‘I can’t control rumours’ - Portadown manager Niall Currie addresses speculation over his Irish League future

Currie's preparations for the Clearer Water Irish Cup visit to Shamrock Park of Dungannon Swifts this weekend have been played out against the backdrop of increasing speculation over his future as Ports manager.

Back-to-back league defeats to, respectively, Bangor and Carrick Rangers, in January - following an end to 2025 with a loss at Glentoran - have left January's Irish Cup win over Annagh United as the sole success of the new year.

Currie will be now hoping for more derby delight on home soil by taking on Irish Cup holders Dungannon Swifts.

And the Ports boss admits awareness of continued talk around his position but is refusing to allow speculation to take away focus from targets both short-term and long-term.

"We're trying to build the squad and the stability but it all takes time," said Currie, who returned for a second spell as manager of his hometown club in 2022. "We're hugely disappointed by the last few results, there's no doubt about that.

"You’re always one bad result away from talk on social media – sometimes not even with a result – and that’s modern football.

"Every manager faces that situation were social media gives everyone negative an instant platform and that shapes perceptions.

"But it's about perspective and staying cool towards meeting our targets.

"The bottom line is, we’re on the back of two poor results and performances (over the Premiership in 2026, with Ballymena United postponed on January 24).

"The best way to calm things down is always winning a football match.

"I think everybody knows the rumours...there's a lot of conversation as to rumours.

"But rumours are rumours...I've heard rumours, you've heard rumours.

“Managers go through bad runs - I’ve had plenty in my career but plenty of good runs too.

“It's about coming out fighting when things are not going well…I’ve done that my whole career.

“I can only control the controllables, I can't control rumours.

"My job hasn't changed...my job is always to focus on stabilising the club in the Premiership.

"And I still feel that with only being four points behind sixth place and a game in hand on Carrick, that's in the process.”

Currie was rewarded in May 2024 with a three-year contract after securing promotion out of the Championship as champions, winning the Mid-Ulster Senior Cup and reaching the BetMcLean League Cup final.

However, given Portadown's rich history as the most successful provincial club in domestic football as four-time Irish League champions and three-time Irish Cup winners, Currie accepts the high expectations of his position.

Currie guided the Ports to a rapid return to senior football last season, finishing 19 points clear of the relegation zone and missing out to Cliftonville via goal difference on a shot at European qualification.

However, the traditional difficult second-season adjustment period has left Portadown still in contention for a coveted top-six position but with 15 defeats from 25 games and four points outside the bottom two.

"I'm from the town, I grew up a fan of the club so know as well as anyone what Portadown means to the people and what this club has achieved in the past," said Currie, who enjoyed a successful spell at Dungannon Swifts during his playing career. "But my job is to deal with the modern reality of trying to compete in a different Irish League landscape with full-time clubs and increasing wage demands that every manager from top to bottom is trying to navigate.

"Consistency across a league campaign is tough for every club but we've a squad capable of beating anyone on our day and that's the beauty of cup football.

"Saturday's a huge game, playing the Irish Cup holders and in a competition that's a target.

"It's my job to make sure the players do not take on board any rumours and we want to go into the home tie united as a club with the fans behind us.

"It's fair to say that Dungannon are the standard-bearer for how a part-time club can operate in the current Premiership.

“The success they’ve had since Rodney McAree’s return to the club in terms of winning the Irish Cup and qualifying for Europe has come from stability.

"It’s that same stability I’m working hard towards securing for Portadown.”