There was a letter in paper today saying there is a vacancy at the cougars and that the writer encourages folk contact club to back Neil Spencer for the work and time he has put in over the years.

Does anyone know what the tole actually covers or os it as I am guessing is a figure head sort of thing.

Is this a new position as I do not recall hearing about it previously buy good luck to anyone that gets nominated and is eventually successful.

I couldn't care less what the role covers. He shouldn't be allowed anywhere near it.

This guy should never been given a life membership, his picture in the hall of fame should have been torn down and burnt in the middle of the pitch. It downright pi55es me off every time I see his face at Cougar Park.

Does whoever wrote this letter expect us to forgive all the bad things he did to our club and nominate him for such a title? Really?

I would like to think that our board of directors are of sound enough mind and judgement as to not even consider him for such an esteemed position. In my opinion it would be counter-productive to all their hard work and progress they have made in building bridges with the fans in the last 18 months or so to bring back the guy who almost destroyed our club.

Have to agree with points you raise, the letter was in Keighley News.

Not sure as Stealth said why the writer thinks that but the club went bust on a few occasions under his stewardship so could be seen as rewarding failure.

I have to agree also, you only have to look at what rewarding failure has done to society today

The Cougars have set up some fantastic schemes over many years that nurture and reward people for their efforts, it would be completely wrong and a seriously bad error for the Cougars to reward for failure now

Couldnt have put it better myself

If anyone should get this. its Rach.
She has been a stalwart of the club for years.

Working behind the scenes in all that time.

Not at all mate ...

Now someone like Ann Self who did the club shop for all those years , Keith our honorary matchday Car Park attendent in all weathers, John Pitchforth Clubs historian and statistician for donkeys , Alan Midgley , scoreboard man despite not being in the best of health, Colin Spencer raffle ticket seller extraordinaire and reserve team gateman or Carol and Maureen , devoted fans , supporters club stalwarts and past players reunion head honchos ( watch those girls still giggle like teenagers when Terry Holindrake talks to them !)
And dont forget SuperFan Sue Dodds ...... all should be given the freedom of Cougar Park and any daft title that goes with it .

Do you think that this title will go to anyone on ground level??

Probably not, but it should do. And it would be a good move by the club.

Rach for me, same reasons as Jim

I know we don't always agree on everything, but I would never question her commitment.

Vote for Rach!

Maybe we should get some t-shirts done in true Napoleon Dynamite style!

Would agree with that although Rach has put forward some good contenders herself.

Thats the type of answer i expected from you Rach.
That makes it even more important you get.

You are always working hard in the background, just like a lot of people you mentioned.

You still get my vote.

Didnt read the letter but where has all this come from??

Keighley News letters page this week

Rach why is there a "vacancy"? What is the criteria and what does the owenr of the role receive?? By the way I too think you should get it xx

I reckon this could be a role for representing the club when no board members can make it for away games or meetings with the RFL.

Sue Dodd for me in that case, but certainly no objection otherwise for Rach getting the role

Hi I'm the guy who wrote the original letter so let me first say that I too am very appreciative of everyone who works on behalf of Cougars whether in a paid capacity or not so you won't hear me knocking them. Let me also say that I wish the current Directors every success as that will also mean success for Cougars; it may also stop them being vilified by ill-informed people in the way that Neil Spencer has been should their stated intention of Super- league in 5(?) years not be achieved.
I totally support the right of any supporter to express a view, I accept that they may,or may not, agree with me but can we please get the facts right.
Talk of burning photographs in the middle of the pitch because of "what he has done"? Come off it!
Lets get the facts first.
Neil Spencer has devoted literally thousands of unpaid hours, over a period of 26 years to Cougars. He has invested tens of thousands of pounds of his own hard earned cash to Cougars. He has been, and remains, a lifelong supporter of Cougars and is still working for Cougars and the Keighley community in his role with the Academy/Foundation.
Cut him open and it will read Cougars all the way through from top to bottom.
Neil Spencer has stuck by Cougars through thick and thin when others have walked away. He deserves rather better than people sniping from the shadows anonymously.

Let's bring some other facts to the table then, not just the carefully selected ones that you have posted in order to construct your contribution to this debate.

Neil Spencer presided over the club when it went in to administration on more than one occasion.

Neil Spencer misled fans, the very life blood of this club, by telling them after winning the Grand Final a couple of years ago that the clubs finances were in good shape and we were in a position to make all the signings necessary in order to make us a competitive outfit in the Championship. The truth was we were hundreds of thousands of pounds in debt and 10 weeks away from going in to administration and receiving a 9 point penalty condemning us to almost certain relegation. Many fans have walked away from the club for good because of this. He's never apologised.

Neil Spencer would fail the RFL's fit and proper person test for being a director of the club, so why then should he be considered fit and proper to be a club president?

To be honest I could go on and on and probably break half the AUP whilst I'm at it. The fact is that his time has been and gone, his guardianship of the club was fraught with turmoil and strife and we nearly went out of business altogether. We need to move on and move forwards. Appointing him as a club president would, in my opinion, be a backwards step.

My final twopenneth word on this, to the best of my understanding one of the conditions set by the rfl before the current directors could be allowed to run the club was that Neil Spencer cannot hold any role in the club as has been alluded to the rfl deemed him not fit and proper person so I cannot see how even if the directors were considering Neil that they would be allowed.

There are in my view others that have been mentioned by posters far more well deserving people at the club.

Franka you seem to be missing the point you must be only fan that I am aware of that actually believes Neil brought club to oblivion and I for one after hearing all the crap after grand final win that financially the club was ok, clearly this was misleading to say the least and the way he treated Barry Eaton and the players and fans is unforgiveable and I almost called it a day at going to watch the club.

The time Neil spent at the club was a personal choice and has no relevance to the fact regardless of the actual sums involved destroyed peoples and rfls faith in his running of the club, remember this was not the first time.

By even considering Neil for this role is rewarding failure and as Stealth said previously Neil liked all the back slapping when things were looking good and when things went wrong has never apologised to the club, fans or anyone so it is an insult to anyone who has supported the club and would alienate everyone bar yourself.

Using your logic why not employ Andy Coulson as communications director.

Can I just add a few words.? First I note that the points I made about what Neil has done for Cougars is not challenged and I am pleased about that because they are irrefutable facts. Secondly, I don't know where the information that Cougars owed hundreds of thousands of pounds came from as I understood it to be considerably less than £100k owed to the tax man. If I am wrong then you must have a direct line into Cougar finances...
Regarding the RFL; the post of Life President is an honorary role and he or she is not involved in the running of the club. Neil has, with others, tried to make Cougars successful. I believe it is better to attempt something, no matter how difficult it may be, than to not take up the challenge.If everyone just stood by Cougars would have been gone years ago.
I might also add that over the years many players have enjoyed life as part of the extended family of Neil and Maureen, at no cost to the club, and they keep in touch because of their warm memories.
Finally, Neil has gained nothing personally during 26 years of supporting Cougars except a quadruple bypass amongst the highs and lows. Disagree if you must but please don't knock a man for trying.

As a supporter of the cougars man and boy since i was 9 (33 years ) i remember lots of highs and lows during Neil spencers time at the club both on and off the field..... We may do well to remember that he has personally ploughed a small fortune into the club and stood firm while many many others (players supporters and other staff members) just walked away.
Yes there was trouble with the inland revenue , but , to be honest is there any club doesn't owe money to them ????
I have spoken to Mr Spencer on numerous occasions and found him to be very friendly and approachable at all times , and a true supporter of the club. So , don't just remember bad times - give him credit for the good times too !!!

Paying his family a fortune and bringing loads of them for free meals etc so he has got something out of it as well.
He cost the club our place in Championship if he gets this role i would consider my support for the Cougars, this guy is a JOKE.

I can't dispute those facts because they are fair and valid points. Although your final point regarding Neil's heart problems is a hypothetical argument.

I can't deny there are positives regarding Neil, we even won 2 grand finals although it could be argued that they were pyrrhic victories as far as the club was concerned.

As regards the debt, although it was HMRC calling in what they were owed that did for us, it wasn't the only debt that the club had.

do you know what, its people like you tht r nobodies n think u know everything when really you dont have a clue wht u are talking about one little bit."US to forgive him" =#FF0000[edit by guess who, no need for swearing?? a minority down there that think u own the place!!...u need to get a life, ur nothing but cowards saying things that r untrue n not even having the balls to put ur name to it! u know nothing....pathetic, jealous, sad people n u need to grow up n get a life.......id love to know what all these bad things r that neil has sposed to have done??.....

there would have been no cougars if it wasnt for him and not to forget colin also, but u forgt all tht! so maybe u either need to shut up with ur twisted nasty words n wake up!! if u knew the truth then ud realise but hey u sad people make ur own stuff up n believe wht u want!!! dont know wht u think is so high n mighty about that thats running "ur" club now,- u dont know them at all bcoz if u did u wudnt be saying what u r! i could list a few home truths about them n her that has now left....but oh no u think the sun shines out of her backside too!!.....

n rach i thought u out of anyone u wud have had enough decency to know different n know that yes he does deserve that title!!....

you make me sick that you can say that about his picture......you know nothing!