BASINGSTOKE Town mascot Stokie the Dragon is to undergo a regeneration.

Richard Midgley, who has been the man behind the costume for the past few years, is set to step aside, with Nigel Keyte taking over the role.

Midgley, who completed the London Marathon dressed as Stokie, has enjoyed his time as the club’s mascot, but says it is time for somebody else to take over.

“I’ve had a fantastic few years as caretaker of my good friend Stokie,” he said. “Now, it’s time for someone else to come in and give Stokie another dimension of his personality – and I’m pleased to hand over to Nigel.”

Nigel added: “This is fantastic for me because I’m a huge fan of Stokie. What self-respecting Basingstoke Town fan wouldn’t be?

“I’ve even had a special dragon tattoo done to celebrate my new role and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone. I’m excited to be helping Stokie create the perfect atmosphere to spur the team on to plenty of wins.”