Gary Thompson: Championship Footballer of the Year award is 'icing on the cake' after special season for Portadown

The 33-year-old, who arrived at Shamrock Park from Crusaders last summer, seen off competition from teammate Eamon Fyfe and Bangor talisman Scott McArthur to lift the individual accolade at Tuesday’s Ulster Footballer of the Year awards ceremony in Belfast, where Linfield midfielder Kyle McClean won the main prize and Marissa Callaghan was named Women’s Player of the Year.

Thompson successfully led Portadown to the second-tier title as Niall Currie’s men bounced back to the top-flight at the first attempt while also winning the Mid-Ulster Cup and setting up a BetMcLean Cup final against Linfield, becoming only the third Championship team to ever reach that stage.

He made 34 league appearances, marshalling the Ports midfield alongside bringing crucial leadership qualities which helped the County Armagh club navigate some choppy waters, and the ex-Ballymena United ace now looks back on the campaign with a great sense of satisfaction.

Championship Footballer of the Year winner Gary Thompson receives the award from Gerard Lawlor and Castlereagh Glentoran Supporters Club member Dan Boyd. PIC: Andrew McCarroll/ Pacemaker Press

"I'm really proud,” he said. “It's a prestigious award and something I never expected...you only get to enjoy it really when the team is successful so it was icing on the cake of a good season.

"Parts of it were really difficult and other parts were great - it was a bit of a rollercoaster. Now when you look back on it as a whole it was an unbelievable season with winning the league, the Mid-Ulster Cup and getting to the final of the BetMcLean Cup.

"We hadn't lost a cup game until the start of March. Looking back having won the league it really was a special season for the club and for the lads.

"We always seemed to bounce back (from tough results). There were a few difficult moments, especially in the league, and any time you lost a game because of the expectation it seemed like bigger than just one defeat.

"Thankfully the lads really dug in and when it came to the business end of the season we went on a run. It was close...credit to Institute, Bangor, Dundela, Annagh - they were all up there and made it tough. To come out on top was a sweet feeling."

Thompson took over club captaincy in September after Paddy McNally announced an indefinite break from football due to family reasons and while wearing the armband didn’t change his game, he says it was a great honour to lead a “great club”.

"It wasn't something I expected or spoke to Niall about when I signed,” he added. “Paddy left which was disappointing because I know Paddy and he's a great lad and player.

"Niall came and asked me if I'd do it and I was only too happy to. I always feel like I've been vocal in the changing room and it's part of my personality before games and in training.

"I didn't change and just stayed the same as I was whether I was captain or not. That'll be the same in the future and I just try to be myself. I'm very proud to captain Portadown because it's a great club with a great community there. To captain them is something my family and I are very proud of."

Thompson also reserved special praise for the club’s supporters, who turned up in their numbers every week – including singing for 90 minutes at Windsor Park in March despite the scoreline – and was delighted to reward them with promotion.

"Our crowds were unbelievable,” he said. “I'd heard big things about it before I got there, but I was taken back by how good they were.

"Even in some of the low moments they continued to come in their numbers and although we didn't win, one of the proudest moments was 3-0 down in the League Cup final at Windsor and our fans kept going.

"I was proud of the players too that day...I looked at Aaron Hogg with about 30 minutes to go and said this could be a long half-an-hour! The boys dug in and there was no quit in us. That was a special day even though we didn't get the right result."