Former Petersfield Town manager and head of football Mark Summerhill says he looks back at his time at the club with pride.

Summerhill was involved with the first team for six seasons at Love Lane.

He was first-team manager for five seasons, having initially joined as a coach, before moving to a head of football role last summer to work alongside co-managers Pat Suraci and Joe Lea.

Suraci and Lea were unveiled as co-managers of Southern League Premier South Division outfit Gosport Borough last week.

Summerhill was confirmed as Gosport’s football operations manager on Monday.

The trio left Love Lane on a high after sealing promotion from Division One of the Wessex League with a penalty shoot-out victory against New Milton Town in the play-off final. The Rams also reached the Wessex League Cup final this season, going down 4-2 against Premier Division Baffins Milton Rovers.

Summerhill said: “I’m leaving with immense pride. I walked into a car crash of a football club without a penny to its name.

“I came to the club as a coach, but by Christmas I was manager.

“The aim in that first season was to keep the club afloat.

“We achieved the best run in the FA Vase in the club’s history during my time, and had to cope with two Covid-hit seasons.

“We never disgraced ourselves against higher-ranked opponents, losing only 1-0 against National League Eastleigh, 2-1 against AFC Totton and 1-0 against Gosport Borough.

“Everything I achieved at the club was always built on spirit and camaraderie. This season was a great season, and when I got offered the opportunity to go to Gosport with Pat and Joe I couldn’t turn it down.

“Other than winning the Wessex League Cup final, it’s the perfect time to leave.

“You can only be at a club for so long, and after six years it feels like job done. I look back at my time at Petersfield with pride.”

Summerhill is looking forward to his new role at Gosport, but he will still have links with Petersfield as part of the partnership between the two clubs which started last summer.

“As football operations manager at Gosport I will help Pat and Joe on the football side,” said Summerhill.

“The partnership between Gosport and Petersfield is continuing, and part of my role will be to look after the partnership.”