I have been coming on this site for some time now and many a times nearly registered and felt the need to view my opinions but i am affraid friday night was the last straw, firstly i would like to say a big well done to the directors for finally thinking outside the box and bringing in rob. I have had the pleasure to talk to rob on the phone when getting my season ticket and on a few occasions at the ground and well, what a breathe of fresh air he is. For once we don't have someone just wanting to make a lot of friends and flashing there chest off. I really feel rob is the guy to take us forward in his role and so far i don't think anyone can disagree with this, the crowds grew loads by the end of the season with all his work in matchday entertainment, sponsorship is clearly coming in and with the season ticket idea and the fun nights at cougars arranged he really is putting his stamp on the club and trying to bring back the old days now i don't know if he is old enough to remember cougar mania but he's deffinately trying to create something agian.
Friday night was a joke rob and the club had clearly put a lot of effort in as the bar looked great there were families in and food, raffles, quiz and great music but unfortunately there were about 20 people there. I would be suprised if they made enough to pay the dj and staff. everyone comes on this site and a few times even previously people are sugesting social nights as a great way of supporting the club SO WHERE WERE YOU ALL. the club must have lost money on friday and by the sounds of it rob has a load more stuff planned, I ONLY HOPE EVERONE GETS TO SUPPORT THE CLUB NEXT TIME.
This is the first time in years and I mean years that we have people at the club that really believe in and care about the cougars in rob, mary and jd. Even jd was at the party with his family but i have to say that was alos a dissapointment as he was the only playing staff there which didn't look good. jd is the guy to take us to the top of the championship with his skills and most importantly his contacts which is already showing with his excellent signings, jd is a genuine guy and really has taken to the cougars, if you ever get the chance to call into the club he really does make you feel welcome, i bought a grand final shirt and he made the time to talk to me and even said there is a couple of new editions to come yet.
cougar mania is coming back and we all need to support the club as much as we can because without our support the club will not achieve and the biggest fear we have to think about is rob, jd going onto other clubs and not forgetting mary calvit now we have her back she is worth keeping hold of this time. rob and the club have big things planned so lets all start supporting what they do.

cougars

Firstly welcome to the forum, always good to have more fans on here talking Cougars.

Now, speaking for myself.....

1. Halloween is a horrible Americanized institution that I absolutely hate and would never go to a party no matter who organised it.

2. At the same time there was an international rugby league match live on Sky between the 2 best teams in the world and as a rugby league fan I wanted to watch it.

3. I went to watch England play Wales at Leigh yesterday.

4. I'm off to Wembley next week to watch the double header, which is likely to involve a Cougars player playing in it. I booked it at short notice (see part 5) so it wasn't cheap.

5. My sister got married in Las Vegas a month ago and obviously I had to go.

6. I've still to sort my season ticket out.

7. Both my parents' birthdays fall within the next 5 weeks and Christmas is only 8 weeks away.

Now I welcome and appreciate the efforts that the board and management team are doing at the club, I think they are genuinely doing a very good job. However I question the wisdom of holding an event for Rugby League fans whilst there is a major Rugby League event happening at the same time. Given someone who was there was asking me for the latest score on Facebook I'd assume that it wasn't being shown in the Hall of Fame.

You can't make people go to an event, nor can you expect someone to go to an event if they don't like that sort of thing, can't afford to go or have better or more important things to do out of blind loyalty to the club. Nor should those fans' loyalty really be questioned if they don't go.

Music Cougar I take great offence to what you have said. People have put a lot of their time and energy into the club and free of charge. Social nights like this have been done before, and had the same results unfortunately . Dont oftern get angry but your statement just makes me angry. Not yet buying into the reborn frenzy I am afraid, heard it all before but will beleive once we have a room full of sponsors, who are putting in money into the club, we survive in the Championship more than 2 years and volunteers are shown respect. I am really angry.

Let’s face it, Keighley people can be annoying, frustrating, mystifying, fantastic, incredible folk. There were six buses of fans who went to Warrington and who sang, “we’ll support you evermore” on the way back. Try and motivate them to then come down and support the club with social fundraising evenings or buying season tickets is a major effort.
In my opinion we have the best chance since the great days of Cougarmania to get this club up into the heights of the Championship and who knows then with JD and this squad of players. We should not let this chance slip. Come on and get down and support YOUR club.

Earning promotion was a gateway, but for most new/potential/returning supporters the new road begins at the first home game of the season. It's at that point I think the club would see more attendance to the activities at the club outside of the normal games.
I think the efforts are wonderful though by the club from what I've seen. And the more buzz about the Cougars I hear, the more thirst there is to see the new season to commence.

I support my club every week on the terraces, I don't have to do it by drinking beer.

A large proportion of the support have no interest in going to social events, and the vast majority don't even go to the bar. Just because someone is not interested in this sort of thing does not mean they are any less of a supporter, so Music Cougar wind your neck in.

Got to say music cougar i disagree with you. Your comment has hit the nail on the head when you say that J.D was the only player down there. Correct me if im wrong but im sure the advert about the night said that "it will be a chance to meet the new players"

I have heard all the promises before on we will be doing this we will be doing that and have sadly been let down. Maybe this is an oppinion that others feel and maybe thats why there were only 20 people.
Not to mention the locationof the club which is no ones fault but people dont want to go to an industrial estate to party. The bar isnt the best and certainly dosnt cater for young people. Also people have house parties on halloween which will save them money.

With regards to your comment about only wanting to make friends and flashing your chest. I do hope to god that you do not mean sharron as she put the most effort in of the whole club.

Think you may need to get your facts right and consider why people dont come done to certain events.

I follow the team every home match and every away match. I do hope that with your comments you do aswell because i think that is paramount.

With your regards to your comment about crowd. I do think crowds will obviously get bigger towards the end of the season where there are a lot more important games.

about the season tickets you have to ask yourself why only 10 people that bought season tickets last year have bout this year. Why is that music cougar??????????

still angry

Music Cougar, go and look for your dummy.
It will only be spitting distance from your cot.

We do not have to justify ourselves to you.

We support Rugby League, we pay to watch we drink.
We don't all have young kids in need of a Halloween party and we might just have had other plans.

If you went to the awards night which was about Rugby you would have seen where the support is.

If you saw how many people do things for free you would see where the support is.

If you look at the squad builder you will see where the support is.

You may recall a lesbian and gay night at the club which was a similar flop. Don't recall you crying on here about lack of support for that.

The phrase is horses for courses.

Don't bother getting off that high horse, just keep riding, then ride some more.
Then ride some more and don't stop till you fall in the sea and whilst there wash your mouth out.

OUCH FRANK!!

I cant say I was angered when I read the opening post of the thread, infact my first thought was - Wow, thats a very strong opinionated view for a first posting!, and that there would be some pretty heavy replies to follow!

Well heres my thoughts

Occasionally people that post on this board have been guilty of having a pop at the coach, the club, the players, the fans in the past, that is what happens when you feel you have been let down by the club/supporters in some way - we are all allowed opinions arent we?

Occasionally an innocent suggestion to help the club progress has been perceived the wrong way, this is because the suggestion has been taken rather personally as an insult at the way current things are done, particulary if the person concerned is a volunteer who is helping the club in the best way they can - we should all feel we are able to make suggestions to help the club shouldnt we?

Whichever, there is no right, no wrong, people have a right to air their views / give an opinion, after all this is a forum

What I would like to say here is that I hope Music Cougar has a better understanding of the fans views after reading comments that have been sent with both barrels (especially VF's!) - (we can appear to be a menacing bunch on here at the best of times) and that I hope having received these comments it doesnt stop them from posting on this site as we all should welcome new members and open discussion of the Cougars

Having said that, the opening post indicates that Music Cougar can handle themselves

There's no point in holding social events then moaning that people who support the club didn't attend.

The whole point of holding socials at the club should be to attract the custom of people who DON'T follow the club. If you aim purely at the loyalists then you're narrowing you're market drastically.

I was at work, I hope that's an acceptable excuse?
I think part of the problem is Cougar Park's location - it's not on a bus route, not within easy walking distance from town, so people are looking at either driving, a fairly long walk, or a taxi. Dunno what the club can do about that, mind!
I think Cougars need more of a presence in Keighley town itself, and a bit of publicity in the surrounding areas. They're all but invisible to those folk who aren't already supporters, so it isn't easy to attract new support which is what we need.

Grrrrrrrrrrr

I forgot but wouldn't have attended anyway.

Please acept my appology music cougar

but I was at warrington watching the The Worlds best 2 rugby league teams in action, I really enjoyed it too, I even managed to catch a kick from Darren Lockyer (penalty kick to touch) and my little boy threw it back on the pitch

priceless