I assumed it was going to be a lot more than that, given the highly inflated entry fees for football over here

The modern game has developed and I'm surprised some people can't see that. Yes, the game itself is important and people will turn up to watch a successful team, but to grow the club and support base there needs to be more. For instance, what got people down during Cougarmania? It wasn't just the rugby, it was the atmosphere, the entertainment etc which slowly spread to the other teams. It's Ok offering kids free entry, but what is there at the moment to keep them interested. The product on the pitch is work in progress and the rest of it is non existent.

The agreement with Cas would have be ended before i'd consider coming back. Ideally the RFL kicking the whole concept in to touch. You know it's not working when [url=http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_11680-clarification-over-james-mendeika--s-registration.htmla player is announced as a loan signing from a club he's not even registered to play for.[/url

The German Football business model is actually a very sound one. 51% of shares must be owned by fans. They invest very heavily in coaching and youth development which is starting to produce a huge amount of talented young players that can be sold for big money like Mario Götze, Mezut Ozil, Sammi Khedira and Manuel Neuer. They have safe standing areas in grounds that can be converted to seating go European games which improves atmospheres and lowers ticket prices. Clubs and fans generally have a tremendous sense of loyalty towards each other not the one way loyalty we have in British Sport where fans are just considered a cash cow to be exploited. Corporate Revenues are used to keep ticket prices low for regular fans. There are even grounds where you can get food and drink brought to you so don't miss any action. Average attendances across the Bundesliga was 45,179 compared to 35,816 in the Premier League this season.

Dubane:
Just wondered how you are going getting match build-up music and tunes for each player organised?
Will you be ready to publish details of all the tunes on here in time for the Sheffield match?
Thanks

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Agree 100%

If you were a director of Keighley Cougars wanting to bring success by daring to be different (as Cougarmania 1), what might be things you could learn from this?....

51% of shares must be owned by fans.
Mr Fawcett owns all the shares (all £10 worth of them). Why not offer issue shares to supporters in £10 (max) blocks so the club would be run on a one member, one vote basis? Then more people would be likely to volunteer their services as they would feel it would be serving their club?

Clubs and fans generally have a tremendous sense of loyalty towards each other
Keighley Cougars needs the whole of Keighley to be proud of it and to feel a part of it.
Unfortunately, for most people in Keighley, the Cougars now would seem to be a closed shop for a minority clique.
There needs to be a mass leaflet drop making Cougars seem much more welcoming to Everybody and explaining when matches are on and how to get tickets etc.

In many holiday places in Europe you see several generations of German families gathered in big numbers on beaches under flags of their football clubs. Everything Cougars does needs to generate that sort of feeling of belonging in a wide supporter base.

Corporate Revenues are used to keep ticket prices low for regular fans.
I know there were supposed to be 20,000 free season tickets issued to under 16's - but this obviously hasn't worked as attendances at matches have fallen well below 1,000.
Can the directors be brave and forget season tickets for next season (apart from those who want them for the stand) and charge just say a fiver on the gate for everybody and see what happens?

Whatever the club does isn't good enough
for some people.Hard facts are till we have
a successful team the likes of fev and
Halifax crowds aren't going to improve.

Hit. hammer, nail rearrange this well known phrase.

I go for the match too, that's the most important thing. But next to that it's the social atmosphere generated by the people who I stand with. It's like we are a bunch of friends all meeting with a common purpose then have a few beers, a good moan, put the world to rites, or celebrate depending on how good we (and the referee have been)

Sport is FIRST but the social side comes a very close second.

However I first started watching when we were in the third division, on the run up to the win against Batley. The only reason I came down was because the kids got free tickets from school. Keighley RL was simply not on my radar. What kept me coming was the sport and the atmosphere, what kept the kids coming was the cougarmania experience, razmataz and all. Our young kids were happy, so we were happy, we could all enjoy a day out as a family.

A winning team is first and foremosts, but it's quite obvious looking at the makeup of the crowd, that we need to do something more to attract kids (therefore more parents like me) and also 18 to 30's.

After further thought, I think that the club should just go for it and, after the build up music, just have Cougars walk (not run) out of the tunnel to Land Of Hope & Glory!

I can confirm it is planned to launch the new club website at some point throughout this week.

The website forms only part of the thread here. Does the club have plans to improve the matchday experience?

Are there plans to improve on the merchandise available? I'll give you an example, my other half wanted to get me a hoody for my Birthday and thought of buying a Cougar hoody. She went to shop in the town centre which was closed down and nobody was available at the club?

Unfortunately, I'm not aware of the current club shop situation. However, I'm sure TheClubsVoice will be happy to help you.

We hope to have some information regarding the club shop information with you shortly. In regards to Matchday Experience, we hope you find some answers on the 'A Quick Hello' thread.

Great that you played Carmina Burana shortly before kick off at the Sheffield match Dubane! (not completely sure about the version though - just for your interest see the Andre Rieu version on youtube that has had over 10 million hits).

Can I make more suggestions? Regarding the music that is played in the last 15/20 minutes before Cougars emerge on to the pitch. That section is crucial. Once the music for that period is chosen, it should be exactly the same for every match. (I say that based on the success of the big brands eg Starbucks, McDonalds etc - people know exactly what they are going to get and keep coming back for more).

Working backwards from when Cougars emerge onto the pitch:

I guess you need a steward to be set up to signal to you exactly when the first Cougar player is going to emerge from the tunnel. Then you can announce It's COUGARTIME and bang on the pitch entry music just as the first player crosses the whitewash. Whatever you choose (Lets get ready to rhumble or Gangnam or Two Tribes or Land of Hope and Glory etc) stick with the same tune every match so the crowd gets an affinity with it.

The three tracks I'd have before that are:-

Last song before Cougars come out:
Your BRILLIANT version of The Final Countdown with the check-ignition-check etc overlay and the 54321.

Next to last: Carmina Burana

Before that: Vangelis 1492

Before that: selections from Top 10 and/or pitch singers.

I guess you need to work out the time needed for the last three tracks before teams come out and work backwards.

If you can get that perfected over the next few home games, I'd consider (at my own expense) (subject to directors' permission, health & safety ok etc) arranging for a brief display of Chinese professional fireworks to be ignited from the bottom corner of the ground to coincide exactly with the Cougars emerging onto the pitch.

Cheers, keep up the good work.

I was sorry to see a comment to the effect, “what is the match-day experience – I come to watch the rugby.” Those of us old enough to remember the days of Cougarmania will remember that the experience of coming to Cougar Park was part of the day and many were switched onto coming down to Cougars because of that.
Mick O' had 'We Will Rock You' and 'No Limit' among others building up to when both teams came out onto the pitch. The crowd and the Cougars team was pumped up and the opposition slightly intimidated. One of Mick O's recollections of when Cougars had gone over for yet another try and the music was booming out. One of the opposing players appealed to the referee, “Can't you stop them playing that b****y music Ref?”
The Referee's reply was, “You stop them scoring – they will stop the music!”
The pre-match build up is definitely part of the match-day and look at Leeds United's “Leeds, Leeds, Leeds” or see Ajax Amsterdam’s “Slavenkoor” before a match on Youtube. OK I know they are playing to 20,000 or 40,000 instead of 800 but that's how Cougars started in 1991.

During the days of Cougarmania we used to go down nice and early.

Now i go about 10 mins before kick off. Why should i go down any earlier?

Being a huge cinema buff and Battle Royale being a particular favourite of mine, can I throw Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem Mass - Dies Irae thrown in to the mix.

Some good music mentioned so far.

For classical stuff how about:

Mars, the bringer of war from Holst's Planets suite.

or (even though a bit jaded now)

Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner (as per the film apocalypse now)

and (one of my favourites)

The 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky must be the version with full Cannons (the action starts about a minute and a half from the end.)

For modern stuff:

Anything from Iron Man films but particularly "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC


I think this is particularly suitable - The Lost in Space theme from Apollo Four Forty

Things I'd like to hear, but can't (not family friendly)

Friggin' in the Riggin' - Sex Pistols

Firestarter - The Prodigy (hire a dozen concert speakers and turn bass turned up to full

)

Big Balls - AC/DC

Straight outta Compton - NWA
California Über Alles - Dead Kennedys
Laid- James

'This is the one' by The Stone Roses. Quality tune to play just before the lads run out onto the hallowed turf. 'This is the one, this is the one I've waited for.....' etc.
.
I have vague memories of hearing some kind of Keighley RL song coming over the tannoy back in the early 80s. The system wasn't of great quality and it always sounded rather muffled. It sounded ancient even then. Anyone else remember it or am I mistaken?

The new club website is set to be launched very soon, we're just waiting on the set up of the hosting.

Club Marketing and Matchday Experience has been discussed on the 'A Quick Hello' thread. We hope you find some answers there.

We are pleased to announce we have booked Zumba dancers for the following home games this season.

23 June - Doncaster RL

21 July - Dewsbury Rams

18 August - Featherstone Rovers

Surely Tiger Feet now has to be the scoring tune for Paul Handforth?