: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:13 pm  

girl power wrote:

Celtic in my humble opinion are trying to get into basically what is a union stronghold so clearly they will have a struggle. When we were there when Cougars played them we spoke to a few locals who were mainly union supporters who said they had no issue with league but the owner of Crusaders and previously Bridgend rugby union.

That is a major issue which I think will be hardest to overcome. The club refer to moving to Newport but as anyone investigated if there is any interest there, I assume they have.

With reference to Hedgehog King the point I was trying to make was that Celtic are not the only Super League club with financial problems. The Bulls are looking at either sharing with Bradford City at Valley parade assuming the sporting village manages to actually happen. If Bradford City the Bulls will have to look at playing outside the city.

Wherever they play its not far enough away

Cougar park

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:10 pm  

Hedgehog King wrote:

I think that is a bit too cynical.

If Keighley were rooted to the bottom of the table and getting hammered at home then I don't think we'd pass on any Bulls academy players that might be interested.

But they wouldn't be playing FOR Keighley just playing AT Keighley so therefore are not representative of "my team".

If the Cougars ever became a "feeder team" ,especially to the Bulls, then I wouldn't be following them ever again and I suspect quite a few others wouldn't either!

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:37 pm  

Pretty much my view, Leaguefan. How can they call themselves London Skolars if half of them are actually just on loan from another club? Mind you, it could keep the wage bill down I suppose. Just rent players, instead of buying them...

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:06 pm  

Leaguefan wrote:

But they wouldn't be playing FOR Keighley just playing AT Keighley so therefore are not representative of "my team".

If Keighley were getting beaten 80-0 at home every week, I suspect that the few fans that remained would be glad to see them. I certainly would.

If the Cougars ever became a "feeder team" ,especially to the Bulls, then I wouldn't be following them ever again and I suspect quite a few others wouldn't either!

Skolars aren't a feeder team.

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:09 pm  

Mick W. wrote:

Pretty much my view, Leaguefan. How can they call themselves London Skolars if half of them are actually just on loan from another club? Mind you, it could keep the wage bill down I suppose. Just rent players, instead of buying them...

The British government made it harder for overseas players to get visas, Brendon was a victim of this. Skolars have been hit hard because they were fairly reliant on quota players. At first they put out their local lads but they were getting slaughtered so they had to go begging Quins for some players.

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 3:29 pm  

I have to say someone mentioned to me at the game on sunday we should be a feeder club for Halifax, it is irrelevant who you are feeding your identity disappears overnight I support and watch Keighley Cougars not Bulls or anyone else.

I have noticed that more and more super league clubs are making partnerships with championship clubs. The Rhinos are a prime example take York for example who have access to Leeds fringe players to give them game time etc, the same is being done with Whitehaven.

To me this is a sly way of these clubs starting the slippery slope of being a feeder club in all but name.

I would give up watching cougars if there was any move towards this. We are doing ok at the moment. We are Keighley Cougars its that simple.

Just touching on the Skolars situation, if they have access to Harlequins players yet they are not on loan or contracted to them how can this be anything but being a feeder club.

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 3:51 pm  

girl power wrote:

Just touching on the Skolars situation, if they have access to Harlequins players yet they are not on loan or contracted to them how can this be anything but being a feeder club.

Because they are still a club in their own right. They can make decisions that will effect their own future and that includes borrowing players when the alternative is to get smashed.

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:22 pm  

But surely if they borrow players from another club, they lose the moral (for want of a better phrase) right to call themselves by their original name?
I mean, a Skolars side that fields Quins players as well is surely an amalgam of BOTH those clubs? Not just the one it's calling itself?

: Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:41 am  

Mick W. wrote:

But surely if they borrow players from another club, they lose the moral (for want of a better phrase) right to call themselves by their original name?
I mean, a Skolars side that fields Quins players as well is surely an amalgam of BOTH those clubs? Not just the one it's calling itself?

I don't think it is much different from signing players from another team. Most Keighley players won't have started their careers at Keighley and they probably won't be finishing it here either. Really all players are effectively "on loan" to a club.

: Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:57 am  

I think we'll have to agree to differ on that one - unless half of the rhinos side are available to become Keighley players for a while on 30th July! Just until we've beaten Dewsbury, then they can magically become rhinos again...