Portadown appoint Jeffrey as their new manager

Portadown appoint Jeffrey as their new managerImage source, InphoImage caption, Jeffrey has been out of management since stepping down at Ballymena United in 2023Published4 minutes agoDavid Jeffrey will make a return to management after being appointed as the next full-time boss at Portadown.Jeffrey, who departed Ballymena United in 2023, will take over at the end of the season from interim boss Gary Thompson who stepped in following the departure of Niall Currie earlier this month.The 63-year-old will be joined by David Douglas who comes in as head of recruitment and football operations, having previously worked as performance analyst under Currie from 2023 until 2025.Jeffrey has enjoyed success in his previous roles at Linfield and Ballymena United, initially taking over at Windsor Park in 1997 following a 14-year playing career with Linfield, Ards and Larne.He guided the Blues to nine league titles, seven Irish Cups which included six league and cup doubles, while also claiming the inaugural Setanta Cup in 2005 before bringing his 17-year tenure to a close in 2014.Following a two-year hiatus, he was back in the dugout at the Ballymena Showgrounds, guiding the Sky Blues to their first and only League Cup success in his first season, while leading them to second place in the league in 2019.During his time, he also led the club to two further League Cup finals, three Irish Cup finals and two County Antrim Shield finals before stepping down in 2023.Jeffrey will take over at the conclusion of this campaign with Thompson in charge for this Saturday's final league game against Bangor.Related topicsNorthern Ireland SportFootballIrish Football