Cougars director Simon Harrison admits the past season has tested "limits of human emotion" but he is confident the 2016 campaign will see the club back where it belongs.

A traumatic campaign saw Paul March’s side narrowly fail to win an immediate return to the Championship following an agonising 29-28 Play-Off Final defeat to Swinton earlier this month.

Cougars also suffered the untimely loss of popular playmaker Danny Jones, aged just 29, in May but have retained the bulk of the squad for next season and appear well placed to mount another strong challenge.

Harrison, a major sponsor and lifelong supporter of the club, also paid tribute to Lizzie Jones, the widow of the late Cougars star who has won many admirers for her work in raising awareness of heart screening.

Harrison said: “Our season was turned on its head on Sunday, May 3 and the club, the Jones family and the rugby league fraternity all came together in mourning the death of Danny Jones.

“As the days and weeks passed what became apparent was the great strength that was clear to see led by Lizzie herself.

“Of course there were tears along the way and I'm absolutely gutted about how the season ended because we were so close to achieving our goal of promotion to the Kingston Press Championship.

“But what I can say is that it wasn't through the fault of any single person within the club.

“What we must do now is to step back and take stock of what we have achieved over the past season.

“Criticising certain elements or making excuses for not achieving promotion after the season we have just had is never going to help. We have to look to the future. Lizzie Jones must be our taliswoman for next season.”

Lizzie spoke with Cougars chief executive Neil Cullen shortly after Keighley's defeat to Swinton at Widnes and remarked that “things happen for a reason”.

Harrison added: “Maybe Lizzie was right in that could we have coped in the Championship?

“Who knows. What I do know is when the hurt of this season subsides we will be back bigger and stronger from our past experiences.

“For each director, player, backroom staff, employees, volunteers and every supporter, 2015 has been a year that has tested us to near the limits of human emotion.

“2016 has to be a season we look forward to, and build a team on and off the field which is capable of putting Keighley Cougars up were we belong.

“It's not going to be easy as there will be some good teams fighting for promotion and, yes, there will need to be a lot of sacrifice and dedication for the early starts to places like South Wales, London, Gloucester and even France next season.

“We need a steely resolve to achieve promotion but we have started our recruitment and retainment programme for next year already and will be fit and ready for 2016.

“We can't achieve this without the support and backing of our great fans and sponsors.”

Harrison has implored the Keighley public to turn out in greater numbers for next season’s promotion push and back the team on a regular basis at Cougar Park.

Average crowds were around the 1,000 mark in 2015 and Harrison said: “We thank you for all your support this year but we need more. We are a town with a population of over 90,000 and have over 300 businesses trading in the Keighley area.

“Keighley Cougars needs your help because we want to make Keighley proud and recreate the town’s feel-good factor of the mid-90s when Cougarmania was at its heights.

“Sponsorship is important but so is getting the town supporting our great team again. We as a board are open to any help and advise or even ideas on how we can achieve this.

“My email address is simon@a1stairlifts.co.uk so send me your ideas and let's see what we can achieve if the whole town of Keighley works together.”

The fixtures for the 2016 campaign are due to be published early next week.