This is a serious question, especially in the current situation.

What has the club to strive for long term?

What are the benefits of it existing?

Would the people of Keighley and the surrounding area REALLY miss it if the club wasn't there?

Digging REALLY REALLY deep does anyone believe that Superleague football will come to Keighley?

Digging REALLY REALLY deep does anyone believe that Keighley can ever win the Challange Cup?

These are not nice questions, I realise that, but THEY NEED TO BE ASKED!!!

The answers, and they will be varied, if people can be bothered to answer, will give a clue as to what the next several years may offer!!!

The game is really dictated by money nowadays. I hate that fact, but that is how it is.

Unless a local investor or Metcalfe or someone ploughs millions in, we will continue as we are. We will not see Super League rugby at our team otherwise. Just keep hoping one of us wins the jackpot on the lottery, ay?



We probably have a better chance of winning the Challenge Cup than being in The Super League for the forseeable future. The gap between ourselves and The Super League teams is huge though and I think it is only going to get bigger with the franchise system in place. So, watching Keighley v St Helens at a competitive level in the cup might be similar to watching Brazil take on the Faroe Islands in football.

The majority of rugby league fans in Keighley seem to have forgotten that we exist and they have been blinded by the glamour of the Super League Product. It's not "cool" to follow OUR TOWN'S TEAM anymore. People seem more interested in following teams which represent other places, most commonly Bradford and Leeds.

But, I feel that there are many who do want the club to continue, even if they do not want to watch us every week. The people of Keighley would see it as a loss if its main sports team was to go.

The benefits of the club existing are that the town of Keighley is represented at a national level through sport. It is there to serve the community in Keighley. It is for people who like to watch rugby league or people who just enjoy watching their town's main sports team.

As a club, we should strive to remain in a stable state and look to stay in the second tier of the league system.

These questions could be asked about any lower league team in any sport.

I don't support Cougars because they might win trophies. I do so because I love Rugby League and they're my local team. I'll leave the glory hunting to the deluded Rhinos, B*lls and Man U fans.

"Fans" of these clubs don't know what it's like to be a real fan.

They only know about success, when they do lose you'd think their whole world had fallen apart.

To reach the highest highs, you must experience the lowest lows.

We've had some pretty big lows and what's going on right now is down there with them.

Moments like us beating Sheffield Eagles in the Challenge Cup and invading the pitch or the Grand Final in Warrington are what I live for.

Glory hunting Keighley based Leeds/Br*dford/Shuddersfield fans will never feel that same high, even if they win every trophy going.

Real Ale, Real Rugby League, Real Fans, we are Keighley Cougars.

Here's to not waiting too long for another one of those highs.

Keep the faith.

Stealth comic that is by far your best ever post.

Bar Widnes, Leigh, Toulouse, Halifax, Whitehaven and possibly Barrow, those questions could be asked of any of the other teams in the co-operative championships, though I cant see all these clubs going because of pessimistic supporters, they will live on through their diehar supporters.

Keighley Cougars should exist because Keighley IS the Cougars , It is the first thing that comes to mind when the word Keighley is mentioned

The same applies to many of the towns that have a sports team , those that dont just dont have that ' identity '

The Cougars are the face of Keighley , they are the focal point of your community , lose them and you lose your identity , your place on the map

All you can do is continue to support whoever runs out in the shirt , dont ever talk them down to the ' false ' fans of other clubs

You will probably never reach the heights of the game again , none of us will , but you will be all the richer for that , it is not what you are that defines you , it is what you ' do '

Keep the faith

So why should Keighley Cougars exist...???

The club officials who decided to join the break away and join the Northern Union, going against the upper class union stronghold..

Harry Myers who lost his life ultimately for the cause of KRLFC and brought out the whole town in his respect with his funeral courtage

The boys of 1937 ..giving us our finest hour , with fifteen thousand from the town making the trip to Wembley...

Billy Watson, Keighleys first ever England International ,longtime kitman/assistant coach and grandfather of our currant complex manageress...

Only up to the 1930s there, and could fill pages and pages with the rest of our history and reasons why our club should have a future ...Keighley RLFC and like the likes of Batley,Dewsbury ,Barrow , Workington, Leigh and other RL clubs have a significant part to play in the history of towns and community's that may not otherwise give them an identity ..

Stealth Comic , an awesome post, and Starbug ,from an opposing supporter , fantastic and so amazing to see from one of our rivals ,..may even buy you a pint on our visit to CP

Can't believe any Rugby League Fan would post questions as above on here.
If you support Keighley Cougars, you have a funny way of showing it.
If you support another team, you should know if you don't have opposition you have no game.

If you have to ask that question, I suggest the Keighley Fans Forum is not the place to ask and expect a polite answer.

Maybe a better question would be

What does the future hold for Keighley?

What does the future hold? A few low points, the odd high point, some good rugby league, a good laugh with like-minded fans, a decently priced pint before the game, summat to do on a sunday, hoping the next new shirt looks nice...
Business as usual at Cougar Park, and many other clubs throughout the land!
Come on you Cooou-garrrrs!

As a town? Sadly it's on a downward spiral. You've only to take a walk in and around the bus station and look at the amount of chavs and low lifes that congregate around there to see how bad it's getting.

As for Keighley Cougars? So long as there are plenty of decent people like the majority of posters on here who genuinely care about having a pro Rugby League outfit in the town we'll hopefully be fine.

Keep the faith.

I like being a Keighley supporter. I wear my hoodies down here in a place where league is as popular as swine flu and atd that its a team they havent heard of. But I am not ashamed to say I support Keighley because I was born their and they are/ were my local team. Similarly the Torquay United fans here get stick from the Manchester United, Chelsea and all the other teams 'fans' because they dont win anything. But they take pride in supporting their local team, as they should be. So if for the next 70 years Keighley Keighley go no closer to the Challenge Cup than the last 32, dont reach SL, go into administration 5 times and I live in Australia I will always be a Keighley fan. I really dont understand people who post such drivel (sp) on here. If youre a Keighley fan have a go when people mess up, moan about the new kits and all the rest that everone else does. But if you are posting this at a time when the club is at its lowest and needs its fans more than ever not questioning its worth, then maybe you should decide if you are a fan.

I suppose like so many teams in so many sports, it's all about hope and blind optimism. You go hoping for that one moment of glory when you can look back and say
"I was there when..!"


It's a good feeling of belonging to something, too. Like having a huge extended family, which I don't think you really get with being a supporter of a big club.


And the beer's cheap.

The benefits offered By Keighley Cougars and any other similar sports club are different for everyone.

Some arrive five mins before KO watch the match then leave as the whistle blows.

Others arrive early have a beer, meet friends, have a chat, watch the warm up then stay after the match for more beer and post match analysis. Some also go for an evening meal in the pub to finish the day off.

Just because the above are different does not make Keighley Cougars any less significant, and I'm sure I could describe dozens of different scenarios. We are all different.

Personally, I want to see a good match (win or loose) and to meet friends, to me rugby is part of the day but not[i the [/iday, if you know what I mean.

I want the club to play an exciting brand of rugby, to win a few more than they loose and play an active part in youth and the community.

I don't personally see superleague as the pinnacle, I don't think we can realistically afford it. I would be quite happy where we are as long as the rugby is good. But if someone came along who could make it happen then I wouldn't say no.

I'll be there next year win, or loose, but I hope that those who got us in this mess are not.

I think the question is fine and needs asking.

If only to focus peoples minds.

The reason Keighley Cougars RLFC should exist.
Becasue the longer we exist they longer it es off the bigwigs at Red Hall, and the idiots who voted for super league. The powers that be don't want us, or Batley, or Doncaster, or any other England based team outside of England.
They proved that in 1995 when they stopped promotion to the new Super League. They proved it when they kicked out Trafford, Nottingham and Chorley, and when teams like Highfield and Scarborough had to fold.
They proved it this year when the fixtures came our 4 weeks late because of a team in Wales.
All they want is for Super league to be Super league and all the rest to become feeder clubs for the Super League. The next time franchises are awarded I would put money on Toulouse and South Wales going into Super League.

It must be said. There's some really good posts in this topic.

Get this.....

My place of work has an agreement with Leeds Carnegie sport in that we have a contra deal with them, this permits us/me to attend Leeds RL, Leeds RU & Yorkshire County/International Cricket games. Obviously this is a great perk and I have attended many fine games and sporting events over the past couple of years. When discussing Rugby league and when in attendance at RL games I always state that I am a Keighley Cougrrrr fan when asked. I attended the Grand Final with Leeds fans and wore my Cougrrr shirt...Strange isn't it?

I know its been quite some time since I have been a spectator at a Keighley game - home or away - However I am in essence a Keighley Cougrrr fan..

There is no devine right to have a rugby league team in keighley and nor should we expect people to continue to run the club - but - it would be nice if the club/game at a semi-professional level was to continue in this town and - it would be nice to see continuity, even if that were to be at the lowest level. That and a little 'community' involvement....

Whinger©

And the sooner your back the better.

The club needs someone with your acumen, wit, experience and, dare I say rakish good looks, back on the terraces.

And you've less hair than me.

I don't agree.

He was just a trouble maker and should be glad people don't hiss and boo as he walks past them in the street.









Oh, I'd better put this

If I didn't know you better I would think you were taking the pi$$

Oh - is that why they do that?

and for the record - what do you mean [uWAS[/u a trouble maker?

I can still be a little tinker when I want to be...



Lord above - it's good to be back.... Some things just never change...

Whinger©

Great post.