241 | 971 |
| 2010–11 | 18 | 13,373 | 743 |
| 2011–12 | 17 | 14,854 | 874 |
| 2012–13 | 18 | 0 | 758 |
| 2013–14 | 19 | 14,040 | 990 |
| 2014–15 | 19 | 18,099 | 1,001 |
| 2015–16 | 19 | 12,633 | 713 |
| 2016–17 | 18 | 15,186 | 947 |
| (Data from 2017 to 2020 unavailable) | |||
| 2020–21 (restricted due to COVID-19 regulations) | 20 (17 took place behind closed doors) | 1,397 | 500 |
| 2021-22 | 20 | 18,410 | 1,237 |
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Agg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962–63 | Cup Winners Cup | R1 |  OFK Beograd | 3–2 | 1–5 | 4–7 |  |
| 1974–75 | UEFA Cup | R1 |  Valur | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 |  |
| R2 | Partizan | 1–1 | 0–5 | 1–6 | | ||
| 1990–91 | European Cup | R1 |  Porto | 1–8 | 0–5 | 1–13 | |
| 1991–92 | European Cup | R1 | Red Star Belgrade | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–8 | |
| 1992–93 | UEFA Cup | R1 |  Standard Liège | 0–0 | 0–5 | 0–5 | |
| 1994–95 | UEFA Cup | PR |  Slovan Bratislava | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–5 | |
| 1996–97 | UEFA Cup | PR |  Vojvodina | 0–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | |
| 1999–2000 | UEFA Cup | QR |  CSKA Sofia | 0–3 | 0–5 | 0–8 | |
| 2002–03 | UEFA Champions League | QR1 |  Belshina Bobruisk | 0–0 | 2–3 | 2–3 | |
| 2003–04 | UEFA Cup | QR |  Malmö FF | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–6 | |
| 2004–05 | UEFA Cup | QR1 |  Žalgiris | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–4 | |
| 2005–06 | UEFA Cup | QR1 |  Viking | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | |
| 2006–07 | UEFA Cup | QR1 | FBK Kaunas | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–4 | |
| 2010–11 | UEFA Europa League | QR1 |  Skonto | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | |
| QR2 |  Qarabağ | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | | ||
| 2012–13 | UEFA Europa League | QR1 |  Shkëndija | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | |
| QR2 |  Slaven Belupo | 2–4 | 0–6 | 2–10 | |
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Cup / UEFA Champions League | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 24 |
| UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League | 28 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 16 | 62 |
| European Cup Winners' Cup / UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| Total | 36 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 23 | 93 |
Last updated on 26 February 2023.
As of 24 August 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Ronnie McFall is the clubs longest serving and most successful manager, managing the club between 1986 and 2016.[30]
| Dates | Names | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947–1948 |  Tom Sloan | ||
| 1948–1949 | Tommy Lipton | ||
| 1949–1951 |  Hugh Bulloch | ||
| 1952-1953 |  Dai Hopkins | ||
| 1953–1954 | Willie Ross | ||
| 1954-1955 | Billy Cook | ||
| 1955–1957 | Harry Walker | ||
| 1957–1963 | Gibby Mackenzie | "The famous fast talking Scot" grew a reputation as a much loved figure atShamrock Park in his time at the club. | |
| 1963–1965 | Wilbur Cush | The legendary international had a spell as manager atShamrock Park in the early sixties. | |
| 1965-1966 | Charlie Tully | ||
| 1966–1968 | Jim Conway | Conway's first spell was just a year long one before taking charge again in a two-year spell. | |
| 1968-1977 | Gibby Mackenzie | Mackenzie came back for his second spell in charge becoming one of the club's most loyal managers the highlight was coming so close to winning the club's first ever league title in 1976. | |
| 1977–1979 | Bertie Neil | Neil was appointed as Mackenzies replacement with the highlight of his reign being aGold Cup win and an Irish Cup final appearance. | |
| 1979–1983 | Jackie Hutton | Scot Hutton was at the helm for four years winning several honours in the process. | |
| 1983-1985 | John Flanagan | Flanagan took charge for a brief spell in the mid eighties. | |
| 1986 | Billy McClatchey (Interim) | Ex Glenavon boss McClatchey took charge of the Ports for 6 games prior to Kingon taking over. | |
| 1985-1986 | Terry Kingon | Kingon had a brief unsuccessful time in charge at the helm being sacked after one year. | |
| 1986–2016 | Ronnie McFall | McFall was appointed as Ports boss in December 1986. Under McFall, the Ports won their first ever league title in 1990. The club would win an unprecedented league and cup double in 91, with further league title wins coming in 96 and 2002, and an Irish Cup win in 2005. McFall would resign as manager in 2016 and is regarded as the club's greatest ever manager. | |
| 2016 | Pat McGibbon[31] | ExManchester United defenderPat McGibbon was appointed as the successor toRonnie McFall and resigned in October 2016. | |
| 2016 |  Vinny Arkins (interim)[32] | Club legend Arkins was appointed as Interim boss for 60 days in 2016 and was a firm fan favourite. | |
| 2016–2018 | Niall Currie | Portadown native Currie was appointed on 5 December 2016 as McGibbon's replacement. Currie was sacked in February 2018 with the Ports sitting 5th in the Championship. | |
| 2018–2022 | Matthew Tipton | Former Ports striker Tipton was appointed as manager in February 2018 and left the club in January 2022 having achieved promotion back to theNIFL Premiership. | |
| 2022 | Paul Doolin | Doolin returned to the club in January 2022 as interim manager until the end of the season. Doolin would get the job on a permanent basis, however he would leave the club in October 2022 with the Ports rooted to the foot of the table. | |
| 2022- | Niall Currie | Niall Currie would make a surprise return fromDundela for his second spell in charge of the club. Unable to save the club from relegation to theNIFL Championship, he helped secure promotion back to the top flight the following season. |
Source:[33]
† Won by Portadown Reserves
~ Portadown were an intermediate side when they won the IFA Championship in 2009. From 2016 the league was awarded senior status, thus their subsequent wins in 2020 & 2024 are not considered intermediate honors.
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| Year Inducted | Player | Playing position | Years at the club | Role at the club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Mickey Keenan | Goalkeeper | 1981-1998 & 1999–2003 | Player |
| 2018 | Philip Major | Defender | 1988-2001 | Player |
| 2018 | Alfie Stewart | Defender | 1988-1998 | Player |
| 2018 | Brian Strain | Defender | 1987-2001 | Player |
| 2018 | Gregg Davidson | Winger | 1987-2001 | Player |
| 2019 | Joey Cunningham | Winger | 1990-1995 | Player |
| 2019 | Steve Cowan | Striker | 1989-1993 | Player |
| 2019 | Sandy Fraser | Striker | 1989-1995 | Player |
| 2022 | Vinny Arkins | Striker | 1997-2006 & 2016 | Player & Manager |
| 2022 | Davy Mills | Midfielder | 1987-1994 | Player |
| 2022 | Kevin McKeever | Defender | 1987-1993 | Player |
| 2022 | Paul Doolin | Midfielder | 1990–91, 1994–95 and 2022 | Player & Manager |
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