Councillor Graham Mitchell, a former mayor of Keighley Town Council, is living up to his promise to drive the Cougars round town!

Three years ago Councillor Mitchell was the Mayor of Keighley and during one of his visits to Cougar Park as a guest of the Rugby League club he said to Cougars chairman Neil Spencer: “If you ever win anything I’ll drive you and the team round Keighley myself!”

And he’s going to live up to that pledge tomorrow (Wednesday)!

That’s because Graham is a veteran bus enthusiast and chairman of the trustees at Keighley Bus Museum. He owns an open top bus and will taking Keighley Cougars players and officials on a tour round the town centre to celebrate their 28-26 victory over Oldham in Sunday’s Co-operative Championship One Grand Final Warrington.

Graham said: “I like every other Mayor of Keighley was right royally entertained by the Cougars during my time in office. At one function I attended I was talking to Neil Spencer and said that I personally would drive the team round town if they ever won anything.

“When Cougars made it to the Grand Final I was delighted to offer them the use of my bus and to drive them round town”.

The Cougars are undertaking their round Keighley tour on their way to a celebratory civic reception with the current Mayor of Keighley, Cllr. Margaret Ward, at the Town Hall”.

But it almost didn’t happen as Graham only took possession of his new open topped bus three weeks ago.

He explained: “I sold my previous vehicle which is 47 years old to an enthusiast in Plymouth and my new one which comes from a fleet in York arrived in a nick of time.

“The vehicle, which was built in 1985, is currently in Keighley Bus Museum’s Riverside Depot and was about to be prepared for repainting but, that has been put on hold until after Cougars’ victory tour”.

Added Graham: “Keighley’s Grand Final win is a wonderful achievement and after the hospitality they’ve given me and the other town mayors I’m delighted to live up to my promise”.