COUGARS chairman Gary Fawcett has paid tribute to Paul March as the outgoing head coach prepares to make an emotional farewell to Cougar Park.

March will take charge of his final game on Sunday when his old club York City Knights visit for Keighley’s last match of the 2016 campaign.

Cougars’ fading promotion hopes were finally ended by last weekend’s 26-18 defeat at Barrow, confirming another season in League One and ensuring that March will now be replaced.

March initially joined Keighley as a player ahead of the 2012 campaign and stepped up to succeed Jason Demetriou as player-coach at the end of that season.

March’s turbulent reign has included a controversial relegation from the Championship, an agonising promotion play-off final defeat last year and the death of popular playmaker Danny Jones.

Fawcett said: “At the beginning of the 2016 season we strengthened the team that had come so close to being promoted in the 2015 season.

“The bookies saw us as joint favourites for promotion along with Toulouse and rightly so.

“Toulouse performed to everyone's expectations and we fell apart in the second half of the season.

“When surveying the wreckage of what has been a hugely disappointing season, lessons have been learned and fundamental changes will be implemented.

“Our existing head coach, Paul March, will be managing the team for this season's, and his, final game this coming Sunday.

“Personally, I am very disappointed to see Marchy go.

“He has worked incredibly hard for the club over the last five years he has been with us and loves the game of rugby league.

“His replacement will find it very hard to replicate what Marchy has done for the club on and off the pitch.

“However, on the pitch is where it counts and, despite a tremendous squad on paper, we delivered our worst season's result for over a decade.

“I hope Marchy learns from this and goes from strength to strength in this fantastic sport.”

Reflecting on March’s time at the club, Fawcett added: “He joined us as a player under Jason Demetriou at the beginning of 2012 and took over the reins as head coach after JD departed to Australia at the end of 2012.

“In 2013, with a relatively weak squad overall, as we found it difficult to replace the quality that had left with JD, Marchy ensured we stayed in the Championship.

“In 2014 we felt the full impact of the league restructuring and an appeals committee decision concerning dual registration and were relegated, unfairly in the view a lot of people in the sport.

“Having barely recovered from that disappointment the club, and Marchy, then had to deal with the hugely tragic death of our Danny Jones in May 2015.

“The team fought their emotions bravely all season and came desperately close to promotion at the end of 2015.

“Marchy managed through these challenges very effectively so the board decided to back him in 2016 without success.

“I wish Marchy well and I know that it won't be too long before he will be bringing a team to Cougar Park fully expecting to beat us.

“I have no doubt that, at some point, our negative keyboard warriors will be bemoaning the day we let Marchy go such is their way!”

Attention now turns to finding a replacement for March and the board of directors have already been contacted by a raft of potential candidates.

Fawcett said: “I mentioned fundamental changes for next season, one of which will be a new head coach who will focus on strengthening and developing our youth programme from scouting through our 16 to 19 year old academy into the reserves and then the first team.

“Keighley Cougars are committed to bringing our young players through into the first team and we will be putting significant impetus to this over the coming seasons."

Fawcett also revealed the season-ticket pricing policy for the 2017 campaign.

He said: “We will be reducing the gate entry price next season but, more importantly, we will be asking our loyal season-ticket holders for help.

“This season our sponsors suite has gone from strength to strength, being full every match day, but our gates have gone down. Clearly this must not continue.

“We will release an Early Bird at £100 this month, which will be applicable for two weeks. I encourage everyone to take up this offer.

“The investment in the team coupled with a lack of success has generated a cash deficit which needs to be plugged through the Early Bird offer.

“All season ticket holders will be issued with free under-17 season tickets and 20 Golden tickets at £5 entry which we will be asking them to distribute to their friends and family that don't come to Cougar Park.

“If this is successful we will continue to issue the Golden tickets to the season ticket holders as the season progresses.

“I am expecting our new head coach to sign an exciting fast young squad for next season that will develop over the next two or three years. Sundays at Cougar Park will be the place to be.

“Anything can happen in this sport with the right leadership. You only have to look at where Batley, the beneficiaries of the appeals committee decision in 2014, are now. We will learn our lessons and we will become the stronger for it.”