KEIGHLEY Cougars chairman Mick O’Neill nearly didn’t make it to the end of this season, and neither did club director and his good friend Mike Smith.

O’Neill was in intensive care with Covid-19 earlier this year, while Smith was the victim of an aggravated burglary at his home last November, spending months in hospital as a result.

So it was fitting that both were there to witness Cougars securing the League 1 title with a 48-18 win at Doncaster on Sunday, with the players making a beeline for them in the stands at full-time.

O’Neill told the Keighley News: “It was really good to have Mike there, I feel so sorry for him.

“What happened to him was disgraceful, and I’m so pleased we can get him round in his wheelchair at games now, so he can see how what he’s put into the club has come to fruition.

“I feel fit now but I know I’m very lucky to be alive, coming out of the other side of Covid.

“I must say, the staff and experts at Airedale Hospital were incredible, because I thought I was a goner.”

It has been a dramatic three-and-a-half years since O’Neill and Smith returned to take over the club they left in the mid-1990s.

At the time, the club had just gone through two separate financial crises and were training in a local park.

Given Cougars had to come back from that, and navigate a pandemic too, is O’Neill shocked at how quickly the club has secured promotion?

He said: “I could have imagined promotion, but I couldn’t have envisaged it like this, not losing a game (so far).

“I came back from Australia to get the club promoted from League 1, but to do it like this is unbelievable.”

O’Neill added: “When we were knocked out of the play-offs by Doncaster last year, I wasn’t concerned.

“We were going well at the time, but we weren’t ready for the Championship at that stage.

“(Head coach) Rhys Lovegrove was having to do too much at the time, but we’ve got a steadier ship now with (head of rugby) Andrew Henderson helping him out.

“I’m getting old, and I didn’t want to pop my clogs before any promotion.”

That last quote was said in only half-jest, given his Covid experience and the fact that O’Neill is now 81.

Asked if he was thinking about taking a step back from the club soon, he said: “I’ll keep going to a point, but I don’t want to ever be in the way of any progress because I’m getting too old.

“I’ve still got a brain though, so I can play a bit of an active role, which I’d like to be less prominent and more behind the scenes.

“I don’t want to finish yet, so I’ll go back to Australia next month and have a think about what’s next.

“I didn’t come here for fun, I came here to get us out of League 1.”

Always thinking of the fans, O’Neill added: “We’re getting that new stand, which is finally going to cater properly for our disabled supporters.

“Before, they’d have to navigate a load of steps, and be at risk of getting drenched, but that won’t be an issue once the stand is finished.

“We wanted to win the league, but in some ways, this stand is the pinnacle, as it’s very important to me.”