Portadown Football Club wish to place on record our extreme disappointment with the outcome of discussions with the Northern Ireland Football League around the expenses incurred by the club & supporters clubs, following the postponement of our away game against Coleraine in December, due to Storm Darragh.
The concerns of supporters in relation to the late postponement of games on that weekend have been well documented, and we noted the prompt response to the situation, including public comments on helping supporters clubs who were out of pocket.
Portadown FC had three supporters clubs buses as well as a team bus travel to Coleraine at a total cost of £2,010, with invoices submitted to NIFL as requested. Therefore, we were dismayed to learn that NIFL instead would look to make a donation to charity.
While charitable donations are of course always welcome, unfortunately this gesture does nothing to help our supporters clubs at a time when many are struggling to cover the price of hiring buses because of rising transport costs.
We as a club find it unacceptable that our supporters clubs have been left substantially out of pocket for what was an unnecessary and needless journey, and also deeply let down that they will not be compensated as was publicly suggested.
We will now consider our options, but as a sign of appreciation to our supporters clubs who have travelled the width and breadth of the country all season, we will endeavour to make sure that we assist them financially, so that they do not have to fully burden the cost of decisions that were out of their control, but ultimately impacted them the most.