FORMER Cougar skipper Allan Boothroyd is back -- and ready to sweat blood for the club.

On Tuesday he was giving blood for the club when the Yorkshire Blood Transfusion Service took over Cougar Park to collect donations from fans -- and players.

"Everything is going very well, we've started training three nights a week and our plans are coming together very quickly," said Boothroyd who is back as a player and part of Steve Deakin's coaching team.

A draft fixture list was sent out from Rugby League's Red Hall headquarters this week and is expected to be accepted by the Northern Ford clubs. Although details of the fixtures are kept a closely guarded secret KN Sport understands that Cougars would start with a tough away fixture - at Dewsbury - on Sunday, December 2nd if the draft list is accepted.

Over 90 fans turned up to give blood during the day signalling a return to the club's work in the community.

However, they are still working behind the scenes to get the junior coaching programme, which was being run by Jason Ramshaw and Matt Foster, back on track.

Last week fans launched an 'Independent Supporters Club' after holding a meeting at the Victoria Hotel, and pledged to give their backing to the team.

"We are all working for the same ends, to see a vibrant rugby league club in Keighley, but we feel a supporters club which is truly independent can play a big part in the future of rugby league in Keighley," said chairman Martin Whiteley.

The meeting was told that the Cougar 'lottery' was still running, with money going into a holding account and a decision needed to be made soon on the future of the scheme which raised over £500 a week.

Organiser Gillian Ogden told members she could not hand the running of the lottery back to the club because of Data Protection Act restrictions, which meant the list of contributors must be kept confidential.

But this week club chairman Neil Spencer called for urgent action to resolve any difficulties.

"People who take part in the lottery expect the money to go to the club and that was the plan when liquidators moved in. The income from the lottery was in our plans when we drew up our budget, so the situation needs to be sorted out soon.

"I'm still paying my standing order, but so far we no money has come from that source to the club, but the official supporters club has already given us £1,000 to help get things up and running," he said.

A seven-strong working party was set up to organise the Independent Supporters' Club and a second meeting is to be held at the Victroria Hotel on November 2.