Portadown Football Club can confirm that manager, David Jeffrey MBE, has bolstered his backroom team by appointing Jim Ervin as first team coach. Ervin won a host of major honours during a playing career that included spells with Linfield, Ballymena and Carrick Rangers, spending almost a decade with Linfield, collecting no fewer than 14 winners’ medals including six league titles and four Irish Cups and was part of the historic ‘clean sweep’ Linfield side in 2004/05. The highly decorated defender would also captain Ballymena United to County Antrim Shield and League Cup victories before retiring to take the reins at the Ballymena Showgrounds in 2023. On the appointment of Jim to his staff, Ports manager David Jeffrey commented, I’m delighted Jim has agreed to join us at Portadown, a man with great character and integrity who both David Douglas and myself wanted working alongside us as we begin building the staff around us here at Shamrock Park. I obviously managed Jim as a player at both Linfield and Ballymena United where we had an outstanding working relationship, so much so that I made him my captain at the Showgrounds. Jim has played at the top level of Irish League football for the best part of 20 years and is currently completing his pro licence. He is someone who knows the demands and what is expected and displays the same level of hunger and professionalism off the pitch as he did on it – so much so that he has penned a deal in length that mirrors both David and myself which shows me just how much he’s committed to this club and helping us move forward. On joining David Jeffrey’s backroom team, Jim added I’m delighted and feel privileged to be asked by David to become his first team coach. It all happened very quickly after first speaking to him on the phone and then meeting in person. I know David very well and I am looking forward to working alongside him at Shamrock Park.