Quote: ooker_9 "The extended scholarship has been introduced this year by the RFL and this is their 1st game. The majority of the players playing tonight (11 of 17) are all Cougar Cubs players who play in the Gillette national youth league.
The reason why they are playing at cougar park tonight is because they are a cougars side, just as much as the under 23s are a cougar side.
I'm not sure why the cubs arnt playing here on Friday, but the cubs aren't actually connected to the club. They are as much connected to us as Keighley Albion or Town. We will support them in things that they do which we have been doing e.g. helping set up an under 8s side, but they are not our direct junior club.
Hope this explains why the side are playing at Cougar park tonight'"
Tom and anyone else, this is where the problem/confusion/misunderstanding lies.
Keighley Cougar Cubs are indeed an autonomous organisation with no
formal links with the Cougars but the Under 18s entry into the National Youth League was at the request of and with the encouragement of the previous Cougars Directors and endorsed by a previous Cougars Coach and was a unique hybrid whereby the Cougars provided the playing facilities and the Cubs provided the players, kit, transport costs, coach, equipment, after match food, admin expertise etc. and it worked to mutual benefit. Cubs’ players got the professional experience and the Cougars got a close working relationship with the up and coming talent (Sagar, Haythornthwaite, Barr et al).
When the present regime took over they were not aware of the arrangements and when presented with the model, unfortunately they could not support it. I have previously explained the arguments they have put forward and will not go into them again.
Some people are understandably upset that the arrangements have been changed but the Cubs are marching on regardless.
They are playing againstSaddleworth Rangers on Friday night, kick-off 7.30 pm at Utley.
