Shamrock Park

Shamrock Park is a football stadium in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It serves as the home ground for Portadown F.C. The stadium previously hosted stock-car racing before switching to football. It is an all-seater venue with two seated stands totalling 2,770 seats. One side of the pitch includes a training area, while the other has an older stand that is no longer in use. Plans exist to demolish the old stand and replace it with a new seated structure when funding becomes available. The stadium underwent significant redevelopment with a £1.8-million stand built in 2008, increasing seating capacity by 1,840. This stand, named The MET Steel Stand after its sponsors, replaced an older section. The pitch was repositioned closer to the Chalet end to improve viewing angles for spectators. New 800 lux floodlights were installed at each corner of the pitch in early 2009, enhancing match visibility. Shamrock Park has hosted several international matches, including under-age fixtures for Northern Ireland. It welcomed the under-21 team against Ukraine in 2009 and an under-23 match against Wales later that year. In 2014, the Sweden women’s national team played Northern Ireland there, though the Swedish manager criticised the pitch and facilities. The stadium remains a key venue for local football and occasional international events.