Kept off here for a while since I wasn't part of the click, plus my axe needed sharpening To be honest I am one of the fans that after attending my first game at cougar park in 1993 never thought I'd say it but yes I have distanced myself from the club. Nothing to do with dual reg just plain and simple for me the club is having the life sucked out of it, for me cougars is a dying club. Forget all the stuff about the RFL killing the game, rule changes and promotion/relegation. Yes I agree with all of that but this is purely about KEIGHLEY COUGARS.

I have just been and bought the local paper to see if my little lad was in it with his rugby and noticed the headline on the backpage, I then read the article that is from no other than our Chairman Gary Fawcett. To make it really easy for those of you that haven't seen it yet "What a load of B******T" I have never read so much rubbish in my life. Firstly you have a coach after the game on sunday blaming the players or saying he doesnt know what went wrong and now you have the Chairman of the club that is standing by his coach and his coaches record saying that the players aren't listening to the coach, aren't playing with desire, aren't listening to the expertise from the bench during a game, not sticking to marchys game plan, some players just aren't giving there all etc etc etc.

I think its a disgrace to come out publicly criticising these players, I know for a fact they're are already a lot of unhappy players about this statement. All these players are doing is playing and training as they are told to and by who, the coach. Gary has also stated that there is going to be a sports psychologist coming in to work with marchy and the lads. He also states that with the quality of players and the budget marchy had we should be at 6th or 7th in the table well correct me if I'm wrong but didnt him and marchy predict a top 4 finish for the club at the start of the season

All this does now fall on the shoulders of fawcett because I also know for a fact and I'm sure Hello Trouble or the clubs voice can confirm this that Mr fawcett is Mr Cougar, he is the only director of the club. The other 2 guys neil cullen and pete spencer arent officially involved with the club they just have business interests within the club They arent directors, everything is on fawcetts head.

In my opinion the club has been cut back and cut back too much, in an ideal world Fawcett would walk like he once said to me on our first meeting that if he couldn't take the club any further or the fans ever wanted him gone he would hold his hands up and go.
Or Gary needs to grow a pair and forget his freindship with marchy and send our coach packing, yes marchy is a great guy but so was JD. Coaches come and go thats just what happens but for me our fate especially after this article is sealed and I am sticking to what I have said all along WE ARE GOING DOWN.

What a sad day it will be for our club, I just hope a lot of the lads can find a club before they get dragged down too as I know a few that arent far from making that decision. This has nothing to do with the players or the budget, we saw most of these players play under JD and I have to say they aren't a shadow of themselves from what they were last year. It is down to the coach and his tactics, where is this expanssive rugby we were promised because we have had the weather for it.

I dont know I'm just gutted, when you look at the previous 2 years and the direction and progress we were making on the field it sort of papered over the cracks off the field but now its there for all to see and you don't have to look hard. I'm not here to cause trouble but just to view my anger and yes before any one says it I have had a meeting with gary and viewed my opinions but unfortunately the guy 100% believes that they are moving in the right direction for super league and that he is at the helm of a top championship club, well gary the league table doesnt lie. Oh I all most forgot we are still making weekly profits, if this is the case then gary why don't you start paying most of the younger reserve lads that havent been paid for the last couple of months.

Cougars was once the leading club that everyone wanted to be like and tried keeping up with but now Cougars is a club that no one can be bothered with or cared if it was there or not and now it is us that dreams of been like the other clubs. What ever happens to the club I will always have treasured memories of great days just wish I could have had more great days that my lad could have experienced like we did when we were young.

Fans need to make stance Fawcett and march out

Come on, stop messing about, don't mince your words, say what you really think.

Will the Club reply?

If not, why not?

As a supporter for over 50 years, I would also like to know what is happening at 'My Club'.

Is Gary Fawcett being paid for his role?

If he is, then how much and how does he justify any payment at all?

Did Mike Smith and Mick O'Neil ever take any payment for their involvement? I think not.

If not then, if he does, why does Gary Fawcett take any payment for the time hat he devotes to the Cougars?

I look forward to the Club responding to my queries so that everyone who has the Cougars at heir hearts knowing the details of who is getting what from their roles, starting at he top.

I don't think that I'd better hold my breath as I could die before I get a result!

TCV is your man for this one I'm afraid. I can confirm the questions asked by 666 have been e-mailed to Gary.

Bet we don't get answers.

This is going to be a long one

I am becoming very annoyed and losing a lot of patience with Paul March we have lost a good player-coach (JD) and an amazing half back (Sam Obst) and suddenly the team is struggling to stay out of the relegation zone? Gary can not call on the players here! we need a much better coach!!!

Posters on here make some valid comments

Having seen the article yesterday and taken time to reflect, I think there are some valid points here. I would make the following points;

1) Marchy as the head coach should be empowered and have autonomy to deal with issues involving playing staff.

2) If this answer the point 1 is yes then surely he is the best person to deal with underperformance and associated playing issues. My point being, why isn't it left to Marchy to deal with the under performers and surely Gary has interfered in his affairs and undermined him.

3) I personally thinks it's naive to publicly have a pop at the players. Firstly, this has been an issue all season so why haven't these issues been sorted out earlier? Does this suggest Marchy is not capable of dealing with such issues and it's been left to the Chairman?

4) I've read the article a few times and depending which way you interpret it, it doesn't read too well for Leatherbarrow.

5) In sport at times things just don't play out as planned. You can have the players and a decent coach, but at times it just doesn't work out. I'm beginning to feel this is case with Marchy. Whatever the reason, be it players, his tactics or other factors it's just not working.

6) I agree the clear the air meeting or a change should have happened sooner. I still get the feeling from Gary that he thinks everything will be Ok and Marchy equally. Having seen the performances this year so far I'm far less certain. Even a change in coach now would be too late in my opinion.

7) I'm sick of hearing that this team should in X position. On paper means nothing. It's the cohesion and performance on the pitch that gets results. The team sheet before the match gets us no points. Either the players are overrated by respective personnel or they are not playing to their potential. If it's the latter, why is that? I guess only Marchy can answer that and maybe evidence from his interviews of late would suggest he doesn't know?

If I was Gary and had a meeting with my Coach about performance and got the answers that comes up with after the match I would be concerned. I can only presume he gives Gary more confidence about what the issues are than he does in the videos.

I don't have answers, just my opinion. I don't like reading articles like that and have to say I'm not sure Mr Fawcett has any idea what he's doing. Let's just hope that things come together, but that's all I can do, hope!