Keighley Cougars
Encyclopedia
Keighley Cougars are a professional rugby league
club from Keighley
in West Yorkshire
, England
. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington
. Their home ground, Cougar Park
(originally known as Lawkholme Lane), has an estimated capacity of 7,800.
The first kick-off took place on Saturday afternoon, 21 October and the committee met again on 24 October and decided to adopt Association
and Rugby football
laws. On 18 November 1876, the first game took place at Lawkholme Lane. The visitors were Crosshills and although the game ended in a draw, there are records, which say, "the draw was in the visitors' favour".
The first important match appears to have been played on 13 January 1877 against Bingley
. Under the scoring system of the day, the visitors won by two tries and two touchdowns to two touchdowns. Keighley also lost a further two games against Bingley.
One of the earliest games of the following season was a fixture with Kildwick on 13 October 1877 when Keighley won by one goal to five touchdowns. Other teams met during that second season were Bradford
Zingari, Manningham
, Cleckheaton
, Leeds
Athletic, Skipton
and Bradford
Juniors. Up to April 1878, Keighley and Bingley had met seven times with Keighley losing every match.
At the annual meeting of the club in 1878, shortly after the headquarters had been moved to Dalton Lane, a second XV was formed. Keighley Athletic were formed on 27 October 1879. There was some rivalry with those who had set up the new club, but a couple of years later these differences had been settled, and on 24 March 1881 a merger was agreed between the two clubs.
Keighley officially joined the Rugby Football Union
on Tuesday, 8 April 1879, and the following year, in a match at Bingley, there was a peculiar incident. A report of the game states that Bradbury attempted a drop goal, but the ball passed under the crossbar, and Bairstow, following up, touched down. Bingley would not concede the try, alleging that the player who obtained it was offside, and due to their refusal to allow the ball to be brought out, the home players left the field and the game was unfinished.
By the end of season 1880–81, the membership of the club was 80; ten honorary members and 70 playing members. In 1882–83 "the team had a most successful experience". Gate receipts reached £58 and expenditure was £32.
In March 1882, the team figured in the Yorkshire Cup
for the first time. They met Wakefield Trinity
, who were one of the top sides. During that year, a match with Hunslet
was played under Association rules which ended in a draw. It was probably the only Association game ever played by the town's club.
In April 1885, the club merged with Keighley Cricket and Football Club, and from that time the club played on the Lawkholme Lane
ground. Soon membership had risen to 300 and dressing rooms and headquarters were established at the Black Horse Hotel. The first game at Lawkholme took place on 10 October 1885, against Liversedge
. The club's fixture list was improved and in 1886–87 played clubs such as Hipperholme
and Lightcliffe
, Bramley
, Otley
, York, Shipley
, Ossett
, Bingley, Pudsey
, Halifax
Free Wanderers, Morley
, Skipton and Hunslet.
The club reached one of its best seasons in 1892–93 when the team figured in several rounds of the cup and won no less than 22 matches during the season. Leagues were being formed about this time and in 1893–94 Keighley had a try at the Intermediate Competition and finished sixth with a record of eleven wins and eleven defeats.
The following season the club did badly and finished tenth, but in 1895–96, the side came into its own again and finished fourth.
The sweet taste of success came Keighley's way in 1896–97 when they won the Second Competition championship. The final match of the competition took place at Mytholmroyd
on 3 April 1897, and despite a bitterly cold day there was a gate of 2,000 of which over half had travelled from Keighley. Keighley won 6-3. This heralded a run of success which saw them win the First Competition championship in 1899–1900 after having been runners-up the two preceding years.
. Keighley were elected into the Yorkshire Second Competition on 14 July 1900.
Two days after deciding to change to rugby league
, Keighley played Manningham, in the first ever rugby league match at Lawkholme Lane; Manningham won 5-2. They finished in second place and the following season they were "promoted" to the Yorkshire Senior Competition as fourteen of the leading clubs broke away from the two County Leagues, to form a new Northern Rugby League.
In March 1901, Keighley entered the Northern Union Cup (now known as the Challenge Cup
) for the first time. They beat Kinsley before meeting York. Keighley refused £120 to transfer the tie, and despite a sending-off, earned a 5–5 draw in front of a crowd of 5,293. In the replay York had a player sent off but won 12-0.
In 1902–03, the Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues were combined to form a second division. Keighley was one of the new clubs to join the second division, which they topped with 27 wins out of 34 games and were duly promoted.
Keighley had their greatest cup season up to that time. They reached the semi-final of the Challenge Cup for the first time by beating Castleford
, Egremont
, Hull
and Featherstone Rovers
before falling to Salford
in the semi-final at Warrington
. An old newspaper clipping says that "dissatisfaction among the players with regard to terms of payment was the reason for this defeat, and but for this very discreditable piece of business Keighley would have opposed Bradford in the final".
On 19 December 1906, tragedy overtook the club when Harry Myers
died as a result of an accident on the field of play. About that time Keighley were one of the leading teams in the Challenge Cup and again in 1907–08 they advanced to the third round by virtue of wins over Brookland Rovers and Whitehaven
.
During the years of the First World War the club arranged no fixtures and did not take part in the 1918–19 season. When the game returned to normal there was a hectic period of team rebuilding, and following a really bad season in 1921, six new players were signed from the Furness
district.
The 1925–26 season was memorable for a first round Challenge Cup
tie with Bradford Northern
which had to be replayed twice. The aggregate attendance for those three games was nearly 47,000 and the total gate receipts of £3,043 constituted a record for a first round tie.
The club became a limited company in 1929, but failed to make any immediate improvement. During the 1930s, Keighley began to make progress. Major Norman Harrison, the club secretary/manager, was responsible for signing a side that was to reach great heights.
halfback
signed for the side. That season saw hundreds of lost supporters return and gates reached unprecedented heights. The result was that the directors launched a big scheme of ground improvements. The new stand and improvements were opened on 9 September 1933 when Leeds
were the visitors to Lawkholme, and though that particular match was lost the season was to be a notable one.
With such fine forwards as Hal Jones
and from Wigan, and Jimmy Gill from Leeds, already having joined Keighley during their period of revival, there came more important signings in the latter part of the 1930s.
Keighley played in their first and so far only Challenge Cup final in 1937. Having beaten Hunslet, Broughton Rangers
, Liverpool Stanley in earlier rounds they played Wakefield Trinity
in the semi-final. The first semi-final, held in Leeds
on the third of April, was a scoreless draw, but four days later at Huddersfield, Keighley beat Wakefield Trinity
5–3. However, Widnes won the final 18–5.
After their Wembley appearance, Keighley again suffered a decline. In November, 1938, they were at the top of the Rugby League table, for the first time ever, for a spell of three weeks, but this form was not maintained and they finished 16th with 17 wins, 17 defeats and two draws.
The main reason for the club's decline was that veterans were not replaced quickly enough, and the one promising young player, Reggie Lloyd
, was transferred to Castleford in 1938. In the season after Wembley, Keighley were 13th in the league table. This was to be the last season of competitive peacetime rugby before the Second World War.
During the war years many young players were naturally called into the armed forces
. The Rugby League decided to form the Lancashire and Yorkshire Emergency Leagues at the beginning of the 1939–40 season. A system of "guest" players was introduced the following season, some players who guested for Keighley include Jim Sullivan, Les Jones
and Mel de Lloyd. Keighley and Bradford Northern became regular cup-tie opponents during the war years.
In season 1941–42 Keighley lost both legs in the first round of the Challenge Cup
, but got their revenge a year later when they triumphed home and away in the second round of the same competition.
On 13 November 1943, Keighley won the first leg of the Yorkshire Cup semi-final at Lawkholme Lane against Huddersfield
21–0. Although Keighley lost the second leg at Fartown 13–4 and they qualified for the final on aggregate. Keighley played Bradford Northern in the final. This as well, was a two-legged affair with Northern just coming out the better overall. They achieved a slender 5–2 advantage in the first leg at Odsal, Bradford
, and held Keighley to a 5–5 draw in the return encounter at Lawkholme Lane a week later. That second leg attracted Keighley's biggest wartime 'gate' of 9,487 (£694).
Keighley again met Northern in the second round of the Challenge Cup later the same season. They lost both home and away. And in the 1944–45 season the sides met in the third round of the Challenge Cup when Northern comfortably won on aggregate (35–8) after Keighley had established a 5–0 advantage in the first leg at Lawkholme Lane.
Keighley finished sixth from the bottom of the league table.
On 14 February 1948, Keighley were the victims of one of the biggest Challenge Cup upsets when they were defeated 2–10 by Cumbrian junior club, Risehow and Gillhead. Fortunately for Keighley they had established an 11–0 lead in the first leg of first round at Lawkholme Lane, though they only scraped home on aggregate by a matter of three points.
Keighley's highest attendance was set at 14,500 for the Challenge Cup clash against Halifax
on 3 March 1951. For the second time in their history, Keighley reached the final of the Yorkshire Cup
in 1951. On their way to the final held at Fartown, they defeated Castleford, Halifax and Hunslet. Until half-time Keighley were well placed against their opponents - Wakefield Trinity. But in the second period Trinity played some fine rugby and went on to win 17-3. The Yorkshire Cup defeat seemed to have an adverse effect on Keighley who won only one of their 20 remaining games up to the end of the 1951–52 season and they finished third from the bottom of the league.
The 1952–53 season opened on 6 September. The eighth Australian touring side opened their campaign with a game at Lawkholme Lane - for the first time in front of the television cameras. Keighley were on the wrong end of a thrashing as the Aussies scored a half-century and beat the previous best score for a touring side in an opening match.
Probably the most important changes on the administrative side came in December 1953, when an entirely new board of directors took over. On Wednesday, 9 December, following a major financial crisis, the existing members of the board resigned and were replaced by an entirely new board. Share capital was increased from £3,000 to £10,000 through the issuing of an additional 7,000 £1 shares. The traditional playing colours of blue and white were discarded in favour of the present colours of red, white and green.
In 1957 the board bought the Lawkholme Lane rugby ground, cricket ground, bowling green and cottages for £10,000.
Rugby league as a whole went through a two-decade slump that started in the 1960s, attendances dropped and so did Keighley’s performances.
Keighley continued the 1981–82 season where they had left off the previous season by winning 10 of their first 14 league games. Terrible winter weather with weeks of snow and frost hit and no matches were played between 6 December and 3 January. This break upset Keighley’s form and they won only 8 out of the remaining 18 games. Keighley finished in 7th position once again.
Despite reaching the Yorkshire Cup semi–final which they lost 3–23 to Hull, the 1982–83 league campaign started badly. Keighley lost their opening three games and Bak Diabira quit as coach. Lee Greenwood, the A-team coach, took over and this immediately led to an eight-game unbeaten streak. However this could not be kept up and a spate of injuries helped to create inconsistency, especially away from home. Keighley finished the season in ninth place in the league, winning 15, drawing 5 and losing 12.
The 1983–84 season saw the worst results, since World War Two. Lee Greenwood
was released after a 30–0 defeat by bottom club, Doncaster on 24 August 1983. His replacement, Geoff Peggs, was forced to rely on trialists; a total of 54 players were used including 31 debutantes during this campaign. Without this step, there would have been a danger of being unable to fulfil the fixture list. Keighley finished second from bottom of the second division with only seven wins and three draws from 34 games. The club announced massive debts and planned to sell part of the ground.
53 players were used in the 1984–85 season, which again included 31 debutantes. Despite this, Keighley’s results improved and they finished 15th in the league, winning 11 games.
100 years of rugby at Lawkholme Lane was celebrated during the 1985–86 season. With mounting debts and a ground in need of investment in light of the Taylor Report
. In October 1985 Keighley were served a winding-up order by Inland Revenue
, which was avoided only by selling the cricket field for a reported £30,000 and the training pitch for £65,000. Keighley for the second time in three years finished the season in the second from bottom position of the second division and had taken some heavy defeats along their way. These included the worst ever defeat 2–92 away to Leigh. These poor results had an impact on attendances and Keighley’s record for the lowest gate was broken twice. First against Workington Town
on 23 April when the crowd was just 386 and again on 7 May against Whitehaven
when only 355 turned up to witness the 0–16 defeat. Peter Roe took over as coach mid-way through the season following the sudden death of Geoff Peggs and the results improved temporarily. Roe left the following year.
Lawkholme Lane was sold in the late '80s to the Co-op for approximately £10,000 and leased back to the club.
The 1987–88 season saw a recovery on the field, attributed to the signing of experienced players Trevor Skerrett
, Gary Moorby and Brenden White. Attendances increased, averaging 951 in the league and a 2–16 defeat to Widnes in the second round of the Challenge Cup drew a crowd of 4,358 watched Keighley lose 2–16. Keighley finished in eighth position, winning 15 from 28 games and eventually lost to league leaders Oldham
, 24–34 in the end of season play-offs.
The 1988–89 season was another year of consolidation. Keighley again completed the season in eighth position, winning 16 from 28 games. The average attendance again increased by 135 to 1,193, the best since the 1981–82 season.
For the 1989–90 season Colin Dixon
moved up onto the board of directors and Les Coulter took over as head coach. The season featured a run of eleven matches with only two victories. Keighley finished the season 19th out of 21 clubs and winning only 6 games out of 28.
.
In 1991 Mick O'Neil, Mike Smith and Neil Spencer joined the board and embarked on re-branding; the first being adding Cougars to their name. O'Neil became Chairman of the club and started the trend for iconic music for each player after they scored, lively PA announcements and active on-field mascots. Mary Calvert, a community relations adviser, was also appointed. Bringing a new perspective, Mary encouraged the involvement of local school children, opening the "Cougar Classroom" and launching initiatives such as drugs education.
At director level, Mike Smith was in charge of the positive marketing and the like; Neil Spencer was in charge of finance and the youth academy. All of which made visits to Cougar Park in the mid-1990s a progressive and eye-opening experience for rugby league supporters. The club attracted the attention of the national press and senior politicians, which remains unique in rugby league. The club was feted by then Prime Minister John Major
for its massive success, huge attendance increases, unique community involvement and investment in top flight players and facilities.
Peter Roe returned to the club as head coach in September 1991 and stayed until 1994.
In 1993, the Cougars won the third division only to be denied promotion due to the Rugby Football League merging the second and third divisions.
Investment in good players, and an expansive style helped crowds increase from 350 in 1989 to an average of over 4,000 in 1995, and on-field success followed. The club invested heavily: in new terracing; a new club-house; the Great Britain
coach Phil Larder
; and a full-time Premier League standard team.
The club succeeded in winning the Second Division Championship in the 1994–95 season. However, when the Super League
was created for the following year, Keighley were excluded, and the edifice collapsed as the disappointment of being denied promotion cost them fans and sponsors.
Keighley took out an injunction to try to stop the new competition kicking off and only withdrew their legal threat with the offer of more money for lower division clubs and the prospect of promotion and relegation.http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-league-super-league-in-debt-to-cougars-crazy-originality-1530131.html
The following year, there was only one promotion place into Super League and competing against some of the larger relegated teams the Cougars could only manage second place to Salford
. The club was taken over in a coup by Carl Metcalfe who promised to invest £3 million into the team and the ground. O'Neil, and directors Neil Spencer and Maurice Barker left to make way for the new regime. Phil Larder
resigned after not being paid and was replaced by player coach Daryl Powell
in April 1995.
The club offered to change their name to Pennine Cougars and ground-share with Burnley F.C.
at Turf Moor
in an attempt to be fast-tracked into Super League.http://archive.blackburncitizen.co.uk/1996/8/12/847217.html
The promised millions did not materialise, and only months later, Metcalfe sold the senior squad, including Powell, to Leeds
for about £10,000 and put the club into administration. He was later arrested and convicted of supplying illegal drugs.http://archive.cravenherald.co.uk/1999/1/2/167843.html
Lee Crooks
was coach between 1998 and 1999. Karl Harrison
was appointed head coach in 2000 and guided Keighley to a second-place finish in the Northern Ford Premiership. Assistant coach, Steve Deakin, joined Rochdale Hornets
as head coach in August before rejoining Keighley as head coach in September 2000 when Harrison left to become assistant coach at Bradford
.
In January 2002, Keighley appointed Gary Moorby as their coach in succession to Steve Deakin who join London Broncos
as their assistant coach. http://archive.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/2002/1/9/131645.html
Keighley won National League Two in 2003 and were promoted to National League One. However they were immediately relegated back.
Peter Roe returned for his third spell in charge at Lawkholme Lane at the end of 2005, succeeding Gary Moorby and starting the rebuilding process of a club still ravaged by relegation from National League One. The majority of players had left and money was in short supply. Player-coach Barry Eaton
was the only major signing and promising youngsters were blooded; the side struggled to compete and they finished 11th in the table.
Roe gave Eaton full control as player-coach in 2007. Cougars again struggled and finished 10th. Following a number of signing, Keighley made a strong start to the 2008 season, and finished fourth, qualifying to the play off stages - they were eliminated by Rochdale Hornets.
Early 2009 saw more new signings, and the team looked like they were in for a good year, destroying recently promoted Gateshead
, and Blackpool
in the opening matches of the new season. However the club ran into problems with injuries, which took its toll and saw many of the club's leading players and new signings side-lined. Also a problem with player visa applications played its part in hampering the club's strong ambitions. However Keighley played a solid and impressive season throughout, proving that injuries were not going to stop their quest for promotion and as a result the team finished second in the league. Beating York in the playoffs, in the Championship 1 grand final they played rivals Oldham on 4 October 2009, winning 28–26 to gain promotion to the Co-operative Championship for 2010 in a game staged at the Halliwell Jones Stadium
, Warrington
.
They were eliminated from the Challenge Cup by Super League Castleford
early in the competition and did not qualify past the Northern Rail group stages.
In November 2009 a winding up petition against the owners of the club — Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd was issued by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for unpaid taxes. The petition hearing was adjourned until January 2010 but in the interim Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd went into administration on 18 December 2009 following a hearing at the High Court in Leeds
. Administrators were appointed and the assets of Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd i.e. the club, were immediately sold to a new company Keighley Cougars (2010) Ltd. As the new company is debt free this has secured the club and the ground for next season although the RFL imposed a 9 point penalty on the club. When combined with promotion to the Co-operative Championship the 9 point deduction proved too much and Keighley were relegated back to the Co-operative Championship 1 for the 2011 season.
Between the 2010 and 2011 season player coach Barry Eaton
left to be replaced by former Super League
star Jason Demetriou
as player coach. The change in management and other signings meant Keighley had a strong start to the 2011 season emphatically wining their first two games and reaching Challenge Cup
tie against Super League Warrington
.
.
This rivalry could be referred to as a 'One way rivalry' due to Keighley supporters disliking the Bradford team, although the fans of Bradford are unlikely to dislike the Keighley team due to their main rivals being Leeds
.
The Keighley supporters tend to dislike the Bradford team and not the supporters of Bradford. Friendly banter is usually shared when the teams meet in the annual friendly match between the clubs where the support is unsegregated. Some Bradford supporters choose to watch Keighley when not watching their preferred team.
Due to the two teams being in different leagues and Keighley attracting smaller crowds these days, the rivalry and dislike towards Bradford from Keighley fans is less apparent than in the glory days of the 1990s and the decades before this.
, or were international representatives before, or after, their time at Keighley.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club from Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington
Workington
Workington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
. Their home ground, Cougar Park
Cougar Park
Cougar Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Keighley, England. It is used mostly for rugby league matches, as the home stadium of Keighley Cougars and football as the new home of Silsden F.C.. Its capacity is 7,800 people. It also hosted a match during the 1995 Rugby League World Cup...
(originally known as Lawkholme Lane), has an estimated capacity of 7,800.
Early years
The club was formed at a meeting held on 17 October 1876 under the presidency of the Reverend Marriner. A committee was elected and the club was allowed the use of Holmes' field in Lawkholme Lane.The first kick-off took place on Saturday afternoon, 21 October and the committee met again on 24 October and decided to adopt Association
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and Rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
laws. On 18 November 1876, the first game took place at Lawkholme Lane. The visitors were Crosshills and although the game ended in a draw, there are records, which say, "the draw was in the visitors' favour".
The first important match appears to have been played on 13 January 1877 against Bingley
Bingley
Bingley is a market town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford, in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal...
. Under the scoring system of the day, the visitors won by two tries and two touchdowns to two touchdowns. Keighley also lost a further two games against Bingley.
One of the earliest games of the following season was a fixture with Kildwick on 13 October 1877 when Keighley won by one goal to five touchdowns. Other teams met during that second season were Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
Zingari, Manningham
Manningham FC
Manningham was an English rugby league football club based in Manningham, Bradford, the first ever champions of the Rugby Football League in its first ever season...
, Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated south of Bradford, east of Brighouse, west of Batley and south-west of Leeds...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
Athletic, Skipton
Skipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...
and Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
Juniors. Up to April 1878, Keighley and Bingley had met seven times with Keighley losing every match.
At the annual meeting of the club in 1878, shortly after the headquarters had been moved to Dalton Lane, a second XV was formed. Keighley Athletic were formed on 27 October 1879. There was some rivalry with those who had set up the new club, but a couple of years later these differences had been settled, and on 24 March 1881 a merger was agreed between the two clubs.
Keighley officially joined the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
on Tuesday, 8 April 1879, and the following year, in a match at Bingley, there was a peculiar incident. A report of the game states that Bradbury attempted a drop goal, but the ball passed under the crossbar, and Bairstow, following up, touched down. Bingley would not concede the try, alleging that the player who obtained it was offside, and due to their refusal to allow the ball to be brought out, the home players left the field and the game was unfinished.
By the end of season 1880–81, the membership of the club was 80; ten honorary members and 70 playing members. In 1882–83 "the team had a most successful experience". Gate receipts reached £58 and expenditure was £32.
In March 1882, the team figured in the Yorkshire Cup
Yorkshire Cup
Yorkshire Cup may refer to:*Yorkshire Cup , a rugby union competition for Yorkshire clubs*Yorkshire Cup , a horse race held at York Racecourse*Rugby league county cups, a rugby league competition for Yorkshire clubs...
for the first time. They met Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
, who were one of the top sides. During that year, a match with Hunslet
Hunslet Hawks
Hunslet Hawks is a professional rugby league club based in Hunslet, West Yorkshire, England. The club, sometimes known as 'the Parksiders' after their former stadium, are currently champions of Championship One.-History:-Early years:...
was played under Association rules which ended in a draw. It was probably the only Association game ever played by the town's club.
In April 1885, the club merged with Keighley Cricket and Football Club, and from that time the club played on the Lawkholme Lane
Cougar Park
Cougar Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Keighley, England. It is used mostly for rugby league matches, as the home stadium of Keighley Cougars and football as the new home of Silsden F.C.. Its capacity is 7,800 people. It also hosted a match during the 1995 Rugby League World Cup...
ground. Soon membership had risen to 300 and dressing rooms and headquarters were established at the Black Horse Hotel. The first game at Lawkholme took place on 10 October 1885, against Liversedge
Liversedge
Liversedge is a township in the former parish of Birstall, in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Liversedge lies between Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike about southwest of Leeds.-Settlements within Liversedge:...
. The club's fixture list was improved and in 1886–87 played clubs such as Hipperholme
Hipperholme
Hipperholme is a village in the Calderdale area of West Yorkshire, England, located between the towns of Halifax and Brighouse. It is located on the busy A58 road and includes Hipperholme Grammar School, a local private school....
and Lightcliffe
Lightcliffe
Lightcliffe is a village in West Yorkshire, England.Situated approximately three miles east of Halifax in the metropolitan district of Calderdale....
, Bramley
Bramley Buffaloes
Bramley Buffaloes is a rugby league club from the Bramley area of West Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Previously known simply as Bramley RLFC, the club is a famous name in rugby league, having existed prior to the formation of the Northern Union in 1895...
, Otley
Otley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
, York, Shipley
Shipley
Shipley may refer to:Places in England*Shipley, Derbyshire*Shipley, West Sussex*Shipley, West Yorkshire**Shipley People*Ann Shipley, Canadian politician*Burton Shipley, first Maryland Tarrapins men's basketball coach...
, Ossett
Ossett
Ossett is a market town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on junction 40 of the M1 motorway, half-way between Dewsbury, to the west, and Wakefield, to the east. In the 2001 census, it was classified as part of the West Yorkshire...
, Bingley, Pudsey
Pudsey
Pudsey is a market town in West Yorkshire, England. Once an independent town, it was incorporated into the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds in 1974, and is located midway between Bradford and Leeds city centres. It has a population of 32,391....
, Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
Free Wanderers, Morley
Morley
- Places :United Kingdom* Morley, County Durham, England* Morley, Derbyshire, England* Morley, West Yorkshire, England* Morley Saint Botolph, Norfolk, England* Morley Saint Peter, Norfolk, EnglandUnited States* Morley, Iowa* Morley, Michigan...
, Skipton and Hunslet.
The club reached one of its best seasons in 1892–93 when the team figured in several rounds of the cup and won no less than 22 matches during the season. Leagues were being formed about this time and in 1893–94 Keighley had a try at the Intermediate Competition and finished sixth with a record of eleven wins and eleven defeats.
The following season the club did badly and finished tenth, but in 1895–96, the side came into its own again and finished fourth.
The sweet taste of success came Keighley's way in 1896–97 when they won the Second Competition championship. The final match of the competition took place at Mytholmroyd
Mytholmroyd
Mytholmroyd is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies east of Hebden Bridge and west of Halifax....
on 3 April 1897, and despite a bitterly cold day there was a gate of 2,000 of which over half had travelled from Keighley. Keighley won 6-3. This heralded a run of success which saw them win the First Competition championship in 1899–1900 after having been runners-up the two preceding years.
Northern Union
On 12 April 1900, Keighley Rugby Union Club decided to apply for membership of the Northern UnionRugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
. Keighley were elected into the Yorkshire Second Competition on 14 July 1900.
Two days after deciding to change to rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, Keighley played Manningham, in the first ever rugby league match at Lawkholme Lane; Manningham won 5-2. They finished in second place and the following season they were "promoted" to the Yorkshire Senior Competition as fourteen of the leading clubs broke away from the two County Leagues, to form a new Northern Rugby League.
In March 1901, Keighley entered the Northern Union Cup (now known as the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
) for the first time. They beat Kinsley before meeting York. Keighley refused £120 to transfer the tie, and despite a sending-off, earned a 5–5 draw in front of a crowd of 5,293. In the replay York had a player sent off but won 12-0.
In 1902–03, the Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues were combined to form a second division. Keighley was one of the new clubs to join the second division, which they topped with 27 wins out of 34 games and were duly promoted.
Keighley had their greatest cup season up to that time. They reached the semi-final of the Challenge Cup for the first time by beating Castleford
Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
, Egremont
Egremont
Egremont may refer to:Places* Egremont, Cumbria, England* Egremont, Merseyside, England* Egremont, Massachusetts, United States of AmericaOther* Earl of Egremont...
, Hull
Hull FC
Hull Football Club, commonly referred to as Hull or Hull FC, is a professional rugby league football club established in 1865 and based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The club plays in the Super League competition...
and Featherstone Rovers
Featherstone Rovers
Featherstone Rovers are a semi-professional rugby league club, based in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England. They currently play in the Championship. The Rovers are one of the last vestiges of "small town teams" that were once common in rugby league during the early twentieth century...
before falling to Salford
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
in the semi-final at Warrington
Wilderspool Stadium
Wilderspool Stadium is a rugby league stadium located in Warrington, England. The ground was Warrington RLFC's old ground before moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium. It holds just over 9,000, after substantial decreases for crowd safety...
. An old newspaper clipping says that "dissatisfaction among the players with regard to terms of payment was the reason for this defeat, and but for this very discreditable piece of business Keighley would have opposed Bradford in the final".
On 19 December 1906, tragedy overtook the club when Harry Myers
Harry Myers (rugby)
Harry Myers was a rugby union footballer of the 1890s who at representative level played for England, and at club level for Keighley, playing at Fly-half, i.e. number 10...
died as a result of an accident on the field of play. About that time Keighley were one of the leading teams in the Challenge Cup and again in 1907–08 they advanced to the third round by virtue of wins over Brookland Rovers and Whitehaven
Whitehaven RLFC
Whitehaven RLFC is a rugby league club playing in Whitehaven in West Cumbria. They play in Co-operative Championship. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground...
.
During the years of the First World War the club arranged no fixtures and did not take part in the 1918–19 season. When the game returned to normal there was a hectic period of team rebuilding, and following a really bad season in 1921, six new players were signed from the Furness
Furness
Furness is a peninsula in south Cumbria, England. At its widest extent, it is considered to cover the whole of North Lonsdale, that part of the Lonsdale hundred that is an exclave of the historic county of Lancashire, lying to the north of Morecambe Bay....
district.
The 1925–26 season was memorable for a first round Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
tie with Bradford Northern
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
which had to be replayed twice. The aggregate attendance for those three games was nearly 47,000 and the total gate receipts of £3,043 constituted a record for a first round tie.
The club became a limited company in 1929, but failed to make any immediate improvement. During the 1930s, Keighley began to make progress. Major Norman Harrison, the club secretary/manager, was responsible for signing a side that was to reach great heights.
1930s and 1940s
The big coup in 1932, when Ted Spillane, the New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
halfback
Rugby league positions
A rugby league football team consists of thirteen players on the field, with four substitutes on the bench. Players are divided into two general categories: "forwards" and "backs"....
signed for the side. That season saw hundreds of lost supporters return and gates reached unprecedented heights. The result was that the directors launched a big scheme of ground improvements. The new stand and improvements were opened on 9 September 1933 when Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
were the visitors to Lawkholme, and though that particular match was lost the season was to be a notable one.
With such fine forwards as Hal Jones
Hal Jones
Harold Marion Jones is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for two seasons. He played 12 games for the Cleveland Indians in 1961 and five games in 1962.-External links:...
and from Wigan, and Jimmy Gill from Leeds, already having joined Keighley during their period of revival, there came more important signings in the latter part of the 1930s.
Keighley played in their first and so far only Challenge Cup final in 1937. Having beaten Hunslet, Broughton Rangers
Broughton Rangers
Broughton Rangers was a British rugby football, and subsequently a rugby league club. It was based in Broughton, Salford.-History:Broughton Rangers was founded in 1877 as Broughton and added Rangers for its second season...
, Liverpool Stanley in earlier rounds they played Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
in the semi-final. The first semi-final, held in Leeds
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
on the third of April, was a scoreless draw, but four days later at Huddersfield, Keighley beat Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
5–3. However, Widnes won the final 18–5.
After their Wembley appearance, Keighley again suffered a decline. In November, 1938, they were at the top of the Rugby League table, for the first time ever, for a spell of three weeks, but this form was not maintained and they finished 16th with 17 wins, 17 defeats and two draws.
The main reason for the club's decline was that veterans were not replaced quickly enough, and the one promising young player, Reggie Lloyd
Reginald Lloyd
Reginald "Reg"/"Reggie" G. 'Wolla' Lloyd is a Welsh former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s and '40s who at club level has played rugby union for Resolven RFC, and at representative level has played rugby league for Wales, and at club level for Keighley, and...
, was transferred to Castleford in 1938. In the season after Wembley, Keighley were 13th in the league table. This was to be the last season of competitive peacetime rugby before the Second World War.
During the war years many young players were naturally called into the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
. The Rugby League decided to form the Lancashire and Yorkshire Emergency Leagues at the beginning of the 1939–40 season. A system of "guest" players was introduced the following season, some players who guested for Keighley include Jim Sullivan, Les Jones
Les Jones
Les Jones was an English rugby league player for the St. Helens club in the English Rugby Football League Championship competition. His position of choice was at . Only one player, Tom van Vollenhoven, has scored more than his 282 tries for the St...
and Mel de Lloyd. Keighley and Bradford Northern became regular cup-tie opponents during the war years.
In season 1941–42 Keighley lost both legs in the first round of the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
, but got their revenge a year later when they triumphed home and away in the second round of the same competition.
On 13 November 1943, Keighley won the first leg of the Yorkshire Cup semi-final at Lawkholme Lane against Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
21–0. Although Keighley lost the second leg at Fartown 13–4 and they qualified for the final on aggregate. Keighley played Bradford Northern in the final. This as well, was a two-legged affair with Northern just coming out the better overall. They achieved a slender 5–2 advantage in the first leg at Odsal, Bradford
Odsal Stadium
Odsal Stadium is a stadium situated in Odsal, Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. The venue is used for rugby league and has been the home ground of Bradford Bulls/Bradford Northern since 1934...
, and held Keighley to a 5–5 draw in the return encounter at Lawkholme Lane a week later. That second leg attracted Keighley's biggest wartime 'gate' of 9,487 (£694).
Keighley again met Northern in the second round of the Challenge Cup later the same season. They lost both home and away. And in the 1944–45 season the sides met in the third round of the Challenge Cup when Northern comfortably won on aggregate (35–8) after Keighley had established a 5–0 advantage in the first leg at Lawkholme Lane.
Post war
Guest players who had played for Keighley during the war years returned to their own clubs when regular competition was resumed in 1945. There were also a number of local players who had joined the club during the war years who blossomed into notable members of the senior side.Keighley finished sixth from the bottom of the league table.
On 14 February 1948, Keighley were the victims of one of the biggest Challenge Cup upsets when they were defeated 2–10 by Cumbrian junior club, Risehow and Gillhead. Fortunately for Keighley they had established an 11–0 lead in the first leg of first round at Lawkholme Lane, though they only scraped home on aggregate by a matter of three points.
Keighley's highest attendance was set at 14,500 for the Challenge Cup clash against Halifax
Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
on 3 March 1951. For the second time in their history, Keighley reached the final of the Yorkshire Cup
Rugby league county cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...
in 1951. On their way to the final held at Fartown, they defeated Castleford, Halifax and Hunslet. Until half-time Keighley were well placed against their opponents - Wakefield Trinity. But in the second period Trinity played some fine rugby and went on to win 17-3. The Yorkshire Cup defeat seemed to have an adverse effect on Keighley who won only one of their 20 remaining games up to the end of the 1951–52 season and they finished third from the bottom of the league.
The 1952–53 season opened on 6 September. The eighth Australian touring side opened their campaign with a game at Lawkholme Lane - for the first time in front of the television cameras. Keighley were on the wrong end of a thrashing as the Aussies scored a half-century and beat the previous best score for a touring side in an opening match.
Probably the most important changes on the administrative side came in December 1953, when an entirely new board of directors took over. On Wednesday, 9 December, following a major financial crisis, the existing members of the board resigned and were replaced by an entirely new board. Share capital was increased from £3,000 to £10,000 through the issuing of an additional 7,000 £1 shares. The traditional playing colours of blue and white were discarded in favour of the present colours of red, white and green.
In 1957 the board bought the Lawkholme Lane rugby ground, cricket ground, bowling green and cottages for £10,000.
Rugby league as a whole went through a two-decade slump that started in the 1960s, attendances dropped and so did Keighley’s performances.
The 1980s
The 1980–81 season started badly but 11 wins and one draw from the last 17 games brought some respectability. Albert Fearnley resigned as coach due to poor health and was replaced by Bak Diabira. His first match was a home game against Doncaster on 15 March 1981; Keighley winning 6-5, and completed the last seven games. The team finished the season in 7th position, winning 14 and drawing one from 28 games.Keighley continued the 1981–82 season where they had left off the previous season by winning 10 of their first 14 league games. Terrible winter weather with weeks of snow and frost hit and no matches were played between 6 December and 3 January. This break upset Keighley’s form and they won only 8 out of the remaining 18 games. Keighley finished in 7th position once again.
Despite reaching the Yorkshire Cup semi–final which they lost 3–23 to Hull, the 1982–83 league campaign started badly. Keighley lost their opening three games and Bak Diabira quit as coach. Lee Greenwood, the A-team coach, took over and this immediately led to an eight-game unbeaten streak. However this could not be kept up and a spate of injuries helped to create inconsistency, especially away from home. Keighley finished the season in ninth place in the league, winning 15, drawing 5 and losing 12.
The 1983–84 season saw the worst results, since World War Two. Lee Greenwood
Lee Greenwood
Melvin Lee Greenwood is an American country music artist. Active since the early 1980s, he has released more than twenty major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard country music charts....
was released after a 30–0 defeat by bottom club, Doncaster on 24 August 1983. His replacement, Geoff Peggs, was forced to rely on trialists; a total of 54 players were used including 31 debutantes during this campaign. Without this step, there would have been a danger of being unable to fulfil the fixture list. Keighley finished second from bottom of the second division with only seven wins and three draws from 34 games. The club announced massive debts and planned to sell part of the ground.
53 players were used in the 1984–85 season, which again included 31 debutantes. Despite this, Keighley’s results improved and they finished 15th in the league, winning 11 games.
100 years of rugby at Lawkholme Lane was celebrated during the 1985–86 season. With mounting debts and a ground in need of investment in light of the Taylor Report
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
. In October 1985 Keighley were served a winding-up order by Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
, which was avoided only by selling the cricket field for a reported £30,000 and the training pitch for £65,000. Keighley for the second time in three years finished the season in the second from bottom position of the second division and had taken some heavy defeats along their way. These included the worst ever defeat 2–92 away to Leigh. These poor results had an impact on attendances and Keighley’s record for the lowest gate was broken twice. First against Workington Town
Workington Town
Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team....
on 23 April when the crowd was just 386 and again on 7 May against Whitehaven
Whitehaven RLFC
Whitehaven RLFC is a rugby league club playing in Whitehaven in West Cumbria. They play in Co-operative Championship. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground...
when only 355 turned up to witness the 0–16 defeat. Peter Roe took over as coach mid-way through the season following the sudden death of Geoff Peggs and the results improved temporarily. Roe left the following year.
Lawkholme Lane was sold in the late '80s to the Co-op for approximately £10,000 and leased back to the club.
The 1987–88 season saw a recovery on the field, attributed to the signing of experienced players Trevor Skerrett
Trevor Skerrett
Trevor Skerrett is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s and '80s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity, Hull, Leeds, and Keighley, playing at , or , i.e...
, Gary Moorby and Brenden White. Attendances increased, averaging 951 in the league and a 2–16 defeat to Widnes in the second round of the Challenge Cup drew a crowd of 4,358 watched Keighley lose 2–16. Keighley finished in eighth position, winning 15 from 28 games and eventually lost to league leaders Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
, 24–34 in the end of season play-offs.
The 1988–89 season was another year of consolidation. Keighley again completed the season in eighth position, winning 16 from 28 games. The average attendance again increased by 135 to 1,193, the best since the 1981–82 season.
For the 1989–90 season Colin Dixon
Colin Dixon
Colin J. Dixon was a Welsh rugby union and professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer who at club level has played rugby union for , and at representative level has played rugby league for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Halifax, Salford, and Hull Kingston Rovers,...
moved up onto the board of directors and Les Coulter took over as head coach. The season featured a run of eleven matches with only two victories. Keighley finished the season 19th out of 21 clubs and winning only 6 games out of 28.
Cougar-mania
By the early 1990s things had become almost critical for Keighley, the ground was decrepit and the team was losing to the likes of the now defunct Nottingham CityMansfield Marksman
Mansfield Marksman was a rugby league team based at various times in Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Alfreton and ultimately Nottingham.Amateur rugby league continues in Nottingham in the shape of Nottingham Outlaws who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division.-Mansfield Marksman...
.
In 1991 Mick O'Neil, Mike Smith and Neil Spencer joined the board and embarked on re-branding; the first being adding Cougars to their name. O'Neil became Chairman of the club and started the trend for iconic music for each player after they scored, lively PA announcements and active on-field mascots. Mary Calvert, a community relations adviser, was also appointed. Bringing a new perspective, Mary encouraged the involvement of local school children, opening the "Cougar Classroom" and launching initiatives such as drugs education.
At director level, Mike Smith was in charge of the positive marketing and the like; Neil Spencer was in charge of finance and the youth academy. All of which made visits to Cougar Park in the mid-1990s a progressive and eye-opening experience for rugby league supporters. The club attracted the attention of the national press and senior politicians, which remains unique in rugby league. The club was feted by then Prime Minister John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
for its massive success, huge attendance increases, unique community involvement and investment in top flight players and facilities.
Peter Roe returned to the club as head coach in September 1991 and stayed until 1994.
In 1993, the Cougars won the third division only to be denied promotion due to the Rugby Football League merging the second and third divisions.
Investment in good players, and an expansive style helped crowds increase from 350 in 1989 to an average of over 4,000 in 1995, and on-field success followed. The club invested heavily: in new terracing; a new club-house; the Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
coach Phil Larder
Phil Larder
Phil Larder MBE , is an English rugby league and rugby union coach.After graduating with a degree in Physical Education and Sports Science from Loughborough University in 1965, he played rugby union at centre for Broughton Park in Manchester and then Sale...
; and a full-time Premier League standard team.
The club succeeded in winning the Second Division Championship in the 1994–95 season. However, when the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
was created for the following year, Keighley were excluded, and the edifice collapsed as the disappointment of being denied promotion cost them fans and sponsors.
Keighley took out an injunction to try to stop the new competition kicking off and only withdrew their legal threat with the offer of more money for lower division clubs and the prospect of promotion and relegation.http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-league-super-league-in-debt-to-cougars-crazy-originality-1530131.html
The following year, there was only one promotion place into Super League and competing against some of the larger relegated teams the Cougars could only manage second place to Salford
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
. The club was taken over in a coup by Carl Metcalfe who promised to invest £3 million into the team and the ground. O'Neil, and directors Neil Spencer and Maurice Barker left to make way for the new regime. Phil Larder
Phil Larder
Phil Larder MBE , is an English rugby league and rugby union coach.After graduating with a degree in Physical Education and Sports Science from Loughborough University in 1965, he played rugby union at centre for Broughton Park in Manchester and then Sale...
resigned after not being paid and was replaced by player coach Daryl Powell
Daryl Powell
Daryl A. Powell is an English rugby league football coach and former player. He is the head coach of Featherstone Rovers Rugby League football club. He is a former /for Keighley Cougars, Sheffield Eagles and Leeds Rhinos...
in April 1995.
The club offered to change their name to Pennine Cougars and ground-share with Burnley F.C.
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
at Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
in an attempt to be fast-tracked into Super League.http://archive.blackburncitizen.co.uk/1996/8/12/847217.html
The promised millions did not materialise, and only months later, Metcalfe sold the senior squad, including Powell, to Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
for about £10,000 and put the club into administration. He was later arrested and convicted of supplying illegal drugs.http://archive.cravenherald.co.uk/1999/1/2/167843.html
Lee Crooks
Lee Crooks (rugby league)
Lee Crooks is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and coach of the 1990s and 2000s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, England, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hull, Western Suburbs Magpies, Balmain Tigers, Leeds, and Castleford,...
was coach between 1998 and 1999. Karl Harrison
Karl Harrison
Karl Harrison, is an English former rugby league player and coach. He was a player for Hull and Halifax, and also represented Great Britain at prop forward. He won the last of his 14 International caps in 1994. He was the head coach of Salford City Reds rugby league team for five years, before...
was appointed head coach in 2000 and guided Keighley to a second-place finish in the Northern Ford Premiership. Assistant coach, Steve Deakin, joined Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One...
as head coach in August before rejoining Keighley as head coach in September 2000 when Harrison left to become assistant coach at Bradford
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
.
2001 onwards
After dissolving in liquidation, the club was reformed as Keighley Cougars 2001 by former directors Neil Spencer and Colin Farrer. http://archive.keighleynews.co.uk/2001/9/12/135763.html.In January 2002, Keighley appointed Gary Moorby as their coach in succession to Steve Deakin who join London Broncos
London Broncos
London Broncos are a professional rugby league football club based in London, England. The club has competed in the Super League competition since its introduction in 1996...
as their assistant coach. http://archive.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/2002/1/9/131645.html
Keighley won National League Two in 2003 and were promoted to National League One. However they were immediately relegated back.
Peter Roe returned for his third spell in charge at Lawkholme Lane at the end of 2005, succeeding Gary Moorby and starting the rebuilding process of a club still ravaged by relegation from National League One. The majority of players had left and money was in short supply. Player-coach Barry Eaton
Barry Eaton
Barry Eaton is a former Welsh international rugby league player who is currently assistant coach at Crusaders. He was a .Barry Eaton played in all but three of Widnes Vikings' 28 matches in their first season in Super League...
was the only major signing and promising youngsters were blooded; the side struggled to compete and they finished 11th in the table.
Roe gave Eaton full control as player-coach in 2007. Cougars again struggled and finished 10th. Following a number of signing, Keighley made a strong start to the 2008 season, and finished fourth, qualifying to the play off stages - they were eliminated by Rochdale Hornets.
Early 2009 saw more new signings, and the team looked like they were in for a good year, destroying recently promoted Gateshead
Gateshead Thunder
Gateshead Thunder is a professional rugby league club based in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear in England. They currently play in the Championship 1 competition, the third tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom...
, and Blackpool
Blackpool Panthers
Blackpool & The Fylde Panthers RLFC was an English professional rugby league club based in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. They played at Woodlands Memorial Ground owned by Fylde rugby union club...
in the opening matches of the new season. However the club ran into problems with injuries, which took its toll and saw many of the club's leading players and new signings side-lined. Also a problem with player visa applications played its part in hampering the club's strong ambitions. However Keighley played a solid and impressive season throughout, proving that injuries were not going to stop their quest for promotion and as a result the team finished second in the league. Beating York in the playoffs, in the Championship 1 grand final they played rivals Oldham on 4 October 2009, winning 28–26 to gain promotion to the Co-operative Championship for 2010 in a game staged at the Halliwell Jones Stadium
Halliwell Jones Stadium
Halliwell Jones Stadium is a rugby league stadium in Warrington, England that is the home ground of Warrington Wolves. It has also staged Challenge Cup semi-finals, the European Nations Final and the National League Grand Finals' Day....
, Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
.
They were eliminated from the Challenge Cup by Super League Castleford
Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
early in the competition and did not qualify past the Northern Rail group stages.
In November 2009 a winding up petition against the owners of the club — Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd was issued by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for unpaid taxes. The petition hearing was adjourned until January 2010 but in the interim Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd went into administration on 18 December 2009 following a hearing at the High Court in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. Administrators were appointed and the assets of Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd i.e. the club, were immediately sold to a new company Keighley Cougars (2010) Ltd. As the new company is debt free this has secured the club and the ground for next season although the RFL imposed a 9 point penalty on the club. When combined with promotion to the Co-operative Championship the 9 point deduction proved too much and Keighley were relegated back to the Co-operative Championship 1 for the 2011 season.
Between the 2010 and 2011 season player coach Barry Eaton
Barry Eaton
Barry Eaton is a former Welsh international rugby league player who is currently assistant coach at Crusaders. He was a .Barry Eaton played in all but three of Widnes Vikings' 28 matches in their first season in Super League...
left to be replaced by former Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
star Jason Demetriou
Jason Demetriou (rugby league)
Jason Demetriou is a rugby league footballer who is a former captain of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, he is currently player/manager for Keighley Cougars. His usual position is loose forward, and he can also play centre or stand off...
as player coach. The change in management and other signings meant Keighley had a strong start to the 2011 season emphatically wining their first two games and reaching Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
tie against Super League Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
.
Rivalry
Keighley's main rivals are nearby Super League team, BradfordBradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
.
This rivalry could be referred to as a 'One way rivalry' due to Keighley supporters disliking the Bradford team, although the fans of Bradford are unlikely to dislike the Keighley team due to their main rivals being Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
.
The Keighley supporters tend to dislike the Bradford team and not the supporters of Bradford. Friendly banter is usually shared when the teams meet in the annual friendly match between the clubs where the support is unsegregated. Some Bradford supporters choose to watch Keighley when not watching their preferred team.
Due to the two teams being in different leagues and Keighley attracting smaller crowds these days, the rivalry and dislike towards Bradford from Keighley fans is less apparent than in the glory days of the 1990s and the decades before this.
Current table
2012 squad
Players earning international caps while at Keighley
- C. Burton won a cap for England while at Keighley 1930 Other Nations
- Jason CritchleyJason CritchleyJason Critchley is a former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer, who at representative level has played rugby league for Wales, and at club level for Castleford Tigers , Keighley Cougars, Salford City Reds , Wakefield Trinity Wildcats , Whitehaven, and Widnes Vikings , playing...
won caps for Wales while at Keighley, unattached, and WhitehavenWhitehaven RLFCWhitehaven RLFC is a rugby league club playing in Whitehaven in West Cumbria. They play in Co-operative Championship. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground...
1996…2001 10(11?)-caps 1(2?)-try 4(8?)-points - Colin EvansColin Evans (rugby)Colin Evans was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s who at representative level played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Pontypool RFC, playing at Scrum-half, i.e...
won caps for Wales while at LeedsLeeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
, and Keighley 1963…1969 2-caps - Norman FosterNorman Foster (rugby league)Norman Foster is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s, '30s and '40s who at representative level has played for England, and at club level for Keighley , Halifax, Hull Kingston Rovers, and Newcastle RLFC....
won caps for England while at Keighley 1935 France - Stuart GallacherStuart GallacherIan Stuart Gallacher is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s who at representative level has played rugby union for Wales, at invitational level for Barbarian F.C., and at club level for Felinfoel RFC, and Llanelli RFC,...
won caps for Wales while at Keighley in the 1975 Rugby League World Cup against New Zealand, and France - Terrence "Terry" HollindrakeTerry HollindrakeTerry Hollindrake is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s, '60s and '70s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Keighley , Hull, Bramley, and , playing at , and , i.e...
won a cap for Great Britain while at Keighley in 1955 against New Zealand - Brian JeffersonBrian JeffersonBrian Jefferson is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s who at representative level has played for England, and at club level for Keighley, playing at , i.e...
won a cap for England while at Keighley 1968 Wales
- Danny JonesDanny Jones (rugby league)Danny Jones is a professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Halifax, and Keighley Cougars, playing at /, or /.-International honours:...
won caps for Wales while at Keighley Cougars in 2010 - W. Jones won a cap for Wales while at Keighley in 1932
- Harold JonesHarold Jones (rugby league)Harold Jones is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Keighley, playing at , or , i.e. number 8 or 10, or 9, during the era of contested scrums....
won caps for Wales while at Keighley 1935…1936 3-caps - Jason LeeJason Lee (rugby league)Jason Lee is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Dudley Hill, Warrington Wolves, Keighley, Halifax, and Doncaster, playing at , i.e...
won caps for Wales while at Warrington WolvesWarrington WolvesWarrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
, Keighley Cougars, and HalifaxHalifax RLFCHalifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
1994…2001 5-caps + 2-caps (sub) 2-tries 8-points - Neil LoweNeil LoweNeil Lowe is an English born Scottish rugby league footballer who currently plays for Hunslet Hawks at , he has previously played for Featherstone Rovers, Doncaster, York City Knights, and Keighley Cougars...
won caps for Scotland Featherstone Rovers, Doncaster, York, and Keighley 1999…present 3-caps + 4-caps (sub) - Harry MyersHarry Myers (rugby)Harry Myers was a rugby union footballer of the 1890s who at representative level played for England, and at club level for Keighley, playing at Fly-half, i.e. number 10...
won a cap for England (RU) while at Keighley in 1898 against Ireland - L. Orchard won a cap for Wales while at Keighley in 1935
- Nick PinkneyNick PinkneyNick Pinkney is a former rugby league footballer.Nick Pinkney was an England international and played at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup.-Challenge Cup final appearances:...
won caps for England while at Keighley 1995 France, Fiji, South AFrica, Wales - Daryl PowellDaryl PowellDaryl A. Powell is an English rugby league football coach and former player. He is the head coach of Featherstone Rovers Rugby League football club. He is a former /for Keighley Cougars, Sheffield Eagles and Leeds Rhinos...
won caps for England while at SheffieldSheffield EaglesSheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
1992 Wales (sub), 1995 Wales, France, while at Keighley Australia, South Africa, 1996 Wales, and won caps for Great Britain while at SheffieldSheffield EaglesSheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
1990 France, Papua New Guinea (2 matches), New Zealand, New Zealand (2 matches), Australia (3 matches), 1991 France (2 matches), Papua New Guinea, 1992 France, France, Papua New Guinea, Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), 1993 France, New Zealand (3 matches), 1994 France, Australia (2 matches), Australia, while at Keighley 1996 Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Zealand (3 matches)
- William "Billy" WatsonWilliam Watson (rugby league)William "Billy" Watson is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s who at representative level has played for England, and at club level for Keighley, playing at , i.e. number 8 or 10, during the era of contested scrums....
won caps for England while at Keighley 1934 Australia, France - Oliver WilkesOliver WilkesOliver Wilkes, is an English born Scottish professional rugby league footballer for the Harlequins club of Super League...
won caps for Scotland while at Keighley Cougars, Leigh Centurions, Widnes Vikings, and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 2003…present 7-caps + 1-cap (sub)
Other notable players
These players have either; received a testimonial matchTestimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
, or were international representatives before, or after, their time at Keighley.
- William "Bill" AspinallWilliam AspinallWilliam "Bill" Aspinall is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s who at club level has played for Keighley.-Testimonial match:Bill Aspinall's Testimonial match at Keighley took place in 1972.-External links:*...
(Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
1972) - Llew Bevan (ResolvenResolvenResolven is a small village in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. It is located in the heart of the Vale of Neath.- Location :The village is situated in the Vale of Neath, next to the A465 Heads of Valleys Road, and is the main settlement in the community of Resolven...
) circa-1940s/'50s - Charles "Charlie" Birdsall circa-1974
- Gordon BrownGordon Brown (rugby league)Gordon F. Brown is an English former professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1950s and '60s, and coach of the 1960s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Leeds, and Keighley, playing at , i.e...
- John BurkeJohn Burke (rugby league)John Burke is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s who at club level has played for Leeds, Keighley, South Sydney Rabbitohs, and Wakefield Trinity, playing at , i.e. number 8 or 10.-Challenge Cup final appearances:...
(#8/#10) circa-1974 - Geoffrey "Geoff" Butterfield (Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
1995) - Thomas Cockroft/Tommy Cockroft circa-1940
- William Cockroft/Billy Cockroft circa-1960
- Bert CookBert CookBert Cook is a New Zealander former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at representative level has played rugby union for New Zealand Army, and at representative level has played rugby league for Other Nationalities, and at club level for Leeds,...
- David CreasserDavid CreasserDavid L. Creasser is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Leeds, and Keighley Cougars, playing at , i.e...
- Geoffrey "Geoff" Crewdson (Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
1966) - Sam CrowtherSam CrowtherSam Crowther is an English Rugby League player, currently playing for Featherstone Rovers in the Rugby Football League Co-operative Championship....
- David "Dai" Morgan DaviesDavid Davies (rugby league born circa-1905)David "Dai" Morgan Davies is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s and '30s who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Broughton Rangers, Warrington, Huddersfield, and Keighley, playing at , i.e. number 7...
- Melville "Mel" De Lloyd
- Keith Dixon (Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
1995) - Grant Doorey (#F) circa-1995
- Jason DonnellyJason DonnellyJason Donnelly is a New Zealand former rugby league player who played professionally and represented his country. His position of preference was on the wing.-Early years:Jason Donnelly was born on 28 June 1970...
- Barry EatonBarry EatonBarry Eaton is a former Welsh international rugby league player who is currently assistant coach at Crusaders. He was a .Barry Eaton played in all but three of Widnes Vikings' 28 matches in their first season in Super League...
- Kevin Ellis
- St. John EllisSt. John EllisSt. John Ellis is a former Castleford Tigers player who died on New Year's Eve of 2005 at the age of 41. He eventually coached at Doncaster Lakers before his sudden death.-International honours:...
- Darren FlearyDarren FlearyDarren Fleary is a professional Rugby League player.-Career:He has played for Leeds Rhinos, Keighley Cougars, Leigh Centurions and his home town club Huddersfield Giants. He played Prop forward...
- Brian Gaines http://www.totalrl.com/features/content.php?feat_id=269&featcat_id=32 circa-1965
- David "Dave" Garbett circa-1974
- Anthony "Tony" Garforth (#F) circa-1976
- Ian Gately (#F) circa-1995
- Joseph "Joe" Grima
- Derek HallasDerek HallasDerek Hallas was an English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s, who at representative level played rugby union for , and at club level for Roundhay RFC, playing at Centre, i.e...
12/1953…01/1959, and 10/1962…04/1963 Great Britain, Yorkshire (RU)/(RL), Roundhay (RU), Leeds, and Parramatta player - Iory Herbert (ResolvenResolvenResolven is a small village in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. It is located in the heart of the Vale of Neath.- Location :The village is situated in the Vale of Neath, next to the A465 Heads of Valleys Road, and is the main settlement in the community of Resolven...
) circa-1940s/'50s - Fred Higginbotham ( from WarringtonWarrington WolvesWarrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
) circa-1940s/'50s - Ian HughesIan Hughes (rugby league)Ian Hughes is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s, '90s and 2000s who at club level has played for Wakefield Trinity, Sheffield Eagles, and Keighley Cougars, playing , i.e. number 11 or 12.-External links:***...
- David "Dave" Jickells/David "Dave" Jickles circa-1974
- Allan Kellett http://archive.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/2006/11/2/188805.html
- Richard "Dick" Kendall 1921/22-1932/33
- Robert "Bob" KellyRobert Kelly (rugby league)Robert "Bob" Kelly is an Irish former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Other Nations, and at club level for Keighley, Wakefield Trinity, and Batley, playing at , or , i.e...
- Reginald 'Wolla' LloydReginald LloydReginald "Reg"/"Reggie" G. 'Wolla' Lloyd is a Welsh former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s and '40s who at club level has played rugby union for Resolven RFC, and at representative level has played rugby league for Wales, and at club level for Keighley, and...
(ResolvenResolvenResolven is a small village in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. It is located in the heart of the Vale of Neath.- Location :The village is situated in the Vale of Neath, next to the A465 Heads of Valleys Road, and is the main settlement in the community of Resolven...
) circa-1940s/'50s - Davide LongoDavide LongoDavide Longo is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who at club level has played for Bradford Bulls, Swinton Lions, Keighley Cougars, Batley Bulldogs, and Dewsbury Rams, playing at /, i.e. number 6.-External links:******...
- John Mantle
- John A MartinJohn A MartinJohn A. Martin John A. Martin John A. Martin (born in Halifax played professional rugby league during the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. He signed for his hometown club, Halifax, in 1967 as a nineteen year old from Siddal ARLFC and played a total of 266 games until his transfer to Keighley in 1980.Career...
- Frank MortimerFrank MortimerFrank Mortimer was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity, and Keighley, playing at , or , i.e. number 1, or, 3 or 4....
- Paul Moses (Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
1995) - Harry MurphyHarry MurphyHarry Murphy was a professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s, '40s and '50s who at representative level played for Great Britain, England, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity, and Keighley, playing at , or , i.e...
, for England while at WakefieldWakefield Trinity WildcatsWakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
1946 France, Wales, for Great Britain while at WakefieldWakefield Trinity WildcatsWakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
1950 Australia (Later joined Keighley) - Terrence "Terry" O'Brien (Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
1973) - Garfield OwenGarfield OwenGarfield David Owen is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s. He first played amateur rugby for Llanharan RFC, Maesteg RFC, Wrexham RFC, and Newport RFC at club level before winning six caps for Wales. He also played rugby...
- Lee PatersonLee PatersonLee Paterson is an English born Scottish professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Scotland, and at club level for Keighley Cougars, York City Knights, Batley Bulldogs, Carpentras XIII, Widnes Vikings, and Featherstone Rovers, playing at , , or .-International...
- E. Perkins 1921/22-1932/33
- Harry Plunkett
- Dean Raistrick (#9) circa-1974
- Jason Ramshaw (Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
2002) - Peter Roe
- Jordan RossJordan RossJordan Ross is a professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Keighley Cougars, Rochdale Hornets, and York City Knights, playing at .-International honours:...
- Roy Sabine
- Joseph Sherburn circa-1922
- Trevor SkerrettTrevor SkerrettTrevor Skerrett is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s and '80s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity, Hull, Leeds, and Keighley, playing at , or , i.e...
- M. Slater circa-1922
- Richard SmithRichard Smith (rugby league)Richard Smith is a professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Ireland, and at club level for Bradford Bulls, Hull Kingston Rovers, Halifax, Salford City Reds, Keighley Cougars, and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, playing at , or , i.e...
- Philip "Phil" Stephenson (Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
2005) - Andre Stoop
- Latham TawhaiLatham TawhaiLatham Tawhai is a rugby league coach and former player from New Zealand. He has also represented his country in softball.-Playing career:...
- Lewis TaylorLewis Taylor (rugby league)Lewis Taylor is a Royal Navy Aircraft Maintenance Technician who trained at HMS Sultan, and former professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Leeds Rhinos, and Keighley Cougars, playing at , i.e...
- James "Jim" Traill (father of Kenneth "Ken" TraillKen TraillKen Traill was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and '50s, and coach of the 1950s, '60s and 70s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, England, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hunslet, Bradford Northern, Halifax, and Wakefield Trinity, playing at...
) - Rob ValentineRob Valentine (rugby)Rob A. Valentine is a Scottish former rugby union and rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s, and coach of the 1970s, who at representative level has played rugby union for South of Scotland, and at club level for Hawick RFC, at representative level has played rugby league for Great...
- J. Waite circa-1922
- Sonny WhakarauSonny WhakarauSonny Whakarau is a former New Zealand rugby league footballer who played professionally in England and represented the New Zealand Māori.-Playing career:...
- Gary Widdop (father of Gareth WiddopGareth WiddopGareth Widdop is an English professional rugby league footballer currently playing for Australian club Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League...
) - Calvin Wilkes
- Daley WilliamsDaley WilliamsDaley Williams is a rugby league footballer for the Batley Bulldogs. He plays on the . And also plays for the Jamaica national rugby league team. Daley's lifetime ambition is to play for his home town club Halifax....
- Richard "Ricky" Winterbottom (Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
1995) - Jamaine WrayJamaine WrayJamaine Wray is a Jamaican rugby league player for the Keighley Cougars in the Co-operative Championship. His position is .- Representative Career :He has represented Jamaica in the Atlantic Cup- External Links :**...
- William YiendWilliam YiendWilliam "Pusher" Yiend was an English rugby union forward who played club rugby for Hartlepool Rovers and international rugby for England. In 1890 Yiend became one of the original members of the Barbarians Football Club...
Records
- Biggest victory: 104–4 vs HighfieldLiverpool City (rugby league)Liverpool City was a semi-professional rugby league club from the city of Liverpool in England.-The first Liverpool City - 1906-1907:A professional club first emerged in Liverpool, called Liverpool City in 1906, playing at the Stanley Athletics Ground. They hold an unwanted record in the...
23 April 1995 - Worst defeat: 2–92 at LeighLeigh CenturionsLeigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...
, 30 April 1996 - Highest attendance: 14,500 vs HalifaxHalifax RLFCHalifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
, 3 March 1953
Honours
- National League 2 Winners/ CC1: 2003, 2009
- Old Division Two Champions: 1902–03, 1994–95
- Old Division Three Champions: 1992–93