"We desperately need investment into the town": Niall Currie calls for government funding to help Portadown's fortunes
Niall Currie has issued a passionate plea for government funding in the Portadown area to help the club in terms of training facilities.
The Portadown chief made the comments after his side’s hopes of a top-six finish were ended by Coleraine at The Showgrounds.
Currie’s men knew they either needed to win on the north coast, or at least secure a draw and hope Glentoran beat Crusaders to make it into the upper-half of the table.
However, they were beaten on the Ballycastle Road as Dylan Boyle’s arrowed strike with around 20 minutes remaining clinched the win for Coleraine.
Whilst disappointed with the final outcome, Currie discussed how his team should be proud of their league position thus far upon their return to the top flight and how they are competing with the full-time teams despite not having their own training facilities.
He explained: "I don't want our supporters to think this season is going to end up a disappointment.
"The fact we're sitting in this situation today is great testament to the players.
"We get them for an hour and a half on a half pitch at the Annagh on a Tuesday and the same on a Thursday, there's not a lot of other clubs like that.
"People talk about clubs needing funding from the government...Portadown hasn't been invested in a very long time.
"We don't have a 3g or a training facility. In my opinion we should be at the top of the list for the funding that's available.
"We desperately need investment into the town. We have a huge fanbase and a wonderful stadium.
"For me this is a better league with Portadown in it as we're a big club which brings fans to games, but we need help.
"I hope the powers that be see we need help. We're training in other people's venues. I'm hoping we can get a new pitch at the club at least which the whole town can use. That excites me.”
Currie conceded that one goal always looked like winning the contest at The Showgrounds, and ultimately, his troops failed to do enough in the final third to make the breakthrough.
"We're disappointed but it's nowhere near the end of the world,” he added.
"I'm extremely proud of them, they have been magnificent all season.
"We are a newly promoted squad and a newly built squad, we brought in 17 or 18 players, so to be in the position we are I'm extremely proud of them. I couldn't be more proud of them.
"Today was an extremely frustrating day for everyone. Neither side really created anything, it was one of those days where it was going to be one goal to nick it.
"We didn't have enough in the final third today. We broke the play up and transitioned really well.
"We won the ball back on numerous occasions but ended up making the wrong decisions when we got higher up the pitch.
"We didn't have the quality in the last third if we're being perfectly honest."