Supporters can vote on choice of Ports club badge

The badge on the front of any football playing kit remains a link between the fanbase and team as both source of pride and inspiration.

Now a partnership between the PSS fans’ group and Portadown Times can put supporters centre-stage in making a decision on which badge the club will sport on future playing kit and training gear.

Voting is now open and fans can register in support of either retaining the current design or bringing back the badge used from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s.

The PSS (Portadown Supporters’ Society) members and club Board of Directors recently discussed introducing a fans’ vote as part of ongoing discussions designed to strengthen links between the fanbase and officials.

“One of the primary aims of the PSS is to represent supporters and bring concerns, suggestions and ideas to the board on behalf of fans,” confirmed a PSS statement. “In recent years, many fans have suggested to us that the club should revert back to the badge used approximately from 1988 to 1995.

“We brought this to the directors, who agreed to the PSS proposal to let fans vote.

“If the old badge receives the most votes, it will only be used on playing and training kit.

“The current badge will remain on official club blazers and any correspondence.”

The deadline has been set at noon on Monday, May 23 - with fans able to vote via post or e-mail.

POST: Please send your name and contact details (phone number or e-mail) - plus vote for OLD or NEW - on a postcard/letter to Patrick Van Dort, PFC Badge, Portadown Times, 2 Esky Drive, Carn Industrial Estate, Portadown, BT63 5YY.

E-MAIL: Please send your name - plus vote for OLD or NEW - to [email protected].

It has been proposed that, if the old badge is selected, a small adjustment will be made to alter the year of formation from 1924 to 1887.

“The old badge started out as a football surrounded with shamrocks, with the red and white stripes added at a later date,” said Trevor Clydesdale, the official Portadown club historian. “The red and white markings represent the railway lines for ‘The Hub of the North’, with a rose added in recognition of the town’s famous McGredy rose growers, shamrock for ‘Shamrock Park’ and an apple for ‘The Orchard County’.

“In 1996, a new badge was commissioned, as worn on the club shirts to this day.

“The left-hand side of the badge depicts the River Bann and the Newry Canal, with the right a flax stook in celebration of the linen industry.

“In the centre, a boat is a link that Shamrock Park was named after Sir Thomas Lipton’s yachts named ‘Shamrock’ that raced in the America’s Cup.

“On the bottom of the shield we have an apple for the Orchard County.

“The two supports on either side of the shield represents the Obyns family, land owners in the town after whom Obin Street is named.

“The shield is topped with a ducal crown and the gold football represents the late Ted Clarke, owner of Golden Cow Diaries and a former club benefactor and president.”