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


There are lots of people on here with similar views to yours so I'm not sure how you work out you're not part of the "clique". If you mean you don't like people disagreeing with you, then maybe you should just sit in the corner and face the wall (like the naughty boy you are)


So what has that got to do with you stopping away? If people feel like you and stop away it will die.


I don't think players should be critisised in public, that should be an internal matter. However you can't have it both ways - fans come on here and demand explanations then don't like what they hear. As for the sports Psychologist - what's wrong with that - all the top teams use them.
As for the league position, I seem to remember the Chairman saying top 4 to be quickly corrected by Paul March who said top 8.


I might be wrong but a quick internet search shows we have one shareholder- this may well be Gary Fawcet who is also Chairman. It is in his power to nominate as many directors as he wants (as long as they meet criteria for being a company director).
It appears that Neil Cullen is Chief Executive Officer (and also director?) and Peter Spencer is "club Director". As I say, I could be wrong.


I agree with the first part but who would replace Gary with?? Do you have the money and the time or do you know someone who does?


Do you know what the contract with PM is, do we have the money to buy him out of it and sign another coach. Remember PM is part time, many would see it as a full time position.


To be honest, that sounds like poop stirring.


To be fair, we had a very poor end to the season under JD but at the moment we have no consistency. When we get it right (ie first half against Workington) the expansive rugby is there for all to see. However, we don't get it right anywhere near enough.


Everyone else it gutted too mate. We worked hard to get into this division and it will be criminal if we throw it all away.


Cougars were a leading club for 4 years max, all the rest was wishfull thinking. However we still do cutting edge work in the schools and community and we should be shouting that from the rooftops. (well done to Mary Calvert and all concerned)

I don't know what the internal workings between Directors, coach and players are but we needed to make significant changes/improvement after the Dewsbury match and it does not seem that, that has been done. I'm pretty much an optimist but I worry for our future. It isn't too late to make an end of season charge but we look to have our heads in the wrong place.

If we are going to do it we need everyone to pull together, that we can do it, I have no doubt, but we are treading dangerous ground.

It is obvious that there is some sort of discord within the club and to me the cause is not quite clear. I honestly believe from what I have seen, albeit in brief flashes this season, that there is not a club in our division we are not capable of beating if we play as we undoubtedly can. For the benefit of everyone at Cougars: players, officials and fans, I think there should be a 'clear the air' meeting behind closed doors, just the players, back-room staff and perhaps the directors when hopefully opinions can be frankly expressed and get any grievances out in the open. If the players are not happy with elements of Marchie's coaching - let's have it said. Then perhaps we can get on with the business of staying in Championship One and play out the remainder of the season as we can beyond question. At the end of the season then reassess the situation from a position of strength and not wait until relegation is almost a certainty.

I would agree with most of that, only it should have been done after the Dewsbury match.

Let us hope it is done now before relegation is almost a certainty. If Marchie is not the right man for Cougars it would be better to be the former coach of a successful club rather than of relegated one in disarray.