THE efforts of club officials at Shamrock Park to secure funding in recent seasons for major ground improvements received a significant reward this week with confirmation of a first live Carling Premiership broadcast by Sky Sports.
The Sky television cameras will finally make a welcome appearance at a Portadown league game when Coleraine come to town on Friday, March 19.
Kick-off in the game will be 7.45 and it is hoped that the Friday date will help boost attendance figures
across both the home and away stands.
The deal will provide a timely financial boost to the club coffers as well as increased publicity.
Setanta Sports televised this week's Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final defeat by Glentoran at Windsor Park.
The Ports' immediate focus will be on tomorrow's (Saturday's) league trip to take on Dungannon Swifts.
Kevin Braniff - badly missed on Tuesday - will complete his suspension this weekend. The playmaker found the net during Portadown's last visit to Dungannon as Richard Lecky grabbed four goals in the 8-2 success.
Keith O'Hara and Wesley Boyle have also been ruled out as a result of, respectively, suspension and injury.
Portadown must win this one if their slender hopes of a top-six spot are to be realised.
The fixture list reshuffle has placed the Ports with five rearranged games - against Glentoran (H), Coleraine (A), Institute (H), Lisburn Distillery (H) and Glenavon (A).
There was much controversy over the calling-off of last Saturday's game with Distillery - with the referee firstly passing the pitch and then changing his mind an hour before the scheduled kick-off.
Tomorrow's game at Dungannon kicks off at 3 o' clock.
