CHAIRMAN Gary Fawcett says Cougars are determined to win promotion this season to honour the memory of Danny Jones following his tragic death.

The club, the town of Keighley and the wider rugby league community are in mourning this week following the passing of the hugely popular 29-year-old last Sunday.

The Wales international suffered a suspected cardiac arrest during the League One match at London Skolars.

He collapsed at the side of the pitch and later died as the game was abandoned, but Paul March’s side will play this Sunday’s match at home to Coventry Bears after a request from Jones’ wife Liz.

Keighley will retire Jones’ squad number six and rename their main stand the Danny Jones Stand, while funds to raise money for Liz and their five-month-old twins has reached over £75,000.

March and his squad gathered at Cougar Park on Monday to pay their respects. Fawcett told the Keighley News: “All the players were talking about winning promotion in honour of Danny.

“I spoke to Tiger (Paul Handforth) for quite a long time and winning promotion to honour Danny’s memory was the players’ focus.

“Ash Lindsay was saying ‘we’ve already gained promotion, we just need to go and get it’. That’s what he was saying.

“Danny may have gone to Halifax for a season but he was always our number six and that’s why we’ve officially requested that we retire the number six jersey.

“He was the life and soul of the dressing room and one of the leaders as well as being a great professional.

“He always had a cheeky grin or a cheeky quip, so he’s going to be sorely missed.

“When the players gathered at the club on Monday, they were devastated because they’ve lost a great friend as well as a highly-regarded team-mate.

“There are a lot of people in rugby league who saw Danny as a friend.

“He was very open, accessible and would talk to the fans.

“Even if he didn’t have his best game, he would go to the bar and take the stick, and if he had a good game he would take the plaudits.

“He was very good on the microphone, very measured, and he represented the club very well.”

Sunday’s visit of Coventry promises to be an emotional day and a third of the gate receipts will be donated to Jones’ family.

There will also be other fundraising exclusively for Jones during the day and the RFL have called on all professional and community clubs to observe a minute’s silence at games this weekend.

Jones’ post-mortem took place earlier this week but no date has yet been set for his funeral.

Fawcett added: “I woke up on Bank Holiday Monday morning and thought ‘we’ve got to play the Coventry game this weekend for lots of reasons’.

“Buster (James Feather) said ‘if we don’t play against Coventry this week then the next time we play at Swinton we’ll be getting on a coach’.

“That would have had a real psychological impact and, while a lot of the players wanted to play the Coventry game, there were others who didn’t, at least initially.

“But they started to come round and myself and the other board members said ‘it’s not our decision, it’s down to the players’.

“They weren’t obliged to play it but we felt we should play it, one of the main reasons being that it’s the single biggest opportunity to raise a lot of money for Liz and the twins.

“Our next home game after that would have been May 31, and we probably wouldn’t have raised as much money because it wouldn’t be as close to people’s hearts.

“Furthermore, if you’re not playing, it can make things worse.

“Paul March spoke to Liz Jones and she wanted the game to go ahead and the family wanted the game to go ahead, therefore we will play it.”

Liz and other family members are expected to attend Sunday’s match and Fawcett said: “We have almost been overwhelmed by the show of love and support, especially for Danny’s family.

“People have been very respectful and the financial support that I think Liz and the twins need has come in from all walks of sport.

“It’s amazing to see and the club encourages that to continue because it will give the twins a good start in life and give Liz financial stability.

“I would just encourage everyone to keep going.

“I have requested that there is some kind of fundraising at the Summer Bash, whether it be a bucket collection or an extra pound on the gate.

“Our game on Sunday will go ahead and we are going to give Liz and the twins a third of the gate receipts.

“All fundraising within the ground will be exclusively for the official benevolent fund which has been set up.”

The abandoned game at London Skolars could be replayed at a later date but at a different venue.

Keighley's reserve game at home to York tonight has been postponed.