Keighley act swiftly to tackle poor crowd behaviour

Drew Darbyshire 15 Aug 2019 10:53 AM

Keighley have invested in creating a “safe and secure” environment for all spectators at Cougar Park following last weekend’s crowd trouble.

The club have investigated an incident of crowd abuse that left a ball boy in tears after their defeat to Hunslet last Saturday.

Cougars coach Rhys Lovegrove was made to comfort the distraught ball boy after the full-time hooter.

And Keighley have acted fast to tackle any future crowd problems at games.

In a statement released by the club, it read: “Fully qualified SIA security staff are always employed at every match, but for major matches an additional team will be present to roam the ground, supporting our existing team of stewards, enabling supporters to feel safe and secure.

“We encourage fans to raise any concerns with them. They are trained to be understanding and supportive, and have your safety as their main priority.

“Additional external CCTV digitally recording will be installed, to enable us to follow up any issues that may occur.

“We are launching a dedicated real-time text messaging service on game days, so fans can text in any security concerns.

“This text line will be permanently monitored by our safety staff, and an immediate response team will be sent straight out to any areas highlighted by fans where they have a concern.

“The dedicated text message number will be printed on matchday tickets, on our website, around the ground, and on social media channels. We encourage all fans to store it in their mobile phones.”