Yesterday, despite their efforts, Keighley Cougars found themselves on the wrong side of the IMG vote as nearly a 90% majority voted in favour of the IMG proposals which end traditional promotion and relegation.
The Keighley owners Ryan O’Neill and Kaue Garcia have invested heavily in the club but were left unhappy by the result yesterday.
After the vote, Garcia spoke to the press and took a last swipe at the vote saying the sport is badly managed.
“We’ve invested for the last three or four years, we have put a lot of investment in. We’ve invested heavily, if you came to our ground you’d see the investment. The passion is still there, we love the sport. I think I’m the perfect example of how this sport is so attractive, I’m Brazilian and came to this country ten years ago having heard nothing about rugby league and I’m obsessed about it. I think it’s the best sport in the world but it’s just badly managed if I’m being honest.
When asked if staying the same is actually moving backwards, Garcia said: “I see the argument, people say Keighley complains a lot and what is their proposal. The answer is we need to market the sport and the plans that IMG has proposed fail to demonstrate how the grading criteria will elevate the standard. That’s all you hear.”
