PORTLAND United chairman Robin Satherley is “extremely proud” of how far the Blues have come both on and off the field in recent times.

The island chairman saw his side promoted from the Dorset Premier League (DPL) back to the Wessex League structure last year and then secure the Sydenhams Wessex Division One title in their first season.

As well as starting with four wins from their first five Wessex Premier Division games on the pitch, the Blues have seen a rise in home gates, currently averaging 162 at Grove Corner.

And those numbers attending would have seen a vast improvement to the facilities at the island club’s home in recent times.

The installation of new floodlights for the start of the 2015/16 season has now been followed by this summer’s inclusion of a new pitch barrier, perimeter paths and ground equipment for maintaining the playing surface.

Satherley revealed that the total of £100,000 to make the improvements has been majority funded by a 70 per cent grant from the Football Foundation and has provided the club with facilities he claims are “second to none” throughout the Wessex League.

The chairman is hopeful of seeing a gate of more than 200 in attendance when Portland host Blackfield & Langley, who could bring ex-Terras Sam Poole, Luke Winsper and Tim Sills to Grove Corner this Saturday (3pm).

Speaking about how far the club have come, he told Echosport: “This is the best I have seen Portland United Football Club running as a complete unit on the football side and the committee side.

“I am extremely proud but the committee as a whole have worked extremely hard.

“I feel as though we are in a very good spot on the pitch as well.

“Gary Bailey, Mark Carter and the coaching staff are doing an excellent job and we have tried to match their efforts by upgrading our facilities.

“I think anybody who hasn’t been to the ground in the last couple of months will be in for a bit of a shock.”

He added: “We are also very grateful to the Football Foundation for helping us with their 70 per cent grant, £100,000 is a lot of money to spend on a football club and that’s what it is.

“We have to watch our pennies very carefully like any other football club.

“We budgeted very carefully for the work we have had done and it is well within our means to complete the financial package we have undertaken.

“Our sponsorship has also been tremendous, without their (the sponsors') help we could not be where we are today.”

Manager Bailey added: “It has been a work in progress and the club has made huge strides.

“When we made our mind up that we were going to try and get ourselves out of the DPL, the momentum gathered to get the ground up to standard and make that step has just gone on at pace from there.

“It’s what goes on off the pitch that enables us to be successful on it.”