Accepted Micky, but that is your preference not necessarily everyone's. Apart from a handful of people on here I do not know who people are and their involvement with the club. How do you PM someone when you don't know who they are or their involvement?

In relation to the comments regarding player critique etc, I don't think this is just isolated to the Cougars. In fact, I know for definite other sites are much more forthright in their views about players than our site. I think in the main people make comment on the game, coach and directors, but I feel individual players don't come in for a massive amount of flack. I looked at the Cas forum recently and some comments about Mr Owen were less than complementary.

I was not having a "pop" at a volunteer, they all deserve respect.

You said he was "perfect" - I disagreed. I think I'm nearer the truth don't you?

If I was to compare him against all the other announcers that I have seen at Cougar park then I would put him as "average". I'm not trying to insult anyone, just being honest and I realise that it's only an opinion.

I find it curious that you feel he should be immune from criticism yet on the Siddal thread you have a "pop" at Gavin Duffy by picking him out as the only player from 17 to criticise.

my opinion ! you are mistaken in thinking i feel the announcer should be immune from comments of improvement

i just felt he was getting stick when he as i understand gives his time for free - i could be wrong.
A pop at Gav after the way he played on Sunday a honest opinion again i could have names a few players i normally think Gav plays well he just had a off match.

I can count on my hands how many times I have got our own players names wrong in like 13 seasons of doing this. The problem we usually have is the team sheet is always arriving last minute and if it has mistakes they are not corrected so I'm reading on the fly.

The sound issues are a problem and I spent many hours last season taking down and getting repaired 3 of the long throw speakers and then putting them back up. The problem is to do the job right with the right equipment would cost thousands and I'm pretty sure the club hasn't got that. A new good quality radio microphone would cost in the region of £800 alone.

The system currently at cougar park originally cost over £40,000 and has been in use for some 9 years to my knowledge with very little spent on keeping it going.

I said I will look at the speakers at the bottom end and I am about to start working on the tunes etc. Unfortunately I've been a little side tracked by a sudden family bereavement and the issues that arise from this.

I will check the speakers and I will post on the outcome of this check.

I've read the posts people make and everyone is entitled to their opinion. I think people forget that I'm the same Mc who did the job for 5 years after Mick o'neil and for 5 years with Peter fell. I can't work miracles and can only work with what I've got. Dig in ya pockets and give me £10,000 and I will fix all the sound issues at the ground, that's what it would cost at the bare minimum to do the job correctly.

I assume you use this

because to want to be condescending.

As for the rest of your post, it helps if you attempt to use English and punctuation correctly.

You seem to jump in with both feet without thinking things through; you did the same in the thread about PIRAG (I'm still waiting for you to answer the questions I asked).

Here is what you said about the MC:


I am simply pointing out that he is not perfect, ie not without fault. I will say it once again so it penetrates your head; I am not having a go at him.

You said that people can hear him (or to quote your post “ear” him) as clear as day in the stand. You failed to realise that the stand only accounts for 20% of the crowd. I suppose the rest of us don’t count?

You complain about the MC being picked on then single out one player for criticism from the Siddal match when you could have picked out several. I realise that it is your opinion but a tad hypocritical don’t you think?

Oh, I don't usually use this emoticon, but I'll stoop to your level just this once.

Thanks for that, some interesting information.

Sounds like a lot of money is involved; I know little about PA systems so can’t comment.

Apart from what “gherkin”, “pickled onion” or whatever their name is implies, I am not having a “pop” at you, as my earlier posts clearly indicate (though I can’t speak for others).

I stand in the Turner Stand for half the game, and the comments re the PA system are derisory. Unfortunately, you are the face people associate with it and catch some of the flak.

I applaud you for standing up and doing the job, I wouldn’t do it in a million years.

I just personally want to echo what Dreamer has said, I have no issue with anyone on this forum and am certainly not having a go at Dubane. I just mentioned a point or two that I find frustrating.

On the cost front, I would be interested to know if you have put this to club, or have you assumed the money is not there. If you don't ask, you don't get. I'm not saying there is a massive pool of money at the club for such things, but upon entering the ground the MC and PA system is the first contact our club has with supporters and this needs work.

Let me just reiterate, this is not a go at Dubane or anyone else and the club needs work on the whole matchday experience. I would argue the PA system and such like are a priority.

One final question - Is there a way to pre-record the players names and who their sponsor is to be played back when the team is known, i.e Number 1 - Craig Moss, sponsored by ? If the player doesn't have a current sponsor they could have a message saying "To sponsor this player please contact the club". I accept this may be a lot of work, but just a question.

I wonder if somehow the developers of the new Cougars website could be asked to include a link to this Cougars forum - instead of creating a brand new discussion board?

At least it is the p.a. System we ade talki.g about here , from what I have read on the
Barrow website they face being demoted if they do not sort out the floodlights they have,
Apparently they're not up to scratch for this division. I think they need arround 100K
to bring them up to scratch

or face demotion. Shame really as they have a cracking little ground
,bit tatty around the edges but otherwise great to watch rugby league
Now that is bad news !

Take today's game as a prime example of where the club could do better.

This is a big game for the club. It could potentially be the biggest attendance we get all season. A super league club coming to town. Those fence sitters may well decide to come down today and see some super league stars. I've spoken to a handful of people who would fit in that bracket and are coming today.

Where has the clubs marketing been?

Gary speaks about Cougarmania 2? This could have been a prime opportunity to sell it. Fans may come down today who have not been all season. We need to keep them coming down. The £1 kids idea was good, but what is there to keep them interested.

A curtain raiser could have been played. Some fun stalls for kids inside the ground. Pre-match entertainment. Instead, I've had a text giving prices. My kids' school has had nothing. We speak about apathy amongst fans, but there is an element of it amongst the board.

Anyway, rant over. Can't wait for the game.

Only around 1400 attendance today ????
Thougbt there was a lot more than that ......

Atmosphere killer - ballad singer! Offensive music, speakers still sound like they are under water, top end ladies toilets locked and a crossbar fiasco . Welcome to Keighley Cougars.

1. Ballad singer - singer was voluntary and sung for the experience.
2. Offensive music - read the Ding dong post.
3. Crossbar challenge - read the Ding dong post.
4. Speaker issues - read the Ding dong post.
5. Toilets - Don't know anything about that.
6. If you can sing better - your on next game.

Unfortunately it all comes down to our age old problem. We haven't got any £££££

I'd suggest the Cougar directors get themselves to a match at Bayern Munich - so they can see what a proper matchday experience is like.

Would you care to tell us how much money Bayern Munich, spend on match day?

And how much it costs to go to their games

Playing the right music at the right time (build up to match and at the end) etc doesn't cost anything really compared with doing it badly. All I'm saying is go learn from the best and adapt what you see to your own circumstances.

Making & selling matchday flags etc in club colours at cost doesn't cost anything either.

Whoever's company is currently entrusted with stewardship of the Keighley Cougars club isn't expected to make a profit. Just break-even. Like Bayern Munich does. But please show some ambition and nous and aim to break-even at (to start with) say £1 million in, £1 million out each year - Don't just accept £100k in, £100k out.

Keighley Cougars isn't a bowling club or something. It is something the whole of Keighley should know about, be welcomed to, want to be part of and be proud of.

Their cheapest season ticket is around £110 and cheapest game ticket about £12.

What the hell is a matchday experience? I go for the rugby.

Stealth, what would make you return to the rugby given no Cas players play these days?

Ask the 4,500 people who attended matches at the height of Cougarmania who are now nowhere to be seen!

I would rather ask Mr Churchill?

This whole matchday experience gets branded about a lot but no one explains what it is.

" A feeling that you are part of something special ".

e.g. imagine the experience of any German person who was at the Bayern Munich match last night or in the Dortmund stadium tonight.

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.