1998/99 - Where It All Began

Pictures Courtesy of Ricky Steenson

Season 98/99 U10's

Back row L to R: Ivan Ewart (Manager), Ricky Steenson (Asst. Manager), Mark Kerr (Coach).

Middle row L to R: Peter Smyth, Gary Richardson, Steven Herron, Wayne Ewart, Robert Curry, Steven Acheson, Neil Conn, Danny O'Neill, Simon Williamson, R. J. Treanor.

Front Row Lto R: Chris Jeffers, Stuart Wilson, Neil McCartney, Andrew Madill, William Highfield, David Hamilton.

Where It All Began

The club that is now known as Portadown FC Youth was started by Benny Johnstone, Ivan Ewart & Ricky Steenson. They held their first meeting in Planet Bingo on Mandeville Street, Portadown. At that meeting the following officers were elected, Benny Johnstone (Chairman), Derek Cooke (Treasurer), Ivan Ewart (Manager), Ricky Steenson (Assistant Manager) & Joe Conn (Committee Member).

Their first kit was orange & blue and was sponsored by Pet Care owned by Brian Cornett.

Fifteen players attended the first training session. In that training session were the players Neil McCartney, Gary Richardson, Peter Smyth, Steven Herron, Chris Jeffers & Wayne Ewart who all stayed with the club until the end of the 2005/06 season when they had reached the end of the U17 campaign and had to move on. A number of the 2005/06 players went on to sign terms with our parent club, Portadown F.C.. During their first season the Ports only lost one league match against Sunnyside and finished 2nd in the league. They also had a nice cup run but were beaten by the eventual winners in the semi-finals. Later on came the official tie up with Portadown F.C..

The club was set up at the old house in the grounds of  Bourneview F.C. and thanks to Bourneview they have catapulted to the status the club has acheived. Bourneview let the club have the use of their facilaties for training & matches. It is with the help of the then Bournview committee of Blackie, Tommy Lyttle, Joe Conn & others that Portadown FC Youth have went on from strength to strength. They stayed at Bourneview for 5 years until they got so big they had to spread out and use other facilities throughout the town. Now the club is responsible for training over 200 children and have 11 teams playing each Saturday morning in the Mid Ulster Mini Soccer League, Mid Ulster Youth League & Lisburn Junior Invitational League.

Back row L to R: Ivan Ewart (Manager), Ricky Steenson (Asst. Manager), Mark Kerr (Coach)

Middle row L to R: Robert Curry, William Highfield, Peter Smyth, Stuart Wilson, Neil McCartney, Danny O'Neill, Neil Conn, Steven Acheson, David Hamilton

Front row L to R: Andrew Madill, Gary Richardson, Simon Williamson, R.J. Treanor, Chris Jeffers, Steven Herron, Wayne Ewart