Niall Currie pinpoints development which would 'change everything' for Portadown in bid to follow Dungannon Swifts example
Portadown manager Niall Currie admits Dungannon Swifts’ recent exploits provides a source of inspiration for his own club as they look to follow on a similar path – and pinpointed one development which could potentially “change everything”.
The Swifts upset an established Premiership top-half last season to secure their joint-best finish of fourth before going on to celebrate maiden Irish Cup glory – an achievement which booked a European return.
Good times have continued to roll for Rodney McAree’s men, who defeated Vaduz in last week’s Conference League second qualifying round first-leg thanks to Sean McAllister’s stunning strike and they’ll look to finish the job at Solitude on Thursday.
Their recent success hasn’t only provided Swifts supporters with unforgettable memories, but it has also helped secure the club’s future with a significant financial windfall coming their way.
That will only be further boosted if Dungannon seal progression with a potential date against Dutch giants AZ awaiting in the next round.
It was only two years ago when the Stangmore Park outfit were preserving their Premiership status in a nervy play-off win over Annagh United and their drastic improvement will act as inspiration for a host of other Irish League clubs, including Portadown.
"Absolutely it is (inspiration) and now they're kicking on again with a squad of 25 or 26 players,” said Currie. “That’s what you can do when you get into Europe and they fully deserve it.
"They had their solid base and that's what our next step is. We want to keep our base, our best players...we're now getting clubs putting bids in and sniffing around.
"If we want to continue building we have to sign more players of that quality. We need to get into the same thing as Dungannon Swifts, who are doing three nights. Glenavon are onto three nights and most clubs are...we need to at least get to that stage."
Portadown enjoyed a solid return to life in Northern Ireland’s top-flight last term, battling for a European play-off spot until the final day of the season before finishing eighth.
The Shamrock Park outfit are one of many clubs seeking a slice of the Northern Ireland Football Fund – an initial £36.2million pot dedicated to improving Irish League facilities – with exciting plans to switch to an artificial pitch alongside create state-of-the-art training facilities.
Currie’s men have trained at various locations around the area, which comes with financial cost, and the Ports chief believes the implementation of a new playing surface would help make his side more competitive.
“If we get a new pitch it changes everything,” added Currie. “If you're introducing a player to a brand new facility, it's a big help in getting them over the line.
"Once that happens I think we can look at the hybrid model. It's a situation where we can't keep doing what we're doing.
"We massively overachieved last season...you can't keep doing it on two nights a week, three hours training. Our players were magnificent and we trust them a lot. We need to get that pitch into the community and it'll allow us to be more competitive.”