STEETON are looking for a new home after their groundshare with Keighley Cougars will finish at the end of this season.

The Chevrons were informed the deal, which began in August last year, will end after Cougars served notice on them playing at Cougar Park.

This will mean that in order for Steeton to continue playing at Step 6 they will have to find a new home for the 2020/21 season and beyond.

Steeton have now informed the North West Counties League (NWC) of the move and the club says they have offered to both support and advise in our attempt to secure a suitable venue for next season onwards.

A Steeton statement said: "While, of course, this is a huge blow to the club, we are grateful to Keighley Cougars for giving us a six-month notice period.

"We have already begun the process to source an alternative venue for the 2020/21 season and beyond.

"We would like to place on record our thanks to Gary Fawcett, Neil Cullen and Simon Harrison for initially welcoming us to Cougar Park as well as Mick O’Neill (Cougars chairman) and the current board of directors for the help and support given to us in their tenure at Cougar Park.

"The club remains resolute in its ambition to grow as a non-league semi-professional club and this is another twist in the journey."

Roy Mason, Steeton manager, said: "Whilst it’s disappointing for us that Keighley Cougars have decided to end our ground share agreement, we have to respect their decision and that the original deal we signed was not with the current regime who wish to explore other avenues with regard to Cougar Park.

"We have already informed the NWC of our situation and they have been very supportive and have offered to help us as much as they can as we look to secure a new venue for 2020/21.

"As things stand we have a few options that we are exploring, however moving back to Summerhill Lane unfortunately is not one of them.

"The pitch simply is not big enough to meet requirements and there is no way that we can re-configure it in anyway to do so.

"As a club we have put a considerable amount of time effort and not to mention expense in progressing from Step 7 to Step 6 and taking our first steps on the non-league ladder.

"We believe that playing non-league football is the way forward for the club and myself and the whole of the committee are resolute in our ambitions to keep progressing and moving the club forward.

"The support that we have received since making the move has been fantastic and ideally we wish to remain in Keighley and we hope that the business’ and sporting public of the town will continue to support us as we look to secure the long term future of the football club.”

O'Neill says it is disappointing Cougars have had to severe their ties with Steeton, saying it was down to a number of factors including the logistics of changing the stadium for football matchdays, cost of running the games and also they want to protect their pitch for their drive towards promotion from Betfred League One next season.

He said: "It's sad to hear and I hope they can find somewhere else. They are nice people.

"We really need our ground in good condition for our spurt for the Championship next season. It's a shame. We are trying to arrange for a ladies rugby league team to play at Cougar Park too.

"Taking the football goalposts up and down for matches was a bit of a problem. It cost a lot to run with things like the floodlights.,

"We have got to look at the future. We have got to get out of this league.

"It's just a shame that it didn't work somehow."