By Rory McKee
ARDS Football Club chairman Warren Patton has rejected the idea that NIFL Championship clubs not in the mix for promotion and no longer in cup competitions have got little to play for between now and the end of the season.
As part of a restructuring of the football pyrimad below Northern Ireland’s second tier, relegation from the Championship has been taken off the table for the current campaign.
That’s because the division is set to be expanded to include 16 teams from the start of the 2026/27 season, with the top four clubs in the current Premier Intermediate League being promoted while the remainder of the third tier take their place in the new National Conference League.
A run of eight straight league defeats between mid-October and late November firmly quashed any pre-season thoughts which Ards might have had around challenging at the top end of the Championship, and last weekend they exited the Irish Cup at the fifth round stage with defeat to current holders Dungannon Swifts.
That would lead many to conclude there is nothing tangible left to gain from this season for Ards, however Patton says he ‘doesn’t buy into’ the suggestion.
“I am a winner and finishing in the bottom half of the table isn’t good enough for Ards FC,” he said.
“We will definitely be pushing to at least get into the top six and we also want to blood some of our younger players through,” added the chairman.
“Jack Martindale and Cameron Kelly have both done really well since coming into the first team and we want to continue giving these young, local guys their chance.”
On Saturday’s cup clash at Stangmore Park, Patton said: “We knew that it was going to be a tough game, and I feared the worst after 35 minutes.
“But fair play to the boys for their performance in the second half. I came back up the road disappointed to have gone out, but not with the performance,” he said, also acknowledging the large travelling support which made the trip from Newtownards.
Although the January transfer window is well underway, Patton said he ‘doesn’t expect’ the club to be doing much business this month.
The Red and Blues chairman has also provided a positive update on planning permission for their proposed new ground on the Portaferry Road – which in the autumn suffered a major setback after it was not chosen to advance as part of the NI Executive’s delay-stricken stadia fund.
“Work has been continuing and we hope for our application to be in front of the planning committee in early February,” revealed Patton.
“Once we get planning over the line, it opens up so many avenues for private investment and other funding streams.”
