Portadown F.C.

Portadown
Full name Portadown Football Club
Nickname(s) The "Ports"
Founded 1889
Ground Shamrock Park, Portadown, Northern Ireland
Capacity 3,943
Chairman Roy McMahon
Manager Ronnie McFall MBE
League NIFL Premiership
2013–14 4th

Portadown F.C is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club which plays in the NIFL Premiership.

The club was founded in 1889 but not joining the Irish league until 1924. It is based in Portadown in County Armagh and plays its home games at Shamrock Park. Club colours are all red with White and their away kit is sky Blue.

Since 1986 the club's manager has been Ronnie McFall.

History

Portadown's first major trophy success came in the 1933–34 season when they won the Gold Cup under manager Tommy Sloan. Their first championship success came in the 1989–90 season when they were crowned Irish League champions for the first time in their history, having come close on numerous occasions in the past. The 'Ports' then went on to have a period of continued success winning the league title a further two times within five years, including a 'double', when the Irish Cup arrived at Shamrock Park along with the league championship in 1991. They beat their County Armagh rivals Glenavon 2–1 at Windsor Park in the Irish Cup Final, with Stevie Cowan scoring both goals to take the trophy to Shamrock Park for the first time.

On 30 April 2008, Portadown, who had been a senior football club in Northern Ireland since 1924, were relegated to the Championship as a result of the clubs final application form for the new IFA 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.[1] Due to the drop from Northern Ireland's top domestic football league, the IFA Premiership, Portadown were forced to take on intermediate status, due to the IFA Championship, which is Northern Ireland's second tier of football, being an intermediate league. In their first season in the Championship, the club won promotion straight back into senior football, beating their closest rivals Donegal Celtic 2–0 in the last (aind decisive) match of the season. Also after beating Newry City 1–0 at Mournview Park on 28 February 2009, Portadown became the first intermediate club to win the Irish League Cup. Scotsman Gary McCutcheon scored the winning goal.

Portadown qualified to play UEFA Europa League football in the 2010–11 season on account of being runners up in the 2009–10 Irish Cup to Linfield. They defeated the Latvian side Skonto Riga 2–1 on aggregate to advance to the second qualifying round. It was their first win in European cup competition since 1974. The second qualifying round 1st leg match was played at Shamrock Park on 15 July 2010 with Richard Lecky scoring the opening goal against the Azerbaijani side FK Qarabağ, but two second half goals from the Azerbaijanis saw them take a 2–1 lead back home for the second leg on 22 July 2010. The 2nd leg in Azerbaijan ended 1–1 which was not enough for the Ports who were knocked out 3–2 on aggregate.On March 21, 2015 Portadown reached their first Irish Cup Final since 2010 by beating Ballymena 3-1 at The Oval to face Glentoran in 2 May 2015.

The Ronnie McFall era

Since 11 December 1986, the club's current manager has been Ronnie McFall. He signed another in five-year contract in 2009 and signed a one-year deal in August 2014. He was born and raised in Portadown and played left-back for the club during the 1960s and 1970s. He has also played for Dundee United of Scotland, and afterwards Ards and Glentoran where he began his managerial career. Ronnie McFall is the longest serving manager in European football surpassing Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Ronnie was also the reason there is proper referees assistants men are in Championship 1 and Championship 2.

Problems

Portadown's support are very rarely hostile but in the Iron-Bru league cup Quarter-Final Versus fierce rivals Glentoran a Fire work was thrown towards the Glentoran bench from the away end at the Oval injuring team members.The supporter was banned for life by the club.

In 1999 a social club outside the stadium was the scene of a violent incident in which members from the Loyalist Volunteer Force, some of whom were out on Christmas parole, were attacked by members of the rival Ulster Volunteer Force,[2] beginning a violent feud that resulted in multiple deaths.[2][3]

In 2007 there was an incident at The Oval when rival Portadown and Glentoran fans clashed in the streets outside the ground and missiles were thrown and cars damaged. The club management condemned the incident.[4] Portadown have signed up to the UEFA 10 point plan on racism. along with the eleven other NIFL Premiership clubs.

Portadown in Europe

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Agg
1962–63 Cup Winners Cup R1 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia OFK Belgrade 3–2 1–5 4–7
1974–75 UEFA Cup R1 Iceland Valur 2–1 0–0 2–1
R2 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Partizan Belgrade 1–1 0–5 1–6
1990–91 European Cup R1 Portugal F.C. Porto 1–8 0–5 1–13
1991–92 European Cup R1 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star Belgrade 0–4 0–4 0–8
1992–93 UEFA Cup R1 Belgium Standard LiΓ¨ge 0–0 0–5 0–5
1994–95 UEFA Cup PR Slovakia Ε K Slovan Bratislava 0–2 0–3 0–5
1996–97 UEFA Cup PR Federal Republic of Yugoslavia FK Vojvodina 0–1 1–4 1–5
1999–00 UEFA Cup QR Bulgaria CSKA Sofia 0–3 0–5 0–8
2002–03 UEFA Champions League QR1 Belarus FC Belshina Bobruisk 0–0 2–3 2–3
2003–04 UEFA Cup QR Sweden MalmΓΆ FF 0–2 0–4 0–6
2004–05 UEFA Cup QR1 Lithuania FK Ε½algiris Vilnius 2–2 0–2 2–4
2005–06 UEFA Cup QR1 Norway Viking FK 1–2 0–1 1–3
2006–07 UEFA Cup QR1 Lithuania FBK Kaunas 1–3 0–1 1–4
2010–11 UEFA Europa League QR1 Latvia Skonto Riga 1–1 1–0 2–1
QR2 Azerbaijan Qarabağ FK 1–2 1–1 2–3
2012–13 UEFA Europa League QR1 Republic of Macedonia FK ShkΓ«ndija 2-1 0-0 2–1
QR2 Croatia NK Slaven Belupo 2-4 6-0 2–10

By competition

Competition P W D L GF GA
European Cup / UEFA Champions League 6 0 1 5 3 24
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 2 1 0 1 4 7
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League 28 3 7 18 16 62
Total 36 4 8 24 23 93

Last updated on 26 July 2012

Honours

Senior honours

† Won by Portadown Reserves

Intermediate honours

† Won by Portadown Reserves

Junior honours

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Northern Ireland GK David Miskelly
2 Northern Ireland DF Chris Casement
3 Northern Ireland DF Ross Redman
4 Northern Ireland DF Keith O'Hara (Captain)
5 Northern Ireland DF Chris Ramsey
6 Republic of Ireland DF Garry Breen
7 Republic of Ireland MF Peter McMahon
8 Scotland MF Sean Mackle
9 Northern Ireland MF Darren Murray
10 Northern Ireland FW Mark McAllister
11 Northern Ireland MF Tim Mouncey
12 Republic of Ireland DF Ken Oman
13 Republic of Ireland GK Billy Brennan
No. Position Player
14 Northern Ireland MF Paul McElroy
15 Northern Ireland FW James Begley
16 Northern Ireland MF Michael Gault (Vice-Captain)
18 Scotland FW Gary Twigg
19 Northern Ireland MF Shea Conaty
20 Northern Ireland MF Robert Garrett
22 Northern Ireland FW Padriag Judge
23 Northern Ireland DF Jordan Lyttle
24 Northern Ireland DF Jake Richardson
25 Northern Ireland DF Christian Stewart
26 Portugal MF Marcio Soares

Rivals

Portadown's biggest rivals would be Glentoran and Glenavon their other rivals include Ballymena and Linfield and Also share a rivalry with Dungannon Swifts.

References

  1. ↑ "Portadown out of Premier League". BBC News. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "What bloody sparked the UVF/LVF feud; AS LOYALIST PARAMILITARY GROUPS". Sunday Mirror. 17 December 2000. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  3. ↑ David McKittrick (11 January 2000). "Fatal gun attack may signal fresh loyalist infighting". The Independent.
  4. ↑ Stuart McKinley (12 February 2007). "Violence discredits real fans say Ports and Glens". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-02-24.

External links