150 games at Portadown for Niall Currie
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The local lad had been on the books with Portadown as a teenager and it was a dream come true when he was appointed manager in December 2016. The club at the time were in turmoil, having started the season with a 12 point deduction for making irregular payments to players, and in addition they were banned from signing players on professional deals.
Niall had a secure job with Ards at the time, but he could not resist the move to his hometown club, “I was in a strong position with Ards, but my heart led me here. The lure of coming home and managing my hometown club was too strong. This was the pinnacle for me.”
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Hide AdHe took over the club thirteen points adrift at the bottom of the table, but he was determined in his words to, “bring a smile back to the club”. The points deficit was to prove insurmountable, and The Ports were relegated to the Championship.In February 2018 the club parted company with Currie with the team sitting fifth in the Championship 15 Points behind leaders Institute. It was a huge disappointment for Niall, and he maintained that he had unfinished business at the club.In October 2022 he got the opportunity to finish what he had started, and last season he led the club back to the top flight, securing the Championship title and adding the Mid-Ulster Cup to the trophy cabinet, together with a runners-up spot in the Bet McLean Cup.It has been a whirlwind experience for Niall, “150 games, where has that time gone? It is an honour to manage this club”.


He set out this season to re-establish Portadown as a top flight club and the performances for the most part have put that smile back on faces. Friday night’s 3-0 win at the Warden Street Showgrounds lifted The Ports back into the top six ahead of this weekend’s encounter with Carrick Rangers