Kept off here for a while since I wasn't part of the click, plus my axe needed sharpening

To be honest I am one of the fans that after attending my first game at cougar park in 1993 never thought I'd say it but yes I have distanced myself from the club. Nothing to do with dual reg just plain and simple for me the club is having the life sucked out of it, for me cougars is a dying club. Forget all the stuff about the RFL killing the game, rule changes and promotion/relegation. Yes I agree with all of that but this is purely about KEIGHLEY COUGARS.

I have just been and bought the local paper to see if my little lad was in it with his rugby and noticed the headline on the backpage, I then read the article that is from no other than our Chairman Gary Fawcett. To make it really easy for those of you that haven't seen it yet "What a load of B******T" I have never read so much rubbish in my life. Firstly you have a coach after the game on sunday blaming the players or saying he doesnt know what went wrong and now you have the Chairman of the club that is standing by his coach and his coaches record saying that the players aren't listening to the coach, aren't playing with desire, aren't listening to the expertise from the bench during a game, not sticking to marchys game plan, some players just aren't giving there all etc etc etc.

I think its a disgrace to come out publicly criticising these players, I know for a fact they're are already a lot of unhappy players about this statement. All these players are doing is playing and training as they are told to and by who, the coach. Gary has also stated that there is going to be a sports psychologist coming in to work with marchy and the lads. He also states that with the quality of players and the budget marchy had we should be at 6th or 7th in the table well correct me if I'm wrong but didnt him and marchy predict a top 4 finish for the club at the start of the season



All this does now fall on the shoulders of fawcett because I also know for a fact and I'm sure Hello Trouble or the clubs voice can confirm this that Mr fawcett is Mr Cougar, he is the only director of the club. The other 2 guys neil cullen and pete spencer arent officially involved with the club they just have business interests within the club

They arent directors, everything is on fawcetts head.

In my opinion the club has been cut back and cut back too much, in an ideal world Fawcett would walk like he once said to me on our first meeting that if he couldn't take the club any further or the fans ever wanted him gone he would hold his hands up and go.
Or Gary needs to grow a pair and forget his freindship with marchy and send our coach packing, yes marchy is a great guy but so was JD. Coaches come and go thats just what happens but for me our fate especially after this article is sealed and I am sticking to what I have said all along WE ARE GOING DOWN.

What a sad day it will be for our club, I just hope a lot of the lads can find a club before they get dragged down too as I know a few that arent far from making that decision. This has nothing to do with the players or the budget, we saw most of these players play under JD and I have to say they aren't a shadow of themselves from what they were last year. It is down to the coach and his tactics, where is this expanssive rugby we were promised because we have had the weather for it.

I dont know I'm just gutted, when you look at the previous 2 years and the direction and progress we were making on the field it sort of papered over the cracks off the field but now its there for all to see and you don't have to look hard. I'm not here to cause trouble but just to view my anger and yes before any one says it I have had a meeting with gary and viewed my opinions but unfortunately the guy 100% believes that they are moving in the right direction for super league and that he is at the helm of a top championship club, well gary the league table doesnt lie. Oh I all most forgot we are still making weekly profits, if this is the case then gary why don't you start paying most of the younger reserve lads that havent been paid for the last couple of months.

Cougars was once the leading club that everyone wanted to be like and tried keeping up with but now Cougars is a club that no one can be bothered with or cared if it was there or not and now it is us that dreams of been like the other clubs. What ever happens to the club I will always have treasured memories of great days just wish I could have had more great days that my lad could have experienced like we did when we were young.

Fans need to make stance Fawcett and march out

Come on, stop messing about, don't mince your words, say what you really think.

Will the Club reply?

If not, why not?

As a supporter for over 50 years, I would also like to know what is happening at 'My Club'.

Is Gary Fawcett being paid for his role?

If he is, then how much and how does he justify any payment at all?

Did Mike Smith and Mick O'Neil ever take any payment for their involvement? I think not.

If not then, if he does, why does Gary Fawcett take any payment for the time hat he devotes to the Cougars?

I look forward to the Club responding to my queries so that everyone who has the Cougars at heir hearts knowing the details of who is getting what from their roles, starting at he top.

I don't think that I'd better hold my breath as I could die before I get a result!

TCV is your man for this one I'm afraid. I can confirm the questions asked by 666 have been e-mailed to Gary.

Bet we don't get answers.

This is going to be a long one




There are lots of people on here with similar views to yours so I'm not sure how you work out you're not part of the "clique". If you mean you don't like people disagreeing with you, then maybe you should just sit in the corner and face the wall (like the naughty boy you are)






So what has that got to do with you stopping away? If people feel like you and stop away it [iwill[/i die.


I don't think players should be critisised in public, that should be an internal matter. However you can't have it both ways - fans come on here and demand explanations then don't like what they hear. As for the sports Psychologist - what's wrong with that - all the top teams use them.
As for the league position, I seem to remember the Chairman saying top 4 to be quickly corrected by Paul March who said top 8.


I might be wrong but a quick internet search shows we have one shareholder- this may well be Gary Fawcet who is also Chairman. It is in his power to nominate as many directors as he wants (as long as they meet criteria for being a company director).
It appears that Neil Cullen is Chief Executive Officer (and also director?) and Peter Spencer is "club Director". As I say, I could be wrong.


I agree with the first part but who would replace Gary with?? Do you have the money and the time or do you know someone who does?


Do you know what the contract with PM is, do we have the money to buy him out of it and sign another coach. Remember PM is part time, many would see it as a full time position.


To be honest, that sounds like poop stirring.


To be fair, we had a very poor end to the season under JD but at the moment we have no consistency. When we get it right (ie first half against Workington) the expansive rugby is there for all to see. However, we don't get it right anywhere near enough.


Everyone else it gutted too mate. We worked hard to get into this division and it will be criminal if we throw it all away.


Cougars were a leading club for 4 years max, all the rest was wishfull thinking. However we still do cutting edge work in the schools and community and we should be shouting that from the rooftops. (well done to Mary Calvert and all concerned)

I don't know what the internal workings between Directors, coach and players are but we needed to make significant changes/improvement after the Dewsbury match and it does not seem that, that has been done. I'm pretty much an optimist but I worry for our future. It isn't too late to make an end of season charge but we look to have our heads in the wrong place.

If we are going to do it we need everyone to pull together, that we can do it, I have no doubt, but we are treading dangerous ground.

It is obvious that there is some sort of discord within the club and to me the cause is not quite clear. I honestly believe from what I have seen, albeit in brief flashes this season, that there is not a club in our division we are not capable of beating if we play as we undoubtedly can. For the benefit of everyone at Cougars: players, officials and fans, I think there should be a 'clear the air' meeting behind closed doors, just the players, back-room staff and perhaps the directors when hopefully opinions can be frankly expressed and get any grievances out in the open. If the players are not happy with elements of Marchie's coaching - let's have it said. Then perhaps we can get on with the business of staying in Championship One and play out the remainder of the season as we can beyond question. At the end of the season then reassess the situation from a position of strength and not wait until relegation is almost a certainty.

I would agree with most of that, only it should have been done after the Dewsbury match.

Let us hope it is done now before relegation is almost a certainty. If Marchie is not the right man for Cougars it would be better to be the former coach of a successful club rather than of relegated one in disarray.

Strange set of questions and you need to understand the underlying reason for the article - people need to support the Head Coach prior to condemning him.

Anyway, Gary constantly puts money into the club to support it financially and have never been paid for any of the time he puts into the club.



Good job you didn't put money on then isn't it?

The Clubs Voice, unless I have missed something you haven't answered anything, appart from the sarky comment about getting answers.

I am not trying to jump on any band wagon here, but questions have been posed on this thread and you have completely brushed over them. If you're on here to answer questions and be as your user name suggests, "The Club's Voice", please address the comments posted and maybe you'll come up against as much grief.

If people need to understand the underlying reason of that article, please give a bit more of an explanation than just saying, "people need to support the Head Coach prior to condemning him." I can understand people's frustrations, as they come down to support the club and pay their hard earned money and the performances on the pitch have not warranted the £15 entry fee. This cannot all be attributable to the players, some of the blame for this has to lay on Marchy's shoulders as he is the coach.

Now I am not calling for Marchy to be sacked, I just want to see the questions posed on here answered.

Is this article online?

By the way Loyal has not even read it so he is just guessing as to what it says

I am becoming very annoyed and losing a lot of patience with Paul March we have lost a good player-coach (JD) and an amazing half back (Sam Obst) and suddenly the team is struggling to stay out of the relegation zone? Gary can not call on the players here! we need a much better coach!!!

Posters on here make some valid comments

Having seen the article yesterday and taken time to reflect, I think there are some valid points here. I would make the following points;

1) Marchy as the head coach should be empowered and have autonomy to deal with issues involving playing staff.

2) If this answer the point 1 is yes then surely he is the best person to deal with underperformance and associated playing issues. My point being, why isn't it left to Marchy to deal with the under performers and surely Gary has interfered in his affairs and undermined him.

3) I personally thinks it's naive to publicly have a pop at the players. Firstly, this has been an issue all season so why haven't these issues been sorted out earlier? Does this suggest Marchy is not capable of dealing with such issues and it's been left to the Chairman?

4) I've read the article a few times and depending which way you interpret it, it doesn't read too well for Leatherbarrow.

5) In sport at times things just don't play out as planned. You can have the players and a decent coach, but at times it just doesn't work out. I'm beginning to feel this is case with Marchy. Whatever the reason, be it players, his tactics or other factors it's just not working.

6) I agree the clear the air meeting or a change should have happened sooner. I still get the feeling from Gary that he thinks everything will be Ok and Marchy equally. Having seen the performances this year so far I'm far less certain. Even a change in coach now would be too late in my opinion.

7) I'm sick of hearing that this team should in X position. On paper means nothing. It's the cohesion and performance on the pitch that gets results. The team sheet before the match gets us no points. Either the players are overrated by respective personnel or they are not playing to their potential. If it's the latter, why is that? I guess only Marchy can answer that and maybe evidence from his interviews of late would suggest he doesn't know?

If I was Gary and had a meeting with my Coach about performance and got the answers that comes up with after the match I would be concerned. I can only presume he gives Gary more confidence about what the issues are than he does in the videos.

I don't have answers, just my opinion. I don't like reading articles like that and have to say I'm not sure Mr Fawcett has any idea what he's doing. Let's just hope that things come together, but that's all I can do, hope!

Perfectly put Dominance.

My first part of the post was just a bit of friendly banter, nothing meant but yes now you come to mention it dreamer I do like to be the naughty boy





I think everyone knows of someone that has decided to stay away for one reason or another and I think they're too many to mention. It sounds exagerated and some may say I'm making mountains out of mole hills but for me its clear that Fawcett and Marchy are out of their depth. There is no question that Fawcett has ambition and he definately has a love for the club but I just feel he has taken us as far as he can. Ok he still thinks he is going to take us to super league and we are one of the top teams in the championship, Fawcett needs to wake up and fast . I think it is clear to all or those that haven't got the blinkers on that Marchy is a beaten man, you can clearly see from his videos after the games that he hasn't got a clue what to do next or how to turn this around. To be honest I don't think he is adding much value to the team on the pitch either. From what I hear Marchy isn't the sort of guy to throw the towel in, hold his hands up and say I can't turn this around or save us from relegation and walk. This is all down to Fawcett now and in my opinion the blame has to now fall on Fawcetts shoulders if we end up going down, plain and simple Fawcett is letting this happen and has got too pally with Marchy. Its time to grow a pair and make a big boys decision because its no good thinking that this is all going to go away and we are going to be ok. I have said this from day one and I stand by it we are going down if the right action is not taken.

As for the sports pshycologist I don't really have a problem with it but with all the cutbacks the club has made can we really afford one and should this have been decided weeks ago. It just feels that Fawcett still believes Marchy can turn this around.

Everything I say on hear is true or as true as I know it, I dont have any need to come on here to start lying or sturring trouble. I will answer a few things for you that The Clubs Voice seems to be dodging or hasn't mentioned yet. After the meeting I had with Fawcett I can confirm that the clubs debt is £157,000 and according to Fawcett £130,000 of that is owed to him from what he has put in. He confirmed that if everything was to go wrong then it would only be him that would take full hit from it as he is the shareholder, chairman, director, Mr Cougar in other words. Now even I have to say I do have a little more respect for him since that meeting and realising just what he does. Cullen deals with the bars, function and hospitality. This has been set up as its own business within cougar park and has seperate bank accounts that pays the club a certain amout of money, make of that what you wish. Spencer provides security on certain matchdays and I do remember a certain game which I think was a featherstone game when the club was billed £1,600for the security, Make of that what you wish. At the minute Fawcett is doing all the accounts, banking, wages, receptionist stuff, matchday controller, cleaning, commercial stuff and the list goes on so what the other 2 are actually doing I arent sure. One thing for Cullen is if it wasn't for him the ground and facilities wouldn't have had the little makeover.

No I don't have the money to come in and take over, if only them lottery numbers would come in but you just never know who is waiting on the wings to take over. I'm sure the club wouldn't be left to die.

As for Marchys contract I dont know the details but as soon as I heard the position was going part time alarm bells started ringing, how can you have a club with the abitions it has and in the championship with a coach that is part time

What I do know is that PM can hold is hands up and admit he can't help us and walk, in my opinion he would more thought of and more respected doing it this way rather than taking us down and getting the sack OR Fawcett can call a meeting with him and view his concerns and dissapointment and offer him a cash sum to walk rather than pay his contract out.

As I said dreamer I don't poop stir I just state my opinions which sometimes yes I can be very opinionated but anything I say on here is fact. Players are and will start looking at other clubs before long, would you want to go down and start playing at the bottom after doing so well. I 100% back the players, yes they have bad days don't we all even the sportsman of any sport at the very top level have bad games and I even think a few of them wouldn't be missed but they only play how they are been coached, they only play to the coaches tactics. Full responsibility has to fall on the coaches shoulders and any descent coach would say after a bad game or run of results "I got it wrong"

We had a few poor games under JD but Jd proved he was a leader and a good coach by whipping the lads into shape and turning things round. We had better times and more good times under JD. I know from what I hear that if JD wasn't happy at half time or after the game that he would strip you down no matter who you was and it didn't matter who was there. He took no S**T, he was a leader off the field and on the field. Marchy says nothing hardly and leaves it to his coaching staff and from what I hear Marchy off the field isn't the guy we see on the field.

Community club, was a long time ago. The club will be screwed when Jeremy Crowther decides to call it a day.

I've said it before and I'll say it again I hope I am completely wrong and we turn all this around and its just been one long bad blip but even I have got the blinkers on now

I hate been right all the time



We need a miracle because the ice we are treading is getting very thin and starting crack.

Flipping heck, that was a long one ( as the actress said to the Bishop).

It's pointless batting back and forth with mammoth posts. What I will say is that there appears to be a disconnect between what PM says he wants and how the players perform. This needed correcting some time ago and certainly needs correcting now - by whatever means.

If that means that the directors have to make critical decisions about players or coach then they need to get on with it quick.

I'm not in a position to know what goes on between directors, coach and players, so I can't sensibly say much more than.