“THE chairman, board of directors and officials of Portadown Football Club take ultimate and full responsibility for the failure of the club to ensure that the application form to the new Irish League Invitational League was lodged before the 4.00pm deadline on Monday, March 31.

“We realise that our supporters will be greatly disappointed and, in some cases, disillusioned by this turn of events.

“I can assure those supporters that no-one feels that disappointment more keenly and personally than the board of directors and officials.

“We have worked extremely hard over the past number of years to ensure that Portadown Football Club is one of the leading sides in local football.

“We have spent considerable time and effort and invested substantial amounts of money to ensure that Shamrock Park was brought up to standard to help gain entry into the new league.

“The club indicated its intention to the IFA to join the new league during the original process in June 2007 and when the second application process began in January 2008.

“As I have said, we made strenuous efforts to improve both playing and spectator facilities at Shamrock Park to try and gain as many assessment points as we could in the assessment process.

“Without trying to deflect from our failure and the justified criticism from supporters, we are nonetheless disappointed at the IFA’s attitude in allowing an administrative deadline to overrule all the ground improvement work we have done, our playing record over the last 18 years and the financial restructuring of the club which we have overseen.

“While we continue to explore, within the confines of sport, the possibility of pursuing a further appeal against the IFA appeals board decision, we are, nevertheless, faced with the real and immediate prospect of the club playing in the new Intermediate League in the season 2008/09.

“I can assure the supporters that it will be the over-riding objective of everyone at the club - the directors, officials, manger and players - to ensure that promotion is gained in the 2008/09 season from the Intermediate League to the new Premier League.

“Supporters can be assured that the directors will make every effort to ensure that our manager, Ronnie McFall, is put in as strong a position as possible to strengthen his playing squad and ensure that promotion is obtained.

“I do not feel that this is the time for Portadown Football Club to ‘turn in on itself’ in a self-destructive bout of apportioning blame for the current situation.

“It is important, rather, that we go forward as a united club with the immediate goal of winning promotion from the Intermediate League and the ultimate aim of bringing the Gibson Cup back to Shamrock Park again.

“This cannot be achieved without the help of our loyal and faithful supporters.