Portadown lose appeals against IFA sanctions

Portadown FC have lost their appeals against the IFA over disciplinary action taken against the club, with a 12-point deduction to stand and Coleraine to be awarded a 3-0 win for their postponed game.

The decision of the IFA’s Appeals Committee means Portadown forfeit the postponed game and stay firmly at the bottom of the league table on -6 points, while Coleraine will jump from fifth to third.

Portadown had been appealing against the finding that the club breached rules around payments made to players, and against their subsequent suspension over non-payment of fines.

In the IFA Appeals Board ruling, made public on Tuesday, chairman Joseph McCrisken said: “It is our view that Portadown did not act with the transparency and integrity which was expected of them.

“Instead, representatives from the club signed a player on a contract which was not dated, then at a later stage amended the contract by writing over some of the characters and scribbling out others so that the IFA would think that the player was not being paid for six months when he in fact was.

“The club representatives said that they were unable to tell us who the mystery person was that had amended the contract and sought to deceive the IFA.”

The board found that Portadown’s suspension should have remained in effect until 8 August 2016.

Since Portadown had a game against Coleraine on 6 August, that match is declared forfeit and the tie awarded to Coleraine with a score of 3-0.