Ambitious Cougars have set their sights on a Super League spot after a new board took over at Cougar Park this week.

The club were forced to enter administration last Friday in order to avoid being wound up over tax debts of £183,000.

But immediately after Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd was handed over to administrators, the business and its assets were sold to a consortium of local businessmen.

A new company, Keighley Cougars (2010) Ltd, has been set up to run the club, headed by Keighley businessman Gary Fawcett, chief executive of Link Telecom.

And in a statement released this week, Fawcett described promotion to Super League as “the next achievable stage”.

Former chairman Neil Spencer will retain a seat on the board – although fellow director Colin Farrah has stepped down – and will be joined by Andrew Phillips, Graham Kemp, Neil Cullen and non-executive member Zabair Rasul.

As well as saving the club, the deal has secured the future of the playing squad and staff at the ground.

Fawcett’s statement read: “The headline news that Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd has entered administration is, at first sight, a worrying development.

“However, while the Cougars is – and always will be – primarily a rugby league club, it has increasingly become a mainstay of Keighley town life, embedded in the lives of supporters, schools and communities alike.

“2009 saw an outstanding achievement – promotion to the Co-operative Championship and a 28 per cent increase in crowd sizes despite the recession.

“This has been accompanied by an extension of Cougars’ community work, expanding its training and educational work through The Community Cougars Found-ation, in schools across the area and an enhanced marketing strategy that has secured further business sponsorship.

“This significant work and achievement has – to the credit of everyone at Cougars and our supporters – come about despite the back-drop of an historic issue of managing a legacy tax debt.

“Neil Spencer and Colin Farrah, through personal commitment and dedication to the club, have ensured its survival through their own significant financial support and have positioned the club for continued expansion.

“Keighley Cougars (2010) Ltd has bought the assets of Keighley Cougars (2001) Ltd and is now implementing its new business plan. Neil Spencer, I am delighted to say, remains on the board although I am sad to see Colin Farrah standing down.

“Neil and I are joined on the board by Andrew Phillips, Graham Kemp and Neil Cullen, and Zabair Rasul in a non-executive capacity.”

Cougars will start the new season in the Co-operative Championship with a deduction of up to nine points but Fawcett insists the future is bright and can ultimately include a push for a Super League franchise.

The statement continued: “We are working closely with the RFL to limit the imposition of any penalties next season and we are now focusing on the next achievable stage – promotion to the RFL Super League.

“I am a Keighley man – born and bred here who is proud to have benefited from an education at Greenhead. I, in common with my colleagues on the board, am a long-time supporter of Keighley Cougars and have every intention of ensuring that Keighley Cougars is an asset that the whole town can be proud of.

“Keighley Cougars is more than a successful team. It has an increasing number of loyal supporters, a dedicated programme of involvement of young people that is able to challenge any barrier to social cohesion and is an essential, integral part of the town. Keighley Cougars is here to stay.”

Joint administrator Gary Lee, of Begbies Traynor, said: “This is a great outcome for the club and the town and means that this important amenity for the local community will survive, as well as safeguarding the jobs of the players and staff at Cougar Park.

“Local people have rallied to save the club and this is the best possible outcome for all parties – the club will continue and the not-for-profit organisation (a limited company which must put all profits back into the club) agreed to repay a proportion of any surplus over the next five years.”