David Jeffrey on why no action will be his first action as Portadown boss

A return to management, following his departure from Ballymena United in 2023, was confirmed on Tuesday by the Ports.

Jeffrey’s introduction to life at Shamrock Park featured an official announcement with club chairman David Jameson and vice-chairman Paul Jackson, brief pre-training chat with the players then media duties during which he sat in the manager’s office occupied up until last week by Niall Currie and reflected on his excitement over future ambitions.

Goals both immediate and long-term will dominate Jeffrey’s initial days in the Portadown hot-seat but the Irish League legend and winner of over 30 trophies was clear one move he’ll refuse to make is stepping in for Saturday’s closing Premiership game at Bangor.

In the aftermath of Currie’s shock exit from his hometown club for the second time, Portadown officials turned in-house for an interim management team led by club captain Gary Thompson and featuring support including senior player Aaron Traynor, the latter having been promoted to a dual coaching role earlier in the season.

Portadown’s victory last weekend under Thompson and the emergency team marked the end of eight games without a win and Jeffrey was clear his desire to reshape and rebuild would – as a mark of respect – not include replacing the status quo before the weekend.

"It would be totally and utterly disrespectful,” said Jeffrey when asked if he’d be in charge for Saturday. "With the club having asked Gary (Thompson) and Aaron (Traynor) to look after that, for anyone to come in after what they did last week (win v Ballymena United) and what the club asked them to do would be totally inappropriate.

"One thing I always say to people is you don't have to like me, you don't have to love me but you have to respect me.

"If I'm not respecting other people, then that's wrong.

"So that's the message to the two boys that are looking after everything.

"We'll have a quick chat after training tonight, we'll obviously look at injuries, we'll look at potential suspensions that are coming up.

"We're not going to put anybody at risk in terms of physical injury, we're not going to put anything at risk.

"I'll obviously see the boys beforehand but if the club has given that responsibility and that accountability to the boys, then they get on with it themselves.

"I won't be in the changing room (against Bangor), that's the territory for Gary and Aaron."

Although stepping into the Shamrock Park hot seat so late in the season offers Jeffrey little time to significantly learn about his players live in the competitive arena, the absence of fixtures presents a clean calendar for the end-of-season run-in towards summer business.

"The season's obviously coming to an end so it gives us time to reflect, take stock and assess and basically then map out where we're going,” he said. "There are players who are in contract, there are players out of contract...we know that other clubs are circling.

"And all we've asked the players is please don't do anything until we get an opportunity to speak with you.

"And we'll be looking to do that as soon as possible.

"We find ourselves in a very fortunate situation...one game to go.

"I've been able to meet with the players this evening and we will follow that through.

"Planning for next season starts now.

"There's too much work to do, things which I know I need to get up to speed with...this is a time when we can focus on, reflect and review, assess where we're at and what we need going forward for next year.

"Not having games to prepare for and to get right is a big help.

"A lot of players, their dream is that they want to play full-time football.

"But there's also the impact of full-time football on part-time salaries.

"So that's a simple fact....what was being paid to players, even a year ago, is now much greater and more inflated.

"We have what we have and we'll work with what we have and see where that takes us."

Jeffrey has turned to a face familiar behind the scenes at Portadown for his first appointment to the backroom team.

David Douglas operated under Currie as performance analyst but will be back at Shamrock Park in a renewal of his long-standing connection with Jeffrey by accepting the offer as head of recruitment and football operations.

"We need now to sit down and see how we can go forward together,” said Jeffrey. "The first bit of the jigsaw is having David (Douglas) with me....I love him like a brother and he's as close to me as Bryan McLoughlin (former long-serving assistant).

"That is a massive, massive help (Douglas’ prior time at Portadown) but that is not the reason why David is here.

"When all was sorted this morning then the first phone call I made was to David and he didn't renege on is promise (to join Jeffrey at his next management post).

"And his insider knowledge of here is a help but if it had been elsewhere David would still have been with me.

"I'm extraordinarily blessed and totally privileged David has agreed to come with me.

"Having David is a massive blessing, Shane Dolan will be working with us along with others."