Latest Irish League investor 'has been a breath of fresh air' and is determined 'to leave his mark' by improving every aspect of club

Dempsey, who lives in the seaside town, is the owner of Genovate Power Solutions and was appointed as Portstewart’s new Executive Chairman in January alongside providing a “substantial six-figure sum” to help improve all aspects of the Premier Intermediate League club.

Rather than targeting marquee signings to aid rapid progress up the Irish League pyramid, Dempsey appears to be prioritising strong foundations which will allow the County Londonderry outfit to thrive for years to come.

Mahon was appointed into his first senior management role in October having previously served as Kevin Deery’s assistant at Institute and with the club currently enjoying a seven-game unbeaten run, he’s excited for the future working alongside Dempsey.

"Alan has been absolutely amazing,” said Mahon. “I know people think about the obvious things like money, but people don't see the plans Alan has for the club.

"It's not just him coming in and throwing money at it, that's not what he's doing, he's putting structures in place.

"He has changed the whole club...the clubhouse, furniture, changing rooms, everything about it. He's also went and got GPS systems in.

"He has went above and beyond to make the club more professional and make it somewhere where people can come and enjoy. He's very hard-working and driven.

"He's ambitious. My job when I came in was to avoid relegation and I'd imagine we will sit down shortly and talk the next target.

"He's not just firing money at players, he's starting from the academy, is talking about girls' football, looking at the first team, looking at reserves, looking at the development side of things.

"He wants to leave his mark on Portstewart. There's loads more he's doing and he's starting from the bottom up.

"He wants the club to be sustainable and he has already had a big impact. He has been brilliant for Portstewart."

Significant investment has been made across the Irish League in recent years with four full-time clubs now operating in the Premiership while Cliftonville could follow suit with a vote over potential new ownership on the horizon.

While Portstewart’s project is at a smaller scale than those in the top-flight, it remains just as important to get the fundamentals correct and have the right people driving in the same direction.

"Alan is trying to improve Portstewart, not just the first team but right through,” added Mahon. “He has asked me to become Director of Football and he is hands on.

"He wants to improve the club and has asked me for my opinions.

"He has been a breath of fresh air, he really has, and he's come in to improve every aspect of the club.

"I love that because you've seen over the years that people come in, throw money at the first team and everything else is neglected.

"Alan genuinely wants to improve the academy, is big into community and he wants to draw them in. He wants everyone to be proud of Portstewart and I can't sing his praises enough."