Portadown exit for manager Niall Currie - 'I'm from the town, I grew up a fan of the club'

An official club statement to rubber-stamp the exit of the Portadown-born boss from his hometown club following a Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday night read as follows: "Portadown Football Club can confirm that it has parted company with manager, Niall Currie this evening.

“Niall and his staff have worked exceptionally hard throughout their 3.5 years at the club, achieving promotion back to the Premiership at the first time of asking, consolidating the club back in the top flight of Northern Ireland football as well as lifting the Mid-Ulster Cup and reaching the BetMcLean Cup Final as a Championship club.

“We want to place on record our sincere thanks to Niall and his assistant, Steven Hyndes for their efforts and wish them well for the future.

“Further updates to follow in due course.”

Portadown sit 10th in the Sports Direct Premiership standings on 38 points – safe from relegation in a second successive season after a return to top-flight football as Championship champions with two games remaining in the senior schedule.

The Ports close out the campaign away to Ballymena United this weekend and on the road to Bangor on Saturday, April 25.

A 4-0 defeat to Crusaders last weekend will mark the end of Currie’s time at Shamrock Park having returned to the club as boss in October 2022 after an initial spell across 2016 to 2018.

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, speculation over his future at the club proved a regular theme, in particular, across the current campaign.

In February, Currie addressed these rumours with a News Letter interview exclusive.

Currie included in his interview: "We're trying to build the squad and the stability but it all takes time...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.”

He added: "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.”

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 accepted 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.

"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 in February. "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.”