Current PST board member Michael Saunders has decided not to stand for re-election in the forthcoming PST Elections having served six years on the PST board. Mike, a locally based registered architect always had a defined role on the Trust Board covering stadium and infrastructure matters and under that role he was a part of the PST Board which formulated the bid which resulted in the purchase of Portsmouth FC in 2013.
Here's what Mike had to say about his time on the PST Board:
“Six years is far longer than I originally envisaged I'd serve and I feel the timing of the takeover formed a good break to have some new faces on the PST Board to take it into the new era. Now is a nice time to step aside knowing the club is in such a healthier place than it was six years ago, and knowing what a huge part the PST played in achieving that. Being a PST Board Member has been a very rewarding experience and an amazing roller-coaster.
My role on the Board was always very defined by my love and knowledge of Fratton Park and it was a pleasure to work on issues relating to it, most notably the Tesco deal where I successfully argued for extra land for the Club, and the training ground at Roko, where as part of the project team I produced the planning drawings and submitted and managed the various planning applications. It's always pleasing to pass the site on Copnor Road and see what a great legacy the Community era left for PFC's future with that facility.
Many projects went on in the background as the PST assisted the Club in formulating future strategies. I worked with the Club Chairman Iain McInnes on ways to resolve the issues at the Milton End including plans to completely rebuild it. In the last 18 months I headed the PST Stadium Groups drawn from the PST membership which have produced two professional and well balanced reports regarding a long term strategy for relocation or regeneration of the Fratton site,I know these reports have been passed on to Tornante and I believe show the worth the PST can still bring to the club moving forwards. I hope to see these reports published to the PST Members in due course.
The PST still has an important part to play in Pompey's future, not only by providing three Board Members to the Heritage Advisory Board, but to also keep a link between fans and the club's day to day running and provide a watching brief to ensure the mistakes of the past are not repeated. The Trust had been around for four years before the Community Club era and one of the key factors in the PST Bid's success was that the Trust was already established and organised, that situation must always remain. The fans of Portsmouth FC require a strong PST.
I'd like to thank all my fellow PST Board Members and Officers past and present for their support and selfless devotion to the cause, a cause I will continue to champion as a PST Member, and I wish all the best to those who will be seeking election in the coming weeks.“
Ashley Brown added “Mike has been an important member of the PST Board for the last six years. His unparalleled knowledge of the history of Fratton Park and experience as an architect have been a great benefit to the club and the PST. The contribution he made to the training ground will be of huge benefit to the club in the future. On a personal note I am glad the PST gave me the chance to get to know Mike and the opportunity to work with him. We will miss his involvement and wish him all the best for the future.”