Simple if don't we are down.
Board no ambition at all replacing jd with march total joke, if they care about Cougars will go now before tolate

I have zero faith in the board ,especially Mr Fawcett as there seems to be no
commitment at the moment...hasn't been for a while.

Finding a new board in this economic climate would be near impossible as there are
not many people about willing to throw cash at us, I do thing that Mr Fawcett
should step down.

Given the state of semi pro Rugby League, who would want to invest in it as a business proposition going forward?

How do you develop the product and brand given the general apathy towards the club in this town?

Why would anyone invest in club infrastructure, new stands, training facilities etc., when bigger rival businesses have formed a cartel that controls the vast majority of the cash flow in to the game and ultimately decide who is and is not able to access that cash?

How do you add value to the business that is greater than the sum anyone is willing to invest?

Do we know if board / marchy or players come on here.

I know certain players and our Chairman comes on here and I'm guessing Marchy will too.

One thing we do have to thank our current board for and that is the work they have undertaken on certain areas of the ground especially our director Neil Cullen. They have spent a fare bit of money on refurbing our executive room upstairs increasing the capacity and bringing it up to the modern era plus I believe the changing rooms have had a face lift. They have also worked hard in my time at the club in working with local authorities making our main stand safe and complying with H&S regulations.

BUT

I do feel they have taken the club as far as they can and I would like to mention at this point that I remember about 2 years ago on first meeting our Chairman that during a lengthy chat along with someone else at the time that he did say that if it ever came to a point with the club where the fans wanted him out and he felt he couldn't take the club any further for the love of the club he would step down. If I remember correctly haven't they been in position for a bout 4/5 years now. The main problem is money who in this town has the money to come in and lets be honest apart from someone thats really passionate about the club who would or even be interested in saving our club or is it really all about money because corect me if I'm wrong but I don't see loads of cash been thrown about the place at the minute and I think there is only one of our directors that has any real cash behind him anyway.

Need to win the lottery

Where has this board to go come from?

Whilst I agree a change is needed, I am suspicious that some have ulterior motives and see opportunities to attack the board.

I agree the board have cut too much and Bradford City should be a casing point. Compared to last season they have invested in the squad for success. The wage budget was increased given the priorities agreed. Look at the success such investment has brought. Liken it to Cougarmania, very similar example. Investment brought success.

I am not suggesting spending massively beyond the means because that spells only one thing, but ambition and investment could push us on. Cutting the cloth too much sends out only on message for me.

However, having said that, they are in charge and IMO have made mistakes but an no time do I think we need a top to bottom change.

What ulterior motive would that be Mr Dominance ?
certainly none from me , I just apeak as I find and wouldn't trust
Mr Fawcett as far as I could throw him, the o.ly redeeming point being
that he stepped in to save the club.
The other two I don't know so won't comment.

Pardon the typos,the medication has hit rather hard tonight.

If Fawcett stands down as chairman ( which i think he should do) who could take his place as chairman - maybe one of the current directors ? would this resolve anything or make things better? I also think the other two directors have more about them than Fawcett and also have Rugby playing backgrounds and the other question is what is Fawcett putting into the club? or is he just taking ?

Not sticking up for anyone but what is there to take?

Probably nothing to take your right - but you listen to rumours and thats all they are rumours and the fans seem to think he is on the take or what other reason would he be doing the Chairman role for, certainly not for a profit share that we can be certain. As quoted by "On the Terraces" Fawcett said to him he would stand down for the good of the club if it ever came to it and i think we are that point now - A lack of interest in the club quotes by others, We have no body selling sponsorship etc etc since Rob was pushed out this again done by Fawcett -

I think people should not speculate on here and make libelous accusations.

I just cant beleive this thread regards the board having to go.
Without this board we dont have a club.
I understand the supporters frustrations but you need to think before you start talking like this.
I too as a supporter are frustrated and i was one of those who raised a eyebrow when Paul March was put in charge.
But as a paying spectator who am i or anyone else for that matter in a possition to criticise there decisions when we only £15 to watch them.
Im sure Paul March was appointed as a finacial decision as well as a coaching desision.
Unfortunatly there are no rich oil barrons waiting in the wings with a spare billion pounds burning a hole in there pockets like there is in football.
We are lucky as a club that we have directors who are local people and have the club at heart.
Lets get behind them and stop putting unwanted pressure on directors, coach and players.
Its times like this they need our support more than ever.

A 'Supporter's Trust'?

A 'Supporter's Trust'?

The very fact you pay to get in gives you the right to complain.

As so many people have stressed recently, the club is a business. As you pay for a product, the game and the match day experience in this case, you are therefore a customer. (Not meaning to be condecending in any way)

If you'd been going to a quality butchers shop for years and suddenly found that the rib eye steaks weren't any near as nice as they used to be you'd either complain, not shop there anymore and probably tell a few friends and relatives about the place.

A supporters trust ?????

What,a bit like 'pirag' wanted to do ? But were thwarted by numerous members
and naysayers on this very forum.

A bit like 'pirag' who wanted to support the club by raising money to give to the club
via donations to Squadbuilder ?

A bit like 'pirag' , for who I organised 2 general meetings open to members (who were
all contacted via email and some phoned) and non members alike ,yet,despite the emails
and various posts on here NOT ONE PERSON TURNED UP FOR one meeting and the other meering
one person turned up.

So ,when you say. 'supporters trust , did you mean like 'pirag' ?

Oh,and by the way, before anyone asks who is in charge of 'pirag,' , I have no idea anymore.
There is a secretary butt for some reason unbeknown to me she refuses to take my calls,
texts or emails.

A supporters trust will find the going very difficult IMHO, [iunless[/i they can recruit a well known, dynamic local character(s) to gain trust and push things forward. Incidentally, I have no suggestions for who this might be.

In the past, attempts to set up a supporters trust have been seen as a threat by the then directors of the club. People have been insulted, disrespected and threatened and this gives them very long memories - I am of course talking about KISA and other club volunteers. The treatment of these people was the worst case of "shooting itself in the foot" that this club has ever known. They are not threats or cheap labour, they are valuable assets.

A supporters trust works best if both the supporters and directors want it to. Until then, you are banging your head agaist a wall. Incidentally, I joined PIRAG to lend some support and thought the initial meetings, although poorly attended went OK. However the last meeting I attended just seemed "confused", I left thinking "this is going nowhere". Only my opinion of course.

The current directors of our club have come in for some stick on this forum, some of it may be deserved. However it is worth baring in mind that they made themselves available SEVERAL TIMES to question and answer sessions which were so poorly attended by fans that we all fit round one small table. It seems like some people like to come on here and play the keyboard warrior but are not too good at the "face to face"

If I have something to ask I would just email Gary direct and have done so before.

Likewise, but that shouldn't stop people having an opinion on here. If I have a direct issue I will approach Gary and think that is the way it should be. People speculating about finances and alleged taking from the club IMO should not form part of a thread on here.

In relation to Burley Cougars post - I do not know the guy and have no issue with him, but who is that post aimed at, me and others who have an opinion contrary to yours about PIRAG? I stated my opinion and openly said to people they should form their own opinion. Just because people have a different take on the situation to you does not make either party right and some should take that on board when posting on here. Maybe PIRAG didn't work for a number of reasons and I would suggest those involved would look at the reasons why rather than pointing the finger at one of two on here who didn't want to be involved with it.

I personally thought it was too much of a coincidence that PIRAG formed when there were several rumours about the long term future of the club and other matters ongoing. Low and behold, when all that is, for want of a better word, sorted PIRAG suddenly goes very quiet. I also had concerns about how PIRAG was run. Anyway, that is in the past now and that is where I will leave it.

I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the last of efforts to oust the current board but maybe I'm wrong?

I really do think we are on the verge of a very big abyss.

We simply cannot go down at the end of this season. If we do the club will be finished.

The trouble is S/L do not care about the game at the lower level. Unless it is to help them. This has been clearly proved by the farce which is the D/R. system.

The RFL dont seem to be able to help with the profile of the lower leagues.

We are in the worse recession we have ever been in.

I am not calling for the board to step down. But who is going to come in.

People are being very careful with there money. Companies are cutting back on there spending budgets. Why should a local company come and put money into Keighley when it will be used to help Cas gets its players fit.

@ Dominance :
The post was aimed at no one in particular , just venting frustration that someone had ,what seemed
to me,made a suggestion about a Suppkrters trust, after I had put in many hours trying to organise
meetings for pirag for it to just be ignored .
Anyway ,I do not quite know what has happened with pirag , the original founder had to step
down as his business apparently went into overdrive and felt he didn't have enough time to commit
After that I don't quite k.ow what happened ,maybe a huge break down of cimmunication
as it all just turned to s***.As I said earlier I do not know who is running it etc.

If I offended you or anyone with the post then I hold my hands up and apologise ,It
was not my intention.......I speak as I find ,am never afraid to voice my opinion, thats
how I am.

@EVERYONE :
Ok , let's stop messing about ,this is how I see it,the club is in the sheeite with money, eveyrone knows this
as we can all see everything has been cut to the bone.
What I propose is this , and it is up to everyone else to comment on if you want to be involved......
Does anyone fancy setting up a simple non comittee (spelling) type volunteer group to basically
raise money to give directly to squadbuilder to enable whoever is coaching to have that bit
more spending power ?
Again I stress no comitteee/secretary/etc etc,all we would need is One person responsible
for the money raised before it is handed to squadbuilder,everything kept totally transparent
and simple ,a basic name like 'Cougar pride 'or 'Keighley Cougar Fundraisers' something
along those lines.
Just basically a group of likeminded people meeting say once a fortnight to raise money
for the Cougars and giving it straight to squadbuilder........ no messing about and no bullsheeite.

What do you all say ?????

DISCUSS.



Does anyone fancy setting up something simple and noncommitee

The ground is littered with well meaning volunteers and fund raisers from the past years. Groups that have formed and gone. These sort of projects are not simple and not basic. It takes an awful lot of commitment and patience.

I am no expert on this subject but I think you will find that if you set up a money raising entity you will at least need a documented accountancy system to show where the money is coming from and where it is going to plus a bank account and nominated persons who are authorised signatories.

Once the group size rises above a couple of like minded individuals, you are likely to end in chaos if you don't have some form of controlling group/person/committiee with properly controlled meetings/minutes etc.

I guess that's a no then.

I'll stick to my plan to raise a few quid myself .

Watch this space !