Re: Fans forum meeting. : Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:52 am  

I have to say some of the posts on here beggar belief. The new directors are being criticised before they hardly get going for aspirations that some think unrealistic surely to have aims is far better than we have had previously. I am not making comparisons as it would be unfair but how many folk thought the same when Mick ONeil joined the club. The meeting was far more aimed at trying to get the fans involved on the new journey than has been the case since 2001 in my view. The idea to link up with the college to utilise the future brickies etc shows vision and thought. As for the club being asked to look at funding fans coaches this despite in theory being good the fact is that even when cougarmania was at a peak this never happened, the club has to get the first steps in place a bit like learning to walk again. I for one as like others like to go on a coach but only to a final etc. Graham Kemp made positive steps to expand on the good work done in the area by Dean and Tom. another step forward along with the inclusion of teams like West Craven Warriors etc into the mix. Apart from the points debacle which was not caused by the new board things look good and do not judge the board before they have time to bring their plans to fruition. Rant over for now

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:00 am  

For the club to get into SL, the amount of funds needed is going to be huge.

A new main stand is going to cost in the region of 2 to 3 million.
You then have to factor in players wages. There will have to be a increase in staff to run the club.

The club has to win the play off final, or win the northern rail.

The club also has to put a better business plan together, than teams like Widnes, Halifax, Barrow, Whitehaven and any French/Irish/Scottish team that may want a place in SL.

For all this to happen in 4 years is one hell of a ask.
It would take something like the re-birth of Cougar Mania. It would need the public to buy into the dream.

People did it before. Will they do it again.

Going of recent history, i would have to say no.
We have won promotion twice and the crowd number whilst increasing hasn't increased anywhere near enough.

The amount of people, who turned up to the fans forum, after all the recent goings on was poor.
I was sure a hell of a lot of people, would have come down just to find out what the hell has gone on.

Why did people not come down?
Why did the number of fans coming through the turnstile, not care enough to come down?

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:30 pm  

guess who wrote:

The amount of people, who turned up to the fans forum, after all the recent goings on was poor.
I was sure a hell of a lot of people, would have come down just to find out what the hell has gone on.

Why did people not come down?
Why did the number of fans coming through the turnstile, not care enough to come down?

Personally, I didn't expect to hear anything which I did not already know, or more importantly, learn anything new. The persons who could answer relevant questions, Neil and Colin, were obviously not going to be there. That would leave the new people, Gary and Graham, to say, "What's gone has gone, let's move forward".

After the meeting is anything clearer?

Just for starters.........

Can anyone who went down explain how a debt of £100k was "inherited" from the old club and / or why is has it almost doubled in nine years? I bet someone asked the question but was a satisfactory answer given? I still don't know and I don't believe anyone else does.

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Fri Feb 05, 2010 6:42 pm  

View from the full back wrote:

Can anyone who went down explain how a debt of £100k was "inherited" from the old club and / or why is has it almost doubled in nine years? I bet someone asked the question but was a satisfactory answer given? I still don't know and I don't believe anyone else does.

I have been told, that when the new club started in 2001 there was no debt.
The new club started on an even playing field.

If that is true then its even more shocking.

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Fri Feb 05, 2010 7:27 pm  

I'll tell you why I didn't go down; I only have a limited budget and I've been to two friendlies recently, and I'll be at the Whitehaven game on Sunday; I didn't finish work til seven that night, had dogs to walk, and was due back at work at seven the next morning; I got the impression that all the business side of the goings-on was up for discussion and I can't pretend that I understand it all, anyway; finally, I knew it would be widely discussed on here - am I excused, your worship?!
Having said that, I've been clearing snow once already, and I'm more than happy to do a bit of painting/cleaning or whatever, should the call go out. I'll probably also be sticking up posters around Silsden.
I think a dose of realism is needed here - we'll be lucky to stay up, very lucky if we get nine points docked. I think we need to play the long game now - accept relegation might happen and look beyond it, to doing a Dewsbury and bouncing straight back up. Forget SL for now, we're always saying we don't need it!
Let's concentrate on building a good, strong fan base that's ready for a two or three year slog...

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Fri Feb 05, 2010 7:41 pm  

http://www.cooperativechampionship.co.u ... p?id=16481 Worth a read for the ones who couldn't make it.

http://www.cooperativechampionship.co.u ... p?id=16481 Worth a read for the ones who couldn't make it.

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Fri Feb 05, 2010 8:47 pm  

Hi everyone,

Just an apology for not getting the minutes from the fans forum up on the website yet I will get it done over the weekend. Sorry for the delay,

Thanks,

Hannah

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Fri Feb 05, 2010 10:44 pm  

Sorry Girl Power I was not impressed the other night was hoping to see a business plan with structure, was hoping for investment. I am a realist and if he had said "maybe in the future we could end up in Super League who knows" I would have smiled, but 2014, nah. I may not have a lot of money but I do invest my time in this club and my heart. Those investments are precious to me. And as for critisizing are you the only one that can these days??

The Cougar cubs many years ago had links with a training scheme to paint the changing rooms. As for the bus, I remember you being on the Gateshead trip, that lead to someone having to rush to the hole in the wall to fund the shortfall (100+). Even if they organised and charged it would help. The one thing I did think positive was the commitment to the schools with Tom and Dean and local junior teams, would love to see young ones on the terraces again.Retorical rant over.

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:40 am  

girl power wrote:

I have to say some of the posts on here beggar belief. The new directors are being criticised before they hardly get going for aspirations that some think unrealistic surely to have aims is far better than we have had previously. I am not making comparisons as it would be unfair but how many folk thought the same when Mick ONeil joined the club. The meeting was far more aimed at trying to get the fans involved on the new journey than has been the case since 2001 in my view. The idea to link up with the college to utilise the future brickies etc shows vision and thought. As for the club being asked to look at funding fans coaches this despite in theory being good the fact is that even when cougarmania was at a peak this never happened, the club has to get the first steps in place a bit like learning to walk again. I for one as like others like to go on a coach but only to a final etc. Graham Kemp made positive steps to expand on the good work done in the area by Dean and Tom. another step forward along with the inclusion of teams like West Craven Warriors etc into the mix. Apart from the points debacle which was not caused by the new board things look good and do not judge the board before they have time to bring their plans to fruition. Rant over for now

I take it that this was the Club keighley funding coaches to take keighley fans to watch the Cougars play at away matches ?

Maybe a more financially benifitial arrangement would be for the home clubs to contribute to coach transport for the away fans to visit them ?

If say Dewsbury or Fax offered to supply free coaches to their grounds for your matches there and it was marketed properly would you take twice as many as you currently do ?

If in return you [ Keighley Cougars ] were willing to provide free coach travel for any adult fan of an away club buying a ticket for the match at Cougar park , would you as fans be happy with that ?

Re: Fans forum meeting. : Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:55 am  

Stealth Comic wrote:

In many respects the board can't win.

If they are realists and say things like we're going to get relegated and in five years time we strive to be a solid championship club, people will accuse them of lacking ambition.

If they are optimists and say we're going to make super league and build a fantastic ground in 4 years, people will accuse them of being unrealistic.

No one person's vision for the club will be the same as anyone elses.

Much as I admire your BOD's ambition , without massive investment [ £ 10 million upwards ] just to get into SL , then many more to become competitive it is unlikely to happen , what however is a reasistic ambition ?

I'd say the same as most clubs not currently in SL , a half full stadium with a large % of local youths [ the future of your club ] watching and supporting a competative Cougars team with a good away following in attendance helping to create an enjoyable atmosphere which in return can provide a self financing club with funds left over for development

When you get to that stage , then and only then should SL even be contemplated

The ' Utopia ' of a franchised SL where all clubs are successful is a myth , there always has to be a bottom club , and potentially that club could remain there indefinatley , until it is that badly damaged it dissapears