Cup fever back in fashion in Keighley. : Tue Mar 31, 2009 4:12 pm
Keighley Cougars’ Fourth Round Challenge Cup tie against engage Super League club Castleford Tigers has hit a big note in the ‘Capital of Airedale’.
Helen Carter, the Keighley Cougars’ General Manager, reports that demand for tickets from existing Cougar fans, as well as people in the district who have not been a game at CougarPark for a number of years, has been 'brisk’.
“The telephone has not stopped ringing since the Fourth Round draw was announced,” she said. “Castleford are obviously attractive opposition as far as folk in Keighley are concerned, particularly as the Tigers’ 2009 engage Super League form has been grabbing the headlines.
“We’ve had loads of people who’ve said that they’ve not been to a Cougars game since the 1990s wanting to come back for this match and that’s really encouraging for us.
“Even though we’ve ensured that the Tigers have a big share of the ticket allocation there have been loads of telephone enquiries coming from Castleford fans.
“The last time Castleford played here at CougarPark was back in 1994 so it’ll many Tiger fans’ first visit to our club.
“This is the reason that we refused Castleford’s offer to take the tie to The Jungle. Although it might have yielded more gate money by switching evnues, we wanted to give Keighley a memorable sporting day out.
“The reaction of Rugby League fans and other people in Keighley has amply vindicated our position.
“It also gives our ancillary services like the club shop and bars an opportunity to earn some money for the club.
“There’s already a very special atmosphere building up around the place and that sense of anticipation is everywhere in the town”.
