Just a reminder that the best of the Cougars Under 18s emerging talent will be playing their first competitive game together under the 'extended scholarship' banner when they take on their counterparts from York City Knights tonight at Cougar Park , kick off 8pm.

The Keighley Side will feature players such as Martyn Broadley ,Jamie Stephenson, Matt Ross, Ben Stead and Jordan Atchison who have all already played in the Cougars Reserve grade this year as well as the table topping Cubs Under 18s National League side.

Very good a new team getting a run out and being allowed to play at Cougar Park.

The Cougar Cubs under 18s love a run out at Cougar Park and their Friday night game last season was messed up as understandably Cougars don't want to open up and run at a loss for small crowds not paying.

Could the club therefore answer when if the bar is open and staff are down there on this Friday they still will not let the high flying Cubs under 18s play on the pitch. It might be a distraction from the spin that comes out of the question and answer session down there that night.

Running under 18s may be a bad idea at a loss.

So we do it for a new team, but when the bar is already open we make a high flying team providing the quality element of our own reserves play on a sloping dump with no facilities up the road.


Has the pride of Keighley got a plausible answer for that?

Perhaps you would get a reasoned response by contacting the club direct rather than this which whilst is great way to see fans concerns etc it is not an official forum of the club, just a thought.

The Extended Scholarship is not a 'new team' but is part of the RFL's Player Pathway' to develop young players in a professional club enviroment and is part of the Clubs development set up as were the under 15s and 16s who played at Cougar Park last Wednesday evening and the reserves who played the following evening.

QUOTE"the Cougars Under 18s emerging talent will be playing their first competitive game together "

Don't know what made me think they were a new team.

I love seeing the youngsters playing at CP, it's corny but true; they are the future.

Having said that, Cougars don't appear to have a cash surplus to be able to do just what they want.

I might be completely wrong here, but it just seems that certain individuals invloved, carry grudges against the club (or individuals within the club) and try to have a dig at any opportunity.

Perhaps the playground tactics should be left to the kids, whilst the real adults get round the table and talk.

I'd like nothing more than to see the first team bristling with young local lads.

No, I think you will find I am just asking a fair question.

If the answer is too difficult, then say it is a childish question having a dig.

But if the club is open on Friday, why are the Cubs being denied?

But you are asking it here, on a fans forum, when really, if you want the issue solved, you should be talking to one of the directors.

OK Fair one.

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

More rugby at Cougars.
It's all good.

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.

Very disappointed to hear this. Would have thought both parties could find some way to work together.

Whilst I appreciate the obvious frustrations you feel with regard to this, this is obviously your own take on two sided argument. Maybe before casting opinion I would like to hear the other side of the argument, i.e the club. I'm sure it's done with rationale and not just out of spite. Maybe this would be a good question for the forthcoming q&a night to hear JD's take on the situation. My personal view is that the cubs are the future and should be looked after where possible.

No frustrations on my part old pal. I'm perfectly happy with the arrangements.