'Start to smile... the season is almost upon us' says Chairman Giles Clarke

With the new 2003 cricket season creeping ever closer The thoughts of everyone at Somerset County Cricket Club are firmly focussed on the start of the new cricket season in April, and none more than Giles Clarke the newly appointed Chairman of the Club.

Looking ahead to the new season Mr Clarke has sent the following message to all website readers:

"As a Life Member I would normally be looking forward to a new season anyway but as your Chairman, my expectations and excitement are heightened by the honour bestowed upon me.

Of course, results on the field determine satisfaction but I believe also that the way Somerset play their cricket is important too. The safe, disciplined, professional approach of playing cricket has to be garnished with a bit of style or, if you like, entertainment.

As your Chief Executive is prone to say, the manner in which Somerset lose is almost as important as Somerset winning. He may be right because I know how demoralising it is to sit there and watch our beloved Somerset steamrollered by the opposition without seemingly a whimper. If and when we lose, Somerset need to do it with all guns blazing.

I must say that I have been mightily impressed in the way Kevin Shine and his coaching team have been preparing our players this winter. Without wanting to dwell on this matter, after last season, confidences had to be re-built and individual techniques re-honed.

Someone asked at the AGM whether or not the players really felt they had let the Club down last year. I think your Chief Executive was right in reply saying although it may not have showed in what the players said or the way in which they portrayed themselves, they were acutely embarrassed. Anyway, from what I have seen and been told our players really are up for putting matters right. They will need on occasions the rub of the green to be successful - that is cricket - but it will not be for the want of trying if success doesn't come.

Off the field I am leading a small team looking at how our wonderful County Ground can be expanded. Somerset needs to be in there pitching to host International matches. Then, of course, there is the matter of expanding Somerset's income base. There isn't a problem managing efficiently the levels of income so far achieved and frankly, wearing my entrepreneurial hat, Somerset is a well run professional Club. But we do need to up the levels of income if Somerset are to survive. This will have mine and my Deputy, Andy Nash, full attention.

So, the season is nearing and welcome to our website. Visits to it last year topped 1.5 million in the month of August so there is a high level of interest in our Club. There will be a Newsletter issued mid March in which I hope to expand on some of the plans I feel Somerset ought to aspire to. In the meantime, start to smile. The season is almost upon us."