THOUSANDS of rugby league fans gathered at Keighley's Cougar Park to pay their respects to the home side's playmaker Danny Jones who died last week from a heart attack at the age of 29.

A 4,066 crowd turned out yesterday, taking the numbers back to the days of Cougarmania, said club officials.

Many there were also fans of other clubs who had made the poignant journey to show their support to Mr Jones's family and to the sport.

Once through the gates, the crowds passed rows of floral tributes to the Welsh international.

The back wall of the North Stand was lined with rugby shirts and in the reception, people queued to sign the book of condolence.

And the crowd gave generously to bucket collections for the Danny Jones 29 Fund - a £1 million fundraising target set up by Cougars chairman Gary Fawcett in the days after the stand-off's sudden collapse and death after playing London Skolars last Sunday.

Yesterday's game with Coventry got off to an emotional start as expected with Danny's widow Liz Jones and their five-month-old twins Bobby and Phoebe coming on to the pitch to applause wearing replicas of his shirt.

During a minute's silence the crowd all held up No 6 cards before balloons in the Cougars red, white and green colours were released high into the sky.

Club chairman Mr Fawcett told the packed stands: "Danny passed away playing the game he loved for the club he loved. Words can't describe how his wife and family feel."

He went on to read out messages from Mrs Jones and the player's family thanking everyone for their support which had astonished them and felt "like a big hug".

In her own message, Mrs Jones said she was so happy her husband finished his days playing the sport he adored, at a club he treasured with teammates he thought the world of and promised to bring up his babies to make him proud.

"I could not be any prouder of my beautiful man, my husband, the legend," she said.

The message from his family read out to the crowd said "Danny was never more at home than when he pulled on his Cougar' shirt" and ended: "We ask that Danny's death will not be in vain and that he will leave a legacy for the sport he loved."

A third of money taken on the gate and fundraising at the game will go towards the memorial fund set up following the Welsh international’s death.

It will provide financial stability for Mrs Jones and be used to make changes to the sport to prevent further deaths.

Keighley Cougars will also be fundraising for at least five months to help achieve the target, with a friendly against the Welsh rugby league national side earmarked for October.

Since Mr Jones's death, there have since been calls for screening, defibrillators and CPR training throughout the RFL.

Cougars fan Maria McCullough, 50, of Haworth, who arrived at Cougar Park carrying a tribute of cream roses, she said: "I'm just devastated by Danny's death, everyone is. It's so tragic but today shows how it has brought the rugby league community together as a family."

Vicky Sheldrake, 29, a Bradford Bulls fan who lives in Selby, said: "I wanted to come to show my support for Danny's family and for the sport. He was the same age as me, it's so shocking."

And Kirsty Greenhalgh, 27, of Wrose, Shipley, said: "He was very respected. He was a star in his league. His life was cut short far too soon."

Jeremy Crowther, head of youth development at the Cougars, said: "We've not seen crowds like this since the days of Cougar-mania back in 1995."

Meanwhile, Danny Jones is set to be inducted into the club's hall of fame.