Statement from Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd : Wed Dec 09, 2009 7:31 pm  

Today the club were represented in court to contest the winding up petition that HMRC have lodged. The petition has been adjourned until the 27th January. The club have applied to put Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd in to administration and this will be heard in court on the 18th December. Cougars General Manager Helen Carter said ‘We are still exploring every avenue available to us but we need to take precautions to safeguard the future of the club. I feel confident that the club will continue to strive for success both on and off the field.’

Re: Statement from Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd : Wed Dec 09, 2009 7:39 pm  

guess who wrote:

Today the club were represented in court to contest the winding up petition that HMRC have lodged. The petition has been adjourned until the 27th January. The club have applied to put Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd in to administration and this will be heard in court on the 18th December. Cougars General Manager Helen Carter said ‘We are still exploring every avenue available to us but we need to take precautions to safeguard the future of the club. I feel confident that the club will continue to strive for success both on and off the field.’

Sorry but I doubt if many others feel that way now and that is a tragedy!

Re: Statement from Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd : Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:48 pm  

guess who wrote:

Today the club were represented in court to contest the winding up petition that HMRC have lodged. The petition has been adjourned until the 27th January. The club have applied to put Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd in to administration and this will be heard in court on the 18th December. Cougars General Manager Helen Carter said ‘We are still exploring every avenue available to us but we need to take precautions to safeguard the future of the club. I feel confident that the club will continue to strive for success both on and off the field.’

I think in that one sentence lies the problem.

We should be striving for stability, not success.

Looking at the bigger picture, the success is of Keighley Cougars is, and always should have been, measured it's long term survival.

If there are any new directors on board all I would say to them is your job is not to bring trophies to Cougar Park (although it would be nice) it is primarily to be guardians of the club and to preserve it for the future.

Re: Statement from Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd : Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:58 pm  

Stealth Comic wrote:

I think in that one sentence lies the problem.

We should be striving for stability, not success.

Looking at the bigger picture, the success is of Keighley Cougars is, and always should have been, measured it's long term survival.

If there are any new directors on board all I would say to them is your job is not to bring trophies to Cougar Park (although it would be nice) it is primarily to be guardians of the club and to preserve it for the future.

When I was one of the consortium that took over at Leigh back in 2002 , we had a press conference / fans forum , All I stated was that if in 10 years time we still had a club to support then we would have been a success , things will not change until all the owners/directors of the lower league clubs start to work together

Re: Statement from Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd : Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:05 pm  

Starbug wrote:

When I was one of the consortium that took over at Leigh back in 2002 , we had a press conference / fans forum , All I stated was that if in 10 years time we still had a club to support then we would have been a success , things will not change until all the owners/directors of the lower league clubs start to work together

Good on ya!

If more people in Rugby League had that attitude our game would be in a much better state than it is now.

Re: Statement from Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd : Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:57 pm  

Stealth Comic wrote:

Good on ya!

If more people in Rugby League had that attitude our game would be in a much better state than it is now.

Thing is I only lasted 4 years before I had to get out before it bancrupted me

Re: Statement from Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd : Wed Dec 09, 2009 11:52 pm  

Starbug wrote:

Thing is I only lasted 4 years before I had to get out before it bancrupted me

Which is where we have another problem with our game.

People like you shouldn't have to be putting money in.

Why can't clubs exist off their own revenue streams?

Are they so incompetant they need sugar daddies or are they obsessed with success?

Re: Statement from Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd : Thu Dec 10, 2009 12:22 am  

Stealth Comic wrote:

Which is where we have another problem with our game.

People like you shouldn't have to be putting money in.

Why can't clubs exist off their own revenue streams?

Are they so incompetant they need sugar daddies or are they obsessed with success?

It matters not what you have done as a businessman [ or Woman ] , once you take up the mantle of a director of a ' sports ' business all reason goes straight out the window , your performance is measured by your league position or the shiney vase in the captains hand , it is an ' ego ' trip that is highly addictive , every new lamb to the slaughter thinks they can do it properly , things will be different , but then the coach needs that big prop or that fast winger and the ' madness ' grips you

You need to totally detatch yourself from the on field performance , but you also need to ' see ' what the people who have turned up like , and also understand what will bring them back .

Then you need to ask yourself why are there people who dont come , what can you do to get them to come .

It is NOT as simple as a winning team otherwise nobody would ever watch any club in the bottom 25 % of any sports competition

Anyway too late for this , nitey nite

Re: Statement from Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd : Thu Dec 10, 2009 9:50 am  

Stealth Comic wrote:

Which is where we have another problem with our game.

People like you shouldn't have to be putting money in.

Why can't clubs exist off their own revenue streams?

Are they so incompetant they need sugar daddies or are they obsessed with success?

Because crowds outside SL (by and large) suck and success seems to cost money.

Re: Statement from Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd : Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:53 pm  

Sorry 'Guess Who' but I don't agree with your post:

Today the club were represented in court to contest the winding up petition that HMRC have lodged. The petition has been adjourned until the 27th January. The club have applied to put Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd in to administration and this will be heard in court on the 18th December. Cougars General Manager Helen Carter said ‘We are still exploring every avenue available to us but we need to take precautions to safeguard the future of the club. I feel confident that the club will continue to strive for success both on and off the field.’

The 'Club' cannot apply to put itself into Administration - it is the 'Directors' who must apply - unless Company Law has changed recently.

So where's the 'prudent' approach that we have been told has been applied from day 1 of KC 2001 Limited?

That's the reason we were told that we would survive.

That's the reason why we couldn't 'invest' in players.

That's the reason why we had to keep within our 'budget'.

We've heard it all before - and (no doubt) will again until people like Nigel Wood (wasn't he the Financial Director at Halifax before he left for 'pastures new?) and the rest of the crew at Red Hall actually start to believe in REAL Rugby League teams - those outside SOOOOOOOOOOOOPER LEGUE.

Trouble is, that they get no kudos from the real game.

If the Cougars as so deep in the mire then the RFL at HQ should initiate an immediate enquiry into the state of the game club by club just to see how much adverse financial information is being hidden.

I've been a supporter since 1962 and will still be down nexy season come what may.

Hope that everyone else will also.