Somerset may not have enjoyed the best of seasons on the field but membership of the Junior Sabres section of the Club is running at an all time high.

The 2002 figures of the membership category that includes all youngsters up to the age of twenty one shows that this season 827 young people joined the club, an increase of nearly one hundred on 2001.

Membership secretary Jo Arnold told me: " Over the last five years the junior membership has almost doubled which is a very healthy sign for the future of the club, and means that all the hard work of trying to attract youngsters to join the club is paying off. It really is very encouraging."

This season has seen the introduction of `Stumpy' the friendly dragon mascot who made his first appearance at the County Ground in May.

Stumpy has become a very popular addition to the Junior Sabres scene, and has achieved something of a cult following, to the point that a song entitled `Here comes Stumpy' has been recorded by a local band.

After his strenuous summer Stumpy is taking a well earned rest, but Jo Arnold is planning to keep him very much in Junior Sabres minds during the closed season.

With Christmas approaching Jo is asking all Junior Sabre members to send in their designs for a Stumpy Christmas card and she is also hoping to produce a 2003 Stumpy Calendar and Stumpy mug, all of which will make ideal Christmas presents.

Jo Arnold is already setting her sights on next season. She told me: "What I would really like to see next season is for the Junior Sabres to top the 1000 mark," and judging by the amount of interest that there has already been this is more than possible.

© SOMERSET