I have been coming on this site for some time now and many a times nearly registered and felt the need to view my opinions but i am affraid friday night was the last straw, firstly i would like to say a big well done to the directors for finally thinking outside the box and bringing in rob. I have had the pleasure to talk to rob on the phone when getting my season ticket and on a few occasions at the ground and well, what a breathe of fresh air he is. For once we don't have someone just wanting to make a lot of friends and flashing there chest off. I really feel rob is the guy to take us forward in his role and so far i don't think anyone can disagree with this, the crowds grew loads by the end of the season with all his work in matchday entertainment, sponsorship is clearly coming in and with the season ticket idea and the fun nights at cougars arranged he really is putting his stamp on the club and trying to bring back the old days now i don't know if he is old enough to remember cougar mania but he's deffinately trying to create something agian.
Friday night was a joke rob and the club had clearly put a lot of effort in as the bar looked great there were families in and food, raffles, quiz and great music but unfortunately there were about 20 people there. I would be suprised if they made enough to pay the dj and staff. everyone comes on this site and a few times even previously people are sugesting social nights as a great way of supporting the club SO WHERE WERE YOU ALL. the club must have lost money on friday and by the sounds of it rob has a load more stuff planned, I ONLY HOPE EVERONE GETS TO SUPPORT THE CLUB NEXT TIME.
This is the first time in years and I mean years that we have people at the club that really believe in and care about the cougars in rob, mary and jd. Even jd was at the party with his family but i have to say that was alos a dissapointment as he was the only playing staff there which didn't look good. jd is the guy to take us to the top of the championship with his skills and most importantly his contacts which is already showing with his excellent signings, jd is a genuine guy and really has taken to the cougars, if you ever get the chance to call into the club he really does make you feel welcome, i bought a grand final shirt and he made the time to talk to me and even said there is a couple of new editions to come yet.
cougar mania is coming back and we all need to support the club as much as we can because without our support the club will not achieve and the biggest fear we have to think about is rob, jd going onto other clubs and not forgetting mary calvit now we have her back she is worth keeping hold of this time. rob and the club have big things planned so lets all start supporting what they do.

cougars

Firstly welcome to the forum, always good to have more fans on here talking Cougars.

Now, speaking for myself.....

1. Halloween is a horrible Americanized institution that I absolutely hate and would never go to a party no matter who organised it.

2. At the same time there was an international rugby league match live on Sky between the 2 best teams in the world and as a rugby league fan I wanted to watch it.

3. I went to watch England play Wales at Leigh yesterday.

4. I'm off to Wembley next week to watch the double header, which is likely to involve a Cougars player playing in it. I booked it at short notice (see part 5) so it wasn't cheap.

5. My sister got married in Las Vegas a month ago and obviously I had to go.

6. I've still to sort my season ticket out.

7. Both my parents' birthdays fall within the next 5 weeks and Christmas is only 8 weeks away.

Now I welcome and appreciate the efforts that the board and management team are doing at the club, I think they are genuinely doing a very good job. However I question the wisdom of holding an event for Rugby League fans whilst there is a major Rugby League event happening at the same time. Given someone who was there was asking me for the latest score on Facebook I'd assume that it wasn't being shown in the Hall of Fame.

You can't make people go to an event, nor can you expect someone to go to an event if they don't like that sort of thing, can't afford to go or have better or more important things to do out of blind loyalty to the club. Nor should those fans' loyalty really be questioned if they don't go.

Music Cougar I take great offence to what you have said. People have put a lot of their time and energy into the club and free of charge. Social nights like this have been done before, and had the same results unfortunately . Dont oftern get angry but your statement just makes me angry. Not yet buying into the reborn frenzy I am afraid, heard it all before but will beleive once we have a room full of sponsors, who are putting in money into the club, we survive in the Championship more than 2 years and volunteers are shown respect. I am really angry.

Let’s face it, Keighley people can be annoying, frustrating, mystifying, fantastic, incredible folk. There were six buses of fans who went to Warrington and who sang, “we’ll support you evermore” on the way back. Try and motivate them to then come down and support the club with social fundraising evenings or buying season tickets is a major effort.
In my opinion we have the best chance since the great days of Cougarmania to get this club up into the heights of the Championship and who knows then with JD and this squad of players. We should not let this chance slip. Come on and get down and support YOUR club.

Earning promotion was a gateway, but for most new/potential/returning supporters the new road begins at the first home game of the season. It's at that point I think the club would see more attendance to the activities at the club outside of the normal games.
I think the efforts are wonderful though by the club from what I've seen. And the more buzz about the Cougars I hear, the more thirst there is to see the new season to commence.

I support my club every week on the terraces, I don't have to do it by drinking beer.

A large proportion of the support have no interest in going to social events, and the vast majority don't even go to the bar. Just because someone is not interested in this sort of thing does not mean they are any less of a supporter, so Music Cougar wind your neck in.

Got to say music cougar i disagree with you. Your comment has hit the nail on the head when you say that J.D was the only player down there. Correct me if im wrong but im sure the advert about the night said that "it will be a chance to meet the new players"

I have heard all the promises before on we will be doing this we will be doing that and have sadly been let down. Maybe this is an oppinion that others feel and maybe thats why there were only 20 people.
Not to mention the locationof the club which is no ones fault but people dont want to go to an industrial estate to party. The bar isnt the best and certainly dosnt cater for young people. Also people have house parties on halloween which will save them money.

With regards to your comment about only wanting to make friends and flashing your chest. I do hope to god that you do not mean sharron as she put the most effort in of the whole club.

Think you may need to get your facts right and consider why people dont come done to certain events.

I follow the team every home match and every away match. I do hope that with your comments you do aswell because i think that is paramount.

With your regards to your comment about crowd. I do think crowds will obviously get bigger towards the end of the season where there are a lot more important games.

about the season tickets you have to ask yourself why only 10 people that bought season tickets last year have bout this year. Why is that music cougar??????????

still angry

Music Cougar, go and look for your dummy.
It will only be spitting distance from your cot.

We do not have to justify ourselves to you.

We support Rugby League, we pay to watch we drink.
We don't all have young kids in need of a Halloween party and we might just have had other plans.

If you went to the awards night which was about Rugby you would have seen where the support is.

If you saw how many people do things for free you would see where the support is.

If you look at the squad builder you will see where the support is.

You may recall a lesbian and gay night at the club which was a similar flop. Don't recall you crying on here about lack of support for that.

The phrase is horses for courses.

Don't bother getting off that high horse, just keep riding, then ride some more.
Then ride some more and don't stop till you fall in the sea and whilst there wash your mouth out.

OUCH FRANK!!



I cant say I was angered when I read the opening post of the thread, infact my first thought was - Wow, thats a very strong opinionated view for a first posting!, and that there would be some pretty heavy replies to follow!

Well heres my thoughts

Occasionally people that post on this board have been guilty of having a pop at the coach, the club, the players, the fans in the past, that is what happens when you feel you have been let down by the club/supporters in some way - we are all allowed opinions arent we?

Occasionally an innocent suggestion to help the club progress has been perceived the wrong way, this is because the suggestion has been taken rather personally as an insult at the way current things are done, particulary if the person concerned is a volunteer who is helping the club in the best way they can - we should all feel we are able to make suggestions to help the club shouldnt we?

Whichever, there is no right, no wrong, people have a right to air their views / give an opinion, after all this is a forum

What I would like to say here is that I hope Music Cougar has a better understanding of the fans views after reading comments that have been sent with both barrels (especially VF's!) - (we can appear to be a menacing bunch on here at the best of times) and that I hope having received these comments it doesnt stop them from posting on this site as we all should welcome new members and open discussion of the Cougars

Having said that, the opening post indicates that Music Cougar can handle themselves

There's no point in holding social events then moaning that people who support the club didn't attend.

The whole point of holding socials at the club should be to attract the custom of people who DON'T follow the club. If you aim purely at the loyalists then you're narrowing you're market drastically.

I was at work, I hope that's an acceptable excuse?
I think part of the problem is Cougar Park's location - it's not on a bus route, not within easy walking distance from town, so people are looking at either driving, a fairly long walk, or a taxi. Dunno what the club can do about that, mind!
I think Cougars need more of a presence in Keighley town itself, and a bit of publicity in the surrounding areas. They're all but invisible to those folk who aren't already supporters, so it isn't easy to attract new support which is what we need.

Grrrrrrrrrrr

I forgot but wouldn't have attended anyway.

Please acept my appology music cougar

but I was at warrington watching the The Worlds best 2 rugby league teams in action, I really enjoyed it too, I even managed to catch a kick from Darren Lockyer (penalty kick to touch) and my little boy threw it back on the pitch

priceless

I do not have to justify where i was. Or why i didnt go to you or any one else.

If the event was as badly attended as you say. Then maybe you are directing you displeasure at the wrong people.

You need to ask the club. Why are they not putting on, the type of event people would like to go to.

Do you know. If any sort of study has ever been undertaken, to find out what fans want?

I await your answer.

I Live in Burley in Wharfedale , unable to drive anymore and no buses after 6pm , the train station is to far for me to walk to. That is why i miss all socials and why the last 3 seasons i have only been to a handful of home matches.


The ground is on a bus route by the way mick w , the riddlesden bus goes straight down lawkholme first unless it has changed recently.

Music Cougar what a load of S**T.

Think the people who did the role before Rob also did a good job in promoting the Cougars, we use to get news on here which you have to ring and complain to get it.

I was told couple of weeks ago about some players re-signing and i had to ring the club to double check two weeks later as it still wasn't announced. I would of thought this news should be up straight away with the club wanting us fans to buy season tickets.

I can't go to these events as don't live in Keighley but come pick me up for every event and am there. I go to every game home and away.

Your comments if anything will put fans off.

I planned long before this event was planned to take the chance to go and see Australia & New Zealand play each other.

I show my support by standing on the terrace's and travelling to places like London & Bridgend to support the team.

I was there last Friday night. And yes i too was dissapointed at the turn out.
You can not make people go to something if they do not want.
It was the same when a quiz night was held on a Thursday night. Same people every week, poor turn out.
On the subject of season tickets,how many have been sold? When i went for mine two weeks ago it was 40.
Long way to go yet.

I too have visited this forum for just over 2 years but feel now I need to put my opinion across and put a few things straight !

Firstly I am disgusted and outraged by your comment Music cougar "For once we don't have someone just wanting to make a lot of friends and flashing there chest off" - if that is aimed at me then I suggest you 'man-up' and say it to my face ... I was one of the 20 on Friday night and put over 2 hard years of work in at this club until I was made redundant - that being the only reason I would ever have left a place I loved to work ! I am not here to 'blow-my-own-trumpet' but I put many, many hours in and above my contract - even going in on Xmas Eve last year and hand-delivering shirts to fans as I didn't want them to be disappointed as they were xmas presents ! I started off as an employee but it became my life ! A lot of fans have put their time in for free and not necessarily been appreciated for it !
If it is not aimed at me the only other person I can assume is Helen. If so I am equally as disgusted - you clearly don't know the level of dedication and hard work she put into that club - not just throughout the working day but hours upon hours on an evening too ! How dare you judge someone without knowing the full facts ! I will not go into details but Helen has been blamed for no end of things at this club which I know were not her fault - you should be ashamed of yourself !
I totally appreciate the work Rob put in to get crowds through the gate towards the end of last season but may I just point out that crowds were even bigger the previous season but if you make the general/commercial manager redundant in the off-season and dont replace the position who was there to organise such entertainment and sponsorship when the season started again ......!!
In reply to your comment Captain Cougar regarding new players attending on Friday I believe the post was by 'At the bar again' .... is this even a staff member at Cougars or someone who was told by an official source ??? With regard to team members not being there my son and I actually bumped in to a prominent 1st team player on Saturday and I joked "where were you last night ?" to which the reply came - "I didn't know it was on !"
I totally agree a lot of effort was put in to Friday night but you cannot force people to come - Halloween doesn't appeal to everyone - coupled with International rugby on TV ! From experience I know its hard enough to get fans to stay after the game as they show their support in paying to see their team play - that's their passion !
I FULLY SUPPORT JD, THE STAFF AND THE TEAM but don't slag off the hard work and committment of previous staff that you know nothing about !!!!!!!

Plenty of valid points on this thread and people are certainly showing unity in their support of each other as fans, this I would have said has probably put an end to music cougar feeling the need to visit this site again let alone post anything that could even remotely be taken the wrong way.

However, what we do need is music cougar coming down to the ground, paying the gate fee and standing on the terraces shouting for the cougars.

Maybe now would be a good time to lock this thread and move on, it is getting a little out of hand and certainly won't encourage any newcomers to get involved

My intention is not to discourage anyone from posting on this forum but just to defend a comment that I found highly insulting !

I understand that cougarshaz and as I said there are some very valid points including your own and like I mentioned earlier in the thread, everyone is entitled to an opinion and this is a forum so debate should be encouraged but this is a rather negative thread and it is certainly dragging on.

I certainly feel the need to move on - my option, granted

we should be ecstatic and posting about what JD and the Cougar management are doing for this club, not allowing ourselves to get wound up about a rather ambitious opinionated first poster, its already 3 pages long and we shouldn't give such a subject the time of day - we all know better

Again, my opinion, granted

Music cougar posted a very negative view, hell - I bet he/she even watches Eastenders, owt for an argument

I'm not going to comment on the previous posts as I see no need to fuel an already volatile thread.

However, from reading other threads it would appear the members on here clearly have different views on what their own definition of "being a fan" entails, i.e some feel attending social functions is a must for a fan, others feel they do their bit on the terraces, in Sharon's case it's about going beyond the call of duty for a club she loves. The new Champ TV deal has caused a stir with some possible code the obtain a reduced fee. This is just a flavour, but there are others.

To me everyone's points are valid in so far as this is their viewpoint on what being a fan is. Everyone's view will be different, but that's not to say it should be criticised or seen as the expected. As fans I'm sure we all give something to the club, some more than others for a whole host of reasons but this all goes to making our club what it is. If everyone was the same what a boring place it would be.

This is a forum for people to express views etc and one shouldn't be put off joining in, or feeling this is a personal vendetta. I'd love the know how many new members there have been in the last 3/4 months, but I bet there's a few which is all positive for the club. This if nothing else proves we have an increasing fan base.

I agree with Harry Al Hill. I think this thread may have run it's course.