Who on earth thought it would be a good idea to play ding dong the witch is dead over the tannoy at half time today? I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Whatever one's views on Margaret Thatcher, it was inappropriate and embarrassing. The woman is dead and our club should maintain a dignified silence on the matter.

Had I not been giving somebody a lift home, I would have gone home. All the work I do, the club does and the RFL do to raise the image of the club and to play a song celebrating that. I can only assume it was a one off and hope not repeated.

Just a down right irresponsible thing to do, regardless of anybody's political or personal views of Thatcher.

What party does Keighley's MP belong to? You know the guy the club would want to lobby parliament and other groups for funding for this supposed new stand.

Buy the record, protest peacefully, even throw parties for all I care, but FFS keep political views away from the club and preferably out of the sport altogether.

I too thought this was offensive, what are we thinking???

Absolute disgrace. Why would you play a song about a person which has obviously got people divided in such a way that people are celabrating a persons death? What a stupid thing to do. Couldnt agree more with Stealth about funding taking a hit now. Also how can you sell a ticket for the crossbar challange, wait 2 minutes and because its not claimed pick another ticket out? Maybe they were at the toilet or maybe they were in the bottom stand and couldnt hear because of the sound quality! I am personally embarresed about our club today infront of the biggest crowd of the season and to be honest if i didnt have a season ticket i wouldnt be going again.

No one played that song on purpose today, it was in an automated playlist and it just came on, I was on the field at the time. Nothing was said or commented or mentioned about the lady herself who people are talking about. If you are offended apologies it was not played on purpose. At the end of the day its from a movie everyone has probably watched, did it offend you then.

Cross bar challenge tickets were given to me with like 5 minutes left of halftime, we only sold 12 and I called the number out at least half a dozen times before selecting another. If I'd carried on waiting no one would have had a go at the crossbar challenge fullstop. When they buy there ticket they know to be around at halftime for the draw.

Everyone whinges about the sound quality and believe me I can mention many grounds with far worse systems than ours. I did check the speakers in the bottom stand and they will be receiving some attention this week to put them right, parts & time permitting.

All some people seem to do is moan and gripe, if its such a problem roll up your sleeves and pitch in.

Somebody selected the songs and this was a big error.
I do not believe songs are automated.

Alot of people have pitched in over the last few years.

Jobs like painting the barriers around the ground, cross bar challenge (1st time), helping the kitman, cleaning the changing rooms.

All for free too.

Micky if you remember correctly when the said song came on I was on actually on the field. The song was 1 of the top 40 most downloaded songs over the last week and was loaded into windows media on auto shuffle. With hindsight perhaps it shouldn't have been but no reference was made to anyone or anything and no offence or malice was intended. At the end of the day it's a movie tune everyone's heard loads of times before and if narrow minded people want to make an issue out of something so petty then let them. I for one will and always will associate it with the wizard of oz.

Andysilsden brings up a valid point, yes many people do pitch in for free and most of there work goes unnoticed, myself included this is my 13th season of voluntary work for the cougars. People need to realise that people cannot work miracles and certain things can and will never happen without an influx of money.

I myself would love to have professional entertainers and cheerleaders on the field but with a budget of zero this will not happen soon. I do my best to find singers who sing for free and yes they may sing ballads but that's plain and simply because of the delay in sound and not having in ear monitoring.

Some people are quick to knock others but where are they when I have to go up in a cage to take speakers down and find the problem and get them repaired. Where are they when they need to go back up, where are they when something breaks and Im running around like an headless chicken fixing the problem.

If someone has a good idea or a valid point come speak to me, I will listen. If you just wanna moan whine or be negative about anything and everything then don't bother.

Dubane, until Margaret Thatcher died everyone associated that song with the Wizard of Oz and everyone probably liked it in its proper context. However, its current context is the death of Margaret Thatcher and the subsequent campaign to get it into the charts by a number of people who wish to celebrate the event. The song hasn't yet migrated back to its proper context as a song in a kiddies' film so it was inappropriate to hear it at Cougar Park yesterday. It kind of came over as an endorsement by the club of the campaign to celebrate Mrs Thatcher's death, even though - as is clear from your explanation - that is not what it was. Trouble is, that's how it could be understood and the club has to be seen to rise above such things.
Your explanation of what happened is entirely reasonable in my opinion. I do agree that that particular song should not have been included in the download but it's done now. Of all those 40 songs, that one just had to come on. Since you were on the pitch, I do accept that you couldn't do much about it.
On a final note, you are clearly frustrated with this criticism. I can see how you would be since you give your time and effort for free. Don't take it personally, you do a great job.

I think Durham Cougar pretty much sums it up. It should not have been played and what Dubane has to realise is that what he plays/says etc is perceived as the voice of Keighley Cougars, not just his. It was clearly an accident, oversight or whatever you want to call it. Leave it at that. The worst thing you can do is apologise and then start justifying why it was done etc etc. It was put on a playlist that was on shuffle. Firstly, is should never have been on that playlist and secondly by sheer fact is was on a shuffle suggests it had a chance of being played.

It is also fair to say that songs which are going to play for a short slot should be selected. There are plenty of records which make the top 40 which may also be unsuitable.

It is family game and surely the songs to be played need to be considered.
Not randomly shuffled.

It's done now, time to move on and learn from it.

I didn't even hear it to be honest. Mon the Cougars.

Just think there could be people in the crowd, who may have been very happy for it to be played.

Carefull guess who some people are a bit
sensitive on here.