View source for Portstewart F.C.

{{short description|Association football club in Northern Ireland}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Portstewart
| fullname = Portstewart Football Club
| nickname = The Seahawks
| image = Portstewart FC.png
| upright = 0.9
| founded = 1968
| ground = Mullaghacall, [[Portstewart]], [[County Londonderry]], [[Northern Ireland]]
| capacity = 1,500
| chairman = Freddie McGowan
| manager = Mo Mahon
| league = [[NIFL Premier Intermediate League]]
| season = [[2024–25 NIFL Premier Intermediate League|2024–25]]
| position = [[NIFL Premier Intermediate League]], 8th of 14
| website = https://portstewartfc.co.uk
| pattern_la1 = _whitelines
| pattern_b1 = _vneckwhite
| pattern_ra1 = _whitelines
| leftarm1 = 87CEFA
| body1 = 87CEFA
| rightarm1 = 87CEFA
| shorts1 = 000080
| socks1 = 000080
| pattern_la2 = _whitelines
| pattern_b2 = 
| pattern_ra2 = _whitelines
| leftarm2 = 000080
| body2 = 000080
| rightarm2 = 000080
| shorts2 = 000080
| socks2 = 000080|
}}
'''Portstewart Football Club''' is an intermediate, Northern Irish [[association football|football]] club from [[Portstewart]], [[County Londonderry]]. Founded in 1968,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/northern-ireland/portstewart-fc/5070/|title=Northern Ireland - Portstewart FC - Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos and news - Soccerway}}</ref> as of 2024 the club was playing in the [[NIFL Premier Intermediate League]]. The club's main colours are sky blue and navy. Portstewart are nicknamed "The Seahawks". Portstewart Reserves play in the Coleraine and District Morning League.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.leaguewebsite.co.uk/coleraineanddistrictleague/TeamDirectories?div=14934&category=all&team=191865|title = Pitchero League Websites - Manage your league and create an awesome website}}</ref> In 2019, the club introduced an Under 20s team, to play in the Championship/PIL Development League.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nifootballleague.com/championship-pil-development/table|title = Home}}</ref>

==History==

Although there are records of teams playing under the name of [[Portstewart]] as early as 1926, Portstewart Football Club was founded in 1968, to play in the Castlerock and Coleraine District League afternoon section. The new club won the league and the Doherty Cup in their debut season. The next season, the club progressed into the North West League Division 2 and earned promotion to the North West Division 1.

In 1979, Portstewart applied to join the Northern Ireland Intermediate League (NIIL). The most defining moment in the club's history came when they appointed Frankie Moffatt,{{or-inline|date=March 2025}} for the first of two spells, as manager in 1984. Moffatt delivered the league title in his first year in charge and followed this up with success in the NIIL Challenge Cup and NIIL League Cup. Following spells at [[Ballymoney United]] and then [[Coleraine F.C.|Coleraine]], Moffatt returned as manager in 1991.{{fact|date=March 2025}}

Portstewart created history in 1994, when they defeated [[Limavady United|Limavady Utd]] 1–0 in the William Youngers Intermediate Cup final, becoming the first junior team in over 100 years of the competition to lift the trophy. In 2003, Portstewart were accepted into newly created [[NIFL Championship|Irish league Division 2]].

Moffatt's decision to step down as manager resulted in his assistant Trevor McKendry taking charge of team affairs. McKendry led the team to the [[Craig Memorial Cup|North West Cup]] final in 2004 when they were narrowly defeated by [[Tobermore United]]. In the 2005/06 season, when Portstewart gained promotion to second tier of Irish League football for the first time in the club's history. Portstewart won the 2007/08 [[Craig Memorial Cup]] beating Tobermore United, 2–1.{{fact|date=March 2025}}

In 2016, the club was relegated from the [[Northern Ireland Football League]], but was promoted back after one season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.colerainetimes.co.uk/sport/football/football-three-and-easy-for-portstewart-1-7981948|title = Football: Three and easy for Portstewart}}</ref> The 2016/17 season saw Portstewart win the [[Northern Ireland Intermediate League]], Intermediate Challenge Cup and Intermediate League Cup. The club also reached the fifth round of the [[Irish Cup]] where they got defeated by [[Glenavon F.C.|Glenavon]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/38544830|title = Holders Glenavon end Portstewart's cup dreams|work = BBC Sport}}</ref>

In the 2017/18 season, Portstewart reached the final of [[Craig Memorial Cup]], losing 2–1 to [[Maiden City F.C.|Maiden City]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/irish-league/maiden-victory-highlights-the-magic-of-cup-in-festive-final-36438494.html|title = Maiden victory highlights the magic of Cup in festive final|newspaper = Belfasttelegraph}}</ref> On 17 July 2018, the club announced the resignation of long-serving manager and former captain, Gary Taylor. 3 days later, Johnny Law was appointed as the new manager.{{fact|date=March 2025}}

During the 2018/19 season, a match between Portstewart and Sport & Leisure Swifts was abandoned after 70 minutes when a fan joined a "mass brawl" between players and coaches.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/portstewartsport-leisure-swifts-match-abandoned-after-fan-attacks-player-37706880.html|title=Portstewart-Sport & Leisure Swifts match abandoned after fan attacks player|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph}}</ref> Further controversy followed when Portstewart lost their place in the [[Irish Intermediate Cup]] final, following a protest from Queen's University about the eligibility of one of Portstewart's players.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/football/portstewart-lose-intermediate-cup-final-spot-after-queen-s-protest-1-8889354|title = Portstewart lose Intermediate Cup final spot after Queen's protest}}</ref>

Portstewart beat Moyola Park 1–0, to win the 2019 [[Craig Memorial Cup]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://news.causewaycoastcommunity.co.uk/local-news/portstewart-claim-this-years-betmclean-craig-memorial-north-west-cup-at-a-rain-drenched-fortwilliam-park-on-boxing-day-morning/| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201026003521/https://news.causewaycoastcommunity.co.uk/local-news/portstewart-claim-this-years-betmclean-craig-memorial-north-west-cup-at-a-rain-drenched-fortwilliam-park-on-boxing-day-morning/| archive-date = 2020-10-26| title = Portstewart claim this years BetMcLean Craig Memorial North-West Cup at a rain drenched Fortwilliam Park on Boxing Day morning – Causeway Coast News}} </ref> The 2019/20 season was disrupted in March by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], with the club still unbeaten in the league and sitting 2nd after 14 games.{{update-inline|date=March 2025}}

==Stadium==

The club's home ground, Mullaghacall, was officially opened in 1997 by [[Harry Gregg]] MBE. A revamp in the Irish league saw a number of clubs demoted in 2008 into an interim league until ground improvements were completed. A new stand was built at Mullaghacall in 2009 and the club once again entered into the reformed Irish league. The Mullaghacall ground has regularly hosted games in the [[SuperCupNI]] youth tournament.{{fact|date=March 2025}}

==Honours==

===Intermediate honours===
*'''[[Irish Intermediate Cup]]: 1'''
**1993–94
*'''[[IFA Championship|IFA Intermediate Second Division]]: 1'''
**2005–06
*'''[[Craig Memorial Cup]]: 4'''
**1985–86, 2007–08, 2019–20, 2021–22
*'''[[Northern Ireland Intermediate League]]: 2'''
**1984–85, 2016–17
*'''[[Northern Ireland Intermediate League|Intermediate Challenge Cup]]: 1'''
**2016–17
*'''[[Northern Ireland Intermediate League|Intermediate League Cup]]: 1'''
**2016–17

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official|https://portstewartfc.co.uk/}}

{{Football in Northern Ireland}} 
{{NIFL league}}

[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1968]]
[[Category:Association football clubs in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Association football clubs in County Londonderry]]
[[Category:1968 establishments in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:NIFL Premier Intermediate League clubs]]
[[Category:Portstewart|FC]]