KEIGHLEY Cougars were raising funds all weekend, and they played host to a memorable charity match on Sunday in honour of their popular former captain Phil Stephenson, who suffers from Motor Neurone Disease.

The aim of the game was to raise funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND) and it was a huge success, with many excited fans watching players past and present battle it out in the Linner's Legends v Stevo's Select contest.

Cougars head coach Craig Lingard skippered the Legends side, who won the game 48-12 at Cougar Park, and he said: "Phil is in the Cougars Hall of Fame and is a massive player in the club's history.

"We had our benefit night for Aidan Scully's wife (who has been diagnosed with a brain tumour) on Saturday too and you want to come together for these charity events. You look after your own in rugby league."

Asked whether the club's charity events and last week's takeover had brought a feelgood factor back to the club, Lingard said: "We'd have felt better about events if we'd won on Saturday.

"But the rest of the weekend showed there are more important things in life. Coventry was just a rugby league game, that's all, and the events for Phil and Kirsty put things back into perspective."

Lingard laughed when asked about his individual performance in the charity match, saying: "It was very ordinary. I played about 10 minutes then pulled my hamstring.

"It was my first game in about five years, and although your head tells you you can play, your body says otherwise.

"We'd all drunk a lot of alcohol at the benefit event the night before and I was out of the habit of playing too. That's my on-field career well and truly over."