The lowest ever crowd I believe was around 217 for a Saturday Afternoon game against Fulham. I went at 1/2 time and because Fulham were delayed the match hadn't even kicked off.
It's easy to blame the directors of a club and the coach and the match officials but when it is REALLY broken down as to why the club is where it is , sadly it's down to the players. It really is up to them. if they don't weant to do it they won't whatever the reason right or wrong. It's what they get paid for. If they want to play RL " for the fun" then there are many amateur teams about, but if you play expecting to be paid then there is a level of responsibility attached. Somehow that seems to be forgotten by many. Over the years i have seen some brilliant teams called Keighley ( in its various guises) and only rarely I have seen the team throw in the towel to the degree that appears to be the current vogue. I have seen the team get thrashed by far superior players and teamwork but it was obvious that the effort and willingness to try was there from the players on the field so the result, bad as it was was tempered by the fact that the team gave it a shot and you can't ask for more. Seems that this is not present anymore.
The directors are not there to make money, they can't , and they must do it for the love of the game, but they have a limit, just like you and I of how much , in cash term,s you are prepared to spend on "entertainment".
Yesy it's easy to criticise some of the words that have come forth from the club, but at least they tried to be positive even though deep down what was being envisaged was going to need far more in many areas than is currently available.
There are answers , all different, non more or less worthy than the other at this stage but it needs a change of mindset in so many areas not just Keighley Cougars but the game as a whole.
There is only one thing that can save RL in this country and that is a governing body independant of club ties, influences and control. Unless and until this happens, ssadly the small mindedness that still pervades the game will continue to squeeze the life out of the game and all that will be left is a memory of something that could have been a world beater.
I have tried over the years to do my bit, as have many 1000's of others for no rewards just a love of the game but even they seem to be declining sad as it is. The future both for the Cougars and RL in this country as a whole, seem not too rosy at the moment. Ask why Womens soccer, union and cricket seem to be more new worthy media freindly than RL and start from there.
It will take a lot of HARD WORK , something that few seem to want to do these days.
