I just think the club need to think out of the box.

That's what the likes of Mick O'Neill and Mary Calvert did back in the original days of Cougarmania.

Remember the Keighley Camels April Fools joke? Brilliant, it got us regional TV coverage.

The recession is still biting hard, inflation is approaching 5% but pay rises don't reflect this, so disposable incomes are less. Folk are more discerning about how they spend that income, so it's hard to get them to part with it.

Which brings me to this point. Are the club, and Rugby League in general, offering value for money? As most of us here are generally loyal fans who go to most games our answer would almost certainly be yes, why would we go otherwise? But what about the folk who don't go, the folk we want to come and expand our fan base, do they think it's good value? That is the real question.

In the halcyon days of Cougarmania we were a full time professional club at the top of the 2nd tier of rugby league, adults were paying £7 to get in, now it's £11 to watch semi-pro rugby league in the 3rd tier, the argument is there to say we aren't offering the value for money in relation to the quality of the product as we used to. Is it the single reason we used to get 5 to 6 times the number of fans in the mid 90's that we get now, certainly not, but it's got to be a significant contributing factor.

Other leisure organisations, which like it or not we compete against, are coming up with increasingly innovative schemes to get folk to part with their cash. Cineworld for example allow you to go to their cinemas as many times you want for £15 a month. You've got to admit, that's cracking value for money, sneak a bag of shop bought confectionary in and a bottle of water and you're laughing.

The club has to get out there and make people want to come down, put the name around, be brash and let everyone know what they're doing and achieving. It's not good enough to say, "if we start winning games, the fans will come". It's not good enough to just expect fans to do the club's job and spread the word.

Cracking post Stealth and very well put. I don't think the kids in for a quid and get a free drink really cuts it. I'm suprised a buy one adult get one half price idea hasn't been given a go. Some who are in two minds about going may well se this as an opportunity to grab a mate and share the saving.

No one is questioning the time and effort, you put into doing these things Micky.

I like stealth comic wonder if its the right thing for the club to be doing.

I get loads of links sent to me by facebook friends. Do i watch them all, no i dont.
If i dont like the name of it i wont watch it. If i do watch it and dont like it i will not watch another link.

I really dont think this is a way of getting people to come down.

JD's cougar train and Nigel's knocks videos are great for us current fans, they give us an insight in to what's going on behind the scenes.

The match videos are great for the supporters who can't make the games for whatever reason.

They certainly have a valuable place in the club's marketing strategy. However being constructive, I think they could be promoted better by being viewable on the club website and a dedicated Keighley Cougars YouTube channel.

The approach to selling the club to the wider public, with the exception of our excellent community projects is not great. The first point of call for many is the club website, a quick look at the homepage shows an 8 day and a 10 day gap in the news section, not even an article available on our win at Doncaster. The Cougars TV link takes you to a page with a link to YouTube, it's shoddy.

We need to put the brand out more, posters, billboards, PR stunts etc.. I know these cost money but good well thought out well targeted marketing will bring in more money than it costs. Here's another simple cheap way, we play Swinton on August 4th. It looks likely that will be the SKY game. The week before the game, contact every local pub with SKY Sports (easy to do if you use [url=http://pubfinder.sky.com/Default.aspxthis nifty pub finder[/url) and ask them if they'll show the game and build it up to be the possible title decider it potentially is.

Thanks for the feedback. You suggesting I should pack it in ?

Mickey stick at it you will always have folk being negative it must be part of their personality, to the knockers why not do something to help or give it a rest all rugby clubs cannot exist without volunteers giving up their free time and still get grief over what they do, as touched on before get off your backsides or give the bloke a rest from the bitching.
Keep up the good work Mickey some of us actually appreciate what you do for the fans and the club.

Here here

Absolutely, please stick with it. For those of us who cant easily get to games, its an absolute blessing

Please point out where i suggest anything like that?

No one including me, is saying what you are doing is wrong.
People are wondering, not just me, if its the right way to target new or old fans, to come down and watch.

I really hope the club can get 1000 fans. Just so long as know [idodgy[/i fans turn up thats all that counts.

I'm sure club have experts in counter espionage to make sure no one [idodgy[/i turns up.

650 - nobody in championship 1 has any significant away following to boost the crowd over 1000.

Mickey1920 - As a keen cougars fan who spends a lot of time abroad, I rely a lot on your clips to keep upto date with matches etc and like many folk appreciate the amount of time & effort that you put in. Unfortunately you will always get the negative comments from a few certain people who's sole purpose in life appears to be playing devil's advocate to anything and everything. I, for one, hope you ignore them and keep up the good work.

Never been known to spy on a counter.

Agree with Guess what cant get to all the games and its nice to see the lads in action
Keep doing what your doing!!

What is with all the paranoia and folk going all defensive all of a sudden? Geez we're having a debate about how the club can go forward be better in a decent and constructive manner, no trolling, no devil's advocation as far as I can see.

Where are all the comments criticising Mike's videos directly? Reading through I think there's 1 constructive criticism, not one I necessarily I agree with personally, but someone's fair opinion.

Nearly all the criticism on this thread is aimed at how the club markets itself and how it could be a lot better.

Some folk are really making a hell of a lot out of not very much.

I don't think the fixture list helps very much - how long since the last game at Cougar Park? It's easy to see why any potential fans could lose interest, there's nowt happening TO support for long stretches of time!

Just for the record. When I mentioned freshening up the weekly JD video's, this was in no way aimed at Micky. What I meant (apologies if it read otherwise) was in essence a plea to the club to vary what was said, i.e some weeks give an insight into the work with schools, the next week about an attractive promotion etc. It wasn't a criticism of the production by Micky. I just felt for some weeks JD spoke about the same things. I said it before and I'll say it again, I love the concept and think it's a very innovative idea and credit to who's idea it was.

Come on guys, let's all stick together. It's difficult enough for the players to beat the opposition without the fans working against each other. The hall of fame night for me highlighted what a superb club we have. We all want the same thing so let's all be united and work together to achieve success.

The Micky Fans seem to have said it all.

As supporters we all want to see the club return to the hay day.
Micky has given a vehicle which adds insight and advertises our brand.

Dominance is right with his stick together bit above.
Together we can do quite a lot.

If everybody re posted on their FB, the videos, re tweeted them between the Fans of Cougars we must have most of Keighley on the Friends.

The club often has posters, ask for one and put it up in your village.

Take a neighbour, friend or their kids, granddad or a colleague along.

Free for Kids today and next Sunday. See if your kids, or grandchildren have a pal they want to take along.

Drink more beer. (My favourite)

Eat three burgers instead of two. (My second favourite)

Sad reality, the club has to choose if it should spend money on a full time commercial manager or players.

On a separate note combining role can work.
Player Coach seems to be going well for JD.

Might be that next time the club is in a position to take on a full time position they combine it as a player who could also be a commercial manager also. A larger than life character who can talk the talk through the week but also walk the walk at weekends.

I tried to persuade a mate to come down to today's game last night.

It went like this.





How many more potential fans like this are out there? We are living in hard times. It would be an interesting, albeit admittedly risky experiment to drop the admission price to £5 for a game, give it maximum publicity and see how many turn up.

Good job he didn't come then Stealth, if you promised him a cracker! that, it was not!
I agree though, dropping it to a fiver, or even seven or eight quid, for a game and really going to town on the atmosphere -steel band, or drums or summat lively at half time, face painting for kids, something going on in the bar before and after the game, little 'spot' prizes for fans who make up a new cougar chant - might make for a better matchday experience and convince a few new fans to come along regularly.
Or perhaps we could give Noel some free beer, and the announcer's job..?

Have to agree with your post Stealth.
I really do wonder what people are reading on this thread.

Or is it a case of certain people just using this thread to score points.

Who is that comment aimed at?

Not you MICKY.

The person will know who it is.

You talkin' ta ME?
YOU TALKIN' TA ME???
Why, I oughta....!

If the cap fits

And your point is?