Keighley Cougars
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| Keighley Cougars | |
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| Full name | Keighley Cougars Rugby League Football Club |
| Emblem | Cougar |
| Colours | Red, green, blue and white |
| Founded | 1900 |
| Sport | Rugby league |
| League | Rugby League National League Two |
| Ground | Cougar Park |
| Official website | http://www.keighleycougars.info/ |
Keighley Cougars are a semi-professional rugby league team from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. They currently play in National League 2. Their home ground, Cougar Park (originally Lawkholme Lane), has an estimated capacity of 7,800.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early years
The club was formed at a meeting held on 17 October 1876 under the presidency of the Reverend Marriner. A committee was elected and it was reported that Mr Holmes had allowed the club the use of a field in Lawkholme Lane.
The first kick-off took place on Saturday afternoon, October 21st and the committee met again on October 24th and decided to adopt Association and Rugby Football laws. On 18th November 1876, the first game took place at Lawkholme Lane. The visitors were Crosshills and although the game ended in a draw, there are records, which say, "the draw was in the visitors' favour".
The first important match appears to have been played on January 13th 1877 against Bingley. Under the scoring system of the day the visitors won by two tries and two touchdowns to two touchdowns. Keighley also lost a further two games against Bingley.
One of the earliest games of the following season was a fixture with Kildwick on October 13th 1877 when Keighley won by one goal to five touchdowns. Other teams met during that second season were Bradford Zingari, Manningham, Cleckheaton, Leeds Athletic, Skipton and Bradford Juniors. Up to April 1878 Keighley and Bingley had met seven times with Keighley losing every match.
At the annual meeting of the club in 1878, shortly after the headquarters had been moved to Dalton Lane, it was decided to form a second XV. October 27th 1879, saw the formation of a rival club in the town, Keighley Athletic. There was some rivalry with those responsible for setting up the new club, but within a couple of years differences had been settled, and on March 24th 1881 a merger was decided upon.
In March 1882, the team figured in the Yorkshire Cup for the first time. They met Wakefield Trinity who were one of the top sides. During that year a match with Hunslet was played under Association rules which ended in a draw. It was probably the only Association game ever played by the town's club.
Keighley officially joined the Rugby Union on Tuesday, April 8th 1879, and the following year, in a match at Bingley, there was a peculiar incident. A report of the game states that Bradbury attempted a drop at goal, but the ball passed under the crossbar, and Bairstow, following up, touched down. Bingley would not concede the try, alleging that the player who obtained it was offside, and on their refusing to allow the ball to be brought out, the home players left the field and the game was unfinished.
By the end of season 1880-1881 the membership of the club was 80, ten being honorary members and 70 playing members. In 1882-83 "the team had a most successful experience". Gate receipts reached £58 and the expenditure £32.
[edit] Northern Union
In 1902/3 The Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues were combined to form a second division. Keighley was one of the new clubs to join the second division which they topped with 27 wins out of 34 games.
Keighley had their greatest cup season up to that time. They reached the semi-final of the Northern Union Cup for the first time by beating Castleford, Egremont, Hull and Featherstone Rovers before falling to Salford in the semi-final game at Warrington.
An old newspaper clipping says that "dissatisfaction among the players with regard to terms of payment was the reason for this defeat, and but for this very discreditable piece of business Keighley would have opposed Bradford in the final".
December 19th 1906 tragedy overtook the club when Harry Myers died as a result of an accident on the field of play.
About that time Keighley were one of the leading teams in the Northern Union Cup competition, and again in 1907-08 they advanced to the third round by virtue of wins over Brookland Rovers and Whitehaven.
During the years of the First World War the club arranged no fixtures and did not take part in the 1918-9 season. When the game returned to normal there was a hectic period of team rebuilding, and following a really bad season in 1921, six new players were signed from the Furness district.
[edit] Cougar-mania
In 1991/1992 Mick O'Neil, Mike Smith and Neil Spencer joined the board at Keighley RLFC and embarked on a rebranding; the first being adding Cougars to their name. O'Neil became Chairman of the club and started the trend for iconic music for each player after they scored, lively PA announcements, involvement of school kids and the community, active on-field mascots. Smith was in charge of the positive marketing and the like; Spencer was in charge of finance and the youth academy. All of which made visits to Cougar Park in the mid-1990s a progressive and eye-opening experience for rugby league supporters. The club attracted the attention of the national press and senior politicians, which remains unique in rugby league.
Investment in good players, and an expansive style helped crowds increase from 350 in 1989 to an average of over 4,000 in 1995, and on-field success followed. The club invested heavily: in new terracing; a new club-house; the Great Britain coach (Phil Larder); and a full-time Premier League standard team.
The club succeeded in its first attempt to win promotion to the Premier Division. However in 1995, the creation of the Super League banned promotion and meant the edifice collapsed as the club were denied entry to the top flight. Everything that the O'Neil, Smith and Spencer ambition had dreamed of, and had suceeded in, was taken from the town at the last minute by internal rugby league and multi-national corporate politics.
The next season the club was taken over in a coup by Carl Metcalfe who promised to invest £3 million into the team and the ground. O'Neil, and loyal directors Neil Spencer and Maurice Barker reluctantly left making way for the new regime. The promised millions didn't materialise, and only months later, Metcalfe sold the senior squad to Leeds on a peppercorn deal and put the club into administration. He was later arrested and convicted of supplying illegal drugs.
After dissolving in liquidation, the club was saved by former directors Neil Spencer and Colin Farrer. It has now returned to its lower league status, watched by a few hundred spectators. However, the large majority of the glam, pizazz, entertainment and community involvement that are now an accepted part of the rugby league scene were introduced to the game in England by the Cougars.
Rumours remain in the town that Mick O'Neil may join the board, rejoining former colleague Neil Spencer. However, O'Neil is now based in Brisbane, Australia and it remains to be seen if there will be a Cougar-mania II.
[edit] Records
- Biggest victory: 104-4 vs Highfield 23 April 1995
- Worst defeat: 2-92 at Leigh, 30 April 1996
- Highest attendance: 14,500 vs Halifax, 3 March 1953
[edit] Honours
- National League 2 Winners: 2003
- Old Division Two Champions: 1902-03, 1994-95
- Old Division Three Champions: 1992-93
[edit] References
Daring to Dream - the Keighley Cougars story
[edit] Sources
[edit] External links
Official
- Official club website
- Keighley To Cougars, Keighley Cougars history website
- Keighley Cougar Cubs
- Keighley Cougar Cubs (under 12s
- Phill Smith's Cougars Pictures
- Trevor Smith's Cougars Pictures
Unofficial
| Rugby League National Leagues - National League Two |
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See also: Rugby League Championship Third Division |
| Rugby league in Britain and Ireland | |
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