www.keighleynews.co.uk/news/9506 ... GRANT_CUT/ You cant tell me that the people at the top didnt know this was coming.Some people are so full of it. What next? Feel a bit of deja vu gonna happen

www.keighleynews.co.uk/news/9506 ... GRANT_CUT/ You cant tell me that the people at the top didnt know this was coming.Some people are so full of it. What next? Feel a bit of deja vu gonna happen

On reading the reports it estimates that it will make the club break even.



If the club averages around 120 paying adults more than it is had budgeted for then that cost would be covered.



Extended cup runs would also help.

You can have your say here... www.bradford.gov.uk/surveys/2012-13/budget.htm Considering it is the towns only semi professional team (not sure if silsden have full time/community staff?!) its a bit of a kick in the teeth. Isnt MP kris Hopkins a 'cougar fan' and former leader of bradford council? Cant he change their mind? kris@krishopkins.co.uk

You can have your say here... www.bradford.gov.uk/surveys/2012-13/budget.htm Considering it is the towns only semi professional team (not sure if silsden have full time/community staff?!) its a bit of a kick in the teeth. Isnt MP kris Hopkins a 'cougar fan' and former leader of bradford council? Cant he change their mind? kris@krishopkins.co.uk

The country is on its knees.

Cuts have to be made.

I have contacted both council and mp asking for continued support for all the good work being done community wise by the cougars and do not fotget it was not long ago the cougars did presentation to members of parliament and were congratulated for the work and impact it has had.



As guess who correctly says country is struggling generally but unless folk fight for this or any other issue they believe in then apathy will be taken as lack of interest and support, sad but true.

Apathy indeed. Kris Hopkins has emailed me back actually and very promptly too.



"I have been in touch with the chairman of the club, Gary Fawcett, on this matter and written to the Leader of Bradford Council to demand that the proposal is withdrawn in advance of the Council’s budget meeting later this month. You are absolutely correct to highlight the excellent cross-community work carried out by the Cougars. The sad fact is that the future of the club will be put at risk if this funding is removed and we cannot allow this to happen.



The Cougars, the Bulls and Bradford City all received similar grants during my four year tenure as Council Leader. However, I understand the Bulls’ funding was taken away last year. That said, Gary Fawcett has said he was not told that the Cougars’ funding was to be removed in 2012 – it is also certainly news to me - and this money is vital for the club to break even. Let’s hope we can get the Council to change its mind"



Also Glenn Miller is the Conservative Group Leader on the Council, Worth valley Counciller and may have some influence.



Yes everyone needs to give something during a recession, something not everything.

That sounds promising just hope the proposal ends up being just that a proposal.

With respect to everyone at the club where would you rather see the council make cuts?



Schools, refuse collection, road maintenance, social services or a sports club?



They've cut the funding to City and the B*lls as well so it's not anything against Keighley.



My own mother is employed by the council and has been put on notice of potential redundancy 3 times in the last year. The sad fact is there isn't enough money to go around and politicians and civil servant have to make tough decisions and ultimately get their priorities right.

Have to slightly disagree as there is money still out there and it is a question of where it is targeted. Cougars do a lot of good work for the whole community, which is where the monies were intended. Keighley can certainly be described as a particularly deprived area. Money can still be found, it seems, for daft projects for minority groups.

Like what?

£24 million quid for a rather large puddle in front of City Hall for a kick off ....





How many jobs, services , extra school activities for our kids could that have saved / created ???

You are right there is still money around, just a lot less than there was before. Central Government are giving less and due to higher unemployment less folk are paying in. You are right about it being targeted correctly. Essential public services obviously have to come first, then it starts to become difficult there are plenty of projects out there who also want funding. Look at it from another perspective City and the B*lls have lost their funding as well. Neither of those 2 sporting clubs are exactly rich how would you feel if you were a supported of those clubs and found out Keighley were getting public money yet your club wasn't?







Cougars do a lot of good community work that cannot be denied. Whilst they reach out to many people and do not actively exclude anyone, they do not serve the whole community. There are plenty of folk out there, myself included, who don't benefit from their undeniably hard work. Bear in mind as well that only around 2% or 1 in 50 of Keighley's population actially turn up to Cougars' home games.







Parts of Keighley could be described as deprived, but then so could many parts of the wider Br*dford district also, much worse than Keighley in some cases.







I think you'll find that in a free and fair society minority groups whether it be on the grounds of age, ethnicity, socio-economic, disability, religious beliefs, nationality and sexual orientation are as much entitled to funding as someone from a majority group (if there truly is such a thing). What may seem daft, trivial and a waste of money to one person or group may well be absolutely vital to another.