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STATEMENT BY ROY McMAHON,

CHAIRMAN OF

PORTADOWN FOOTBALL CLUB

14TH MAY 2008

The Chairman, Board of Directors and Officials of Portadown Football Club take ultimate and full responsibility for the failure of the Club to ensure that the application form to the new Irish League Invitational League was not lodged before the 4:00pm deadline on Monday 31st March last.

We realise that our supporters will be greatly disappointed and, in some cases, disillusioned by this turn of events.

I can assure those supporters that no-one feels that disappointment more keenly and personally than the Board of Directors and Officials.  We have worked extremely hard over the past number of years to ensure that Portadown Football Club is one of the leading sides in local football.  We have spent considerable time, effort and invested substantial amounts of money, to ensure that Shamrock Park was brought up to standard to help gain entry into the new League.

The Club indicated its intention to the IFA to join the new League during the original process in June 2007 and when the second application process which began in January 2008.  As I have said, we made strenuous efforts to improve both the playing and spectator facilities at Shamrock Park to try and gain as many assessment points as we could in the assessment process.  Without trying to deflect from our failure and the justified criticism of supporters, we are nonetheless disappointed at the IFA's attitude in allowing an administrative deadline to overrule all the ground improvement work we have done, our playing record over the last 18 years and the financial restructuring of the Club which we have overseen.

While we continue to explore, within the confines of sport, the possibility of pursuing a further Appeal against the IFA Appeals Board decision, we are, nevertheless, faced with the real and immediate prospect of the Club playing in the new Intermediate League in the season 2008/2009.  I can assure the supporters that it will be the overriding objective of everyone at the Club, the Directors, Officials, Manager and Players, to ensure that promotion is gained in the 2008/2009 season from the Intermediate League to the new Premier League.  Supporters can be assured that the Directors will make every effort to ensure that our Manager, Ronnie McFall, is put in as strong a position as possible to strengthen his playing squad and ensure that promotion is obtained.

I do not feel that this is the time for Portadown Football Club to "turn in on itself" in a self-destructive bout of apportioning blame for the current situation.  Its is important, rather that we go forward as a united Club with the immediate goal of winning the promotion from the Intermediate League and the ultimate aim of bringing the Gibson Cup back to Shamrock Park again.

This cannot be achieved without the help of our loyal and faithful supporters.  I have been heartened by the messages of sympathy which I have received from a large number of supporters who, while extremely disappointed and indeed angry at what has happened, have assured me that they will continue to support the Club in what will prove to be a crucial forthcoming season.  I would appeal to supporters to rally round the Club at this time while we as Directors, despite this setback, concentrate on moving towards our long term goals in achieving success for the Club and the town.

In conclusion, and once again, I can only humbly apologise to our supporters for our failings.  I can assure them that the Board of Directors will now work tirelessly to reverse the position we are in.