David Jeffrey's Portadown pride before landmark moment - 'look to the people of the past who walked the walk and who wore the shirt'
For over four decades David Jeffrey has accepted the black-and-white results-based business of Irish League football – but for a few minutes today the red-and-white romance of the game will take over.
Forever cast in the past as villain when walking out of the Shamrock Park tunnel, as the clock ticks down to a 3pm kick-off against Dungannon Swifts this afternoon he will enjoy a hero’s welcome when the 63-year-old takes charge of Portadown in a first competitive fixture on home soil.
Three years after stepping down as Ballymena boss, Jeffrey will embrace that first opportunity to showcase in front of the home faithful a Ports panel four months into a rebuilding project.
Jeffrey’s unabashed love for the Irish League includes a deep admiration for the place Portadown holds in Northern Ireland football history as the most successful provincial club following four titles and three Irish Cup crowns under the guidance of his great friend Ronnie McFall.
Accepting “the pull” of Portadown’s proud past as key to taking on the challenge of reshaping the future, Jeffrey is relishing that magic moment.
"I get genuine butterflies in the tummy talking about it now...a great amount of pride and just privilege that I've been appointed to this job,” said Jeffrey. "There will be no prouder man on Saturday afternoon, God willing, than me.
"That was one of those very solid reasons why obviously I agreed and we agreed to join Portadown...attraction is too weak a word – the pull.
"In terms of inspiration, then you've simply got to look at what has been achieved previously.
"I'm not going to dare say recreate because what Big Ronnie did is impossible...but what we would want to do is do something which, when people look back on it, they can say that was a really good period in Portadown's history.
"You also look to the people of the past who walked the walk and who wore the shirt...that in itself, if you don't take that on board and use that as part of your own personal motivation, then there's something seriously wrong."
With the club’s last major trophy arriving in 2009, Jeffrey is aware of the reality alongside the romance – citing this weekend’s opposition as a modern marker.
"I'm well aware of the expectations that come with myself, given the success I enjoyed at Linfield and Ballymena United...but this is now a new time and a new era,” said Jeffrey, who can count over 30 trophies won on a glittering managerial CV. “We're coming up against a Dungannon team who we would want to aspire to...what Rodney (McAree, manager), his players and the club have done over the last couple of years has been nothing short of superb.
"Absolutely brilliant by league position, an Irish Cup win, European qualification...that's where we're looking to get ourselves to – Saturday against Carrick (1-0 away loss) was a benchmark.
"This weekend is another opportunity just to see exactly where we're at…we're going all out to give of our best.”