PORTSTEWART F.C
19 Jul 2011

 Although there are records of teams playing under the name of PORTSTEWART as far back as 1926 the club as we know it was formed in 1968 when a team led by TONY McKEAGUE were invited to compete in the newly formed Castlerock and Coleraine district league. Their debut season was a succesful one and after winning the afternoon section the competed for the Doherty Cup, against morning section winners Macosquin, running out 4-1 winners.The next season the club progressed into the North West league div 2 and another succesful season resulted in the team earning promotion to div 1 as champions.
       After a mid table finish to the 1st season in div 1 the seasiders gradually improved with a runners up spot in 1971/72 before winning the league and cup double the following season!
         Portstewart took another stride forward in 1979 when the applied to join the NW intermediate league, starting their campaign against Derry City before a few weeksk later opening a new pavillion at The Warren against RUC. But perhaps the most defining momentb in the clubs history came when they appointed Frankie Moffat for the first of two spells as manager in 1984. Basher delivered the league title in his first year in charge and followed this up with success inthe NW challenge and NW league cup competotions before leaving to take up posts with Ballymoney Utd and hometown Coleraine. Portstewart then had a number of various managers unable to bring any success before Frankie returned in 1991.
        Frankie Moffatts return once again saw the club challenging for honours going very close to claiming the league title with a number of runner up slots ,once being the only club to defeat champions Donegal Celtic and most notably losing out on goals scored to the same side!
           The club was also finding joy in cup competitions and had some great runs in the Bass Irish Cup progressing to the latter stages on numerous occasions against senior opposition. Two of the most notable being an away trip to windsor park to face Linfield and a local derby against Coleraine which th eseasiders narrowly lost to a single goal. Cup competitions also provided silverware  in the shape of NW challenge and NW league cups, both trophys being won twice as Moffatts team continued to improve. However the clubs greatest success came when they created history in 1994 when they defeated Limavady Utd 1-0 in the final of the William Youngers Intermediate Cup final, becoming the first junior team in over 100 years of the competition to lift the trophy. This triumph led to further progress on and off the pitch and plans were put in place to develop the clubs own ground,and in 1998 Portstewart  moved to a new facility  at Mullaghcall and installed Harry Gregg as club President. This was followed in 2003 when Portstewart were accepted into newly created Irish league Division 2 .
        Frankie Moffatts decision to step down as manager resulted in  his assistant Trevor McKendry taking charge of team affairs, and under his leadership Portstewart continued to grow. Trevor led his team to the NW cup final in 2004 when they were narrowly defeated by Tobermore, but a year later came the cluds greatest achievement. Season 2005/06 once again saw Portstewart being crowned league champions, when they won the title by one point and promotion to 2nd tier of Irish League football for the first time. This was followed a year later when they gained revenge on Tobermore, lifting the Craig Memorial NW cup after a 2-1.
           A further revamp in the Irish league saw a number of clubs demoted in 2008 into an interim league until  ground improvements were completed. The new stand was built in 2009 and the club once again entered into the reformed irish league,unfortunately without the leadership of Mckendry who had left to become assistant manager at Limavady.
           At present the  club competes in the Ladbrokes Championship under the leadership of player/manager Gary Taylor.