Keighley Cougars are aiming to woo the fans back to Cougar Park.

They would love to get attendances up to around the 4,500 mark which they enjoyed during the mid-nineties.

The club were happy with the gate of 2,511 for their opening Northern Ford Premiership home clash with Dewsbury Rams on Sunday and want to build on that figure.

Marketing Executive Gary Murgatroyd said: "We realise that attendances have fallen back in recent years but we feel the people of Keighley will want to get behind a successful side again.

"Steve Deakin and the players have done well to take us to the top of the league and we feel that more and more people will start returning to Cougar Park in the coming weeks.

"I was pleased to detect at the Dewsbury game a number of Bradford Bulls and Halifax Blue Sox fans. They clearly want to see rugby league matches in the winter and we are glad to welcome them.

"I firmly believe that the standard of competition in the Northern Ford Premiership is improving all the time. The product is a good one and I am sure there are many more people who want to watch matches played in the winter months.

"Ours is the traditional rugby league package. It's what fans were brought up on before the advent of summer rugby and Super League."

Cougars' fine start to the season - two wins out of two - has brought financial benefits for the club already.

"The business community are taking an interest in us again," said Murgatroyd. "It was a pleasant feeling on Sunday having people approach me about becoming sponsors rather than the other way about. We have done a lot of hard work to take the club forward and it seems it may be about to pay off."

Tomorrow night's Alliance game between Rochdale and Cougars has been switched to Cougar Park because Spotland is unfit. Coach Steve Deakin is expected to give a run-out to last year's captain Alan Boothroyd who has been unavailable for the opening games of the season through work commitments. The match kicks off at 7.30pm.