3. Status of Rules

3.1 These rules (the Club Rules) form a binding agreement between the Club and each member of the Club.

4. Rules and Regulations

4.1 The Club shall have the status of an Affiliated Member Club of Football Association by virtue of its affiliation to / membership of the Northamptonshire Football Association. The Rules and Regulations of the Football Association Ltd and parent County Association and any League or Competition to which the Club is affiliated for the time being, shall be deemed to be incorporated into the Club Rules.

4.2 The Club will also abide by The Football Association’s Child Protection Policies and procedures, Codes of Conduct and The Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discrimination Policy.

4.3 With regard to The Football Association Rule 12 – Provisions relating to Clubs, See Appendix 1.

5. Club Membership

5.1 The members of the Club from time to time shall be those persons listed in the register of members (the Club Membership Register) which shall be held and maintained by the Club General Secretary.

5.2 Club Members shall be defined as;

5.2.1 – Player Member – All players registered with the club as an active player as recorded in the Club Membership Register.

5.2.2 – Non-Player Member – All Parents / Guardians of Player Members can become members of the Club.

5.2.3 – Associate Member – Those persons who are appointed by, or to, the Management Committee to carry out tasks / projects on behalf of the Club who do not have any relationship to a Player Member.

5.3 Any person wishing to become a member of the Club must apply on the relevant Membership Application Form and deliver it to the Club General Secretary. Election to membership shall be at the sole discretion of the Management Committee. Membership shall become effective upon an applicants name being entered in to Club Membership Register.

5.4 In the event of a member’s resignation or expulsion his or her name shall be removed from the Club Membership Register.

5.5 The Football Association and parent County Association shall be given access to the Club Membership Register on demand.

6. Annual Membership Fee

6.1 An annual fee payable by / on behalf of each Player Member shall be determined from time to time by the Management Committee. Any fee shall be payable upon application for membership and annually by each Player Member, but will not be cashed until said application is successful. Fees shall not be repayable.

6.2 The Management Committee shall have the authority to levy further subscriptions from the members as are reasonably necessary to fulfil the objects of the Club.

7. Resignation and Expulsion

7.1 A member shall cease to be a member of the Club if, and from the date on which, he/she gives notice to the Management Committee of their resignation. A member whose annual membership fee or further subscription is more than 2 months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned.

7.2 The Management Committee shall have the power to expel a member when, in their opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Club for them to remain a member. There shall be no appeal procedures.

7.3 A member who resigns or is expelled shall not be entitled to claim any, or a share of any, of the Club Property.

8. Club Officials

8.1 The Management Committee shall comprise of the following Club Officers;

Chairperson                General Secretary                 Treasurer                   Senior Welfare Officer

A number of “General Committee Members”, not less than one, ideally an odd number to ensure the Chairperson has a casting vote.

8.1.1 - Each Management Committee member shall be elected annually at the AGM. There shall be no limit to the number of terms allowed to be served.
8.1.2 - In the event of a vacancy arising in the Management Committee, before the end of  tenure, a replacement can be proposed by a Club Officer, seconded by another Club Officer and approved by a simple majority of the remaining Management Committee members.
8.1.3 - At the AGM the whole Management Committee shall step down (with the exception of the General Secretary) and may apply, along with other eligible Club Members, to stand for election onto the Management Committee. The General Secretary will stand down as soon as the new Chairperson is elected, so that the proceeding can always be overseen by a “Club Officer”. In the absence of the Secretary a nominated Club Officer, excluding the Chairperson, shall remain in office until a new Chairperson is elected. That Officer shall then stand down and the newly elected Chairperson shall then take control of the meeting.

8.2 Decisions of the Management Committee shall be made by a simple majority of those attendees at Management Committee meetings, subject to quorum (see 8.7).

8.3 All Management Committee meetings shall be recorded into the Club’s minute file. This file shall be maintained by the Club General Secretary.

8.4 The Management Committee shall be responsible for the management of all the affairs of the Club.

8.5 Each member of the Management Committee shall be entitled to one vote per issue during a Committee meeting. The Chairperson of the Management Committee shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie.

8.6 Management Committee meetings shall be chaired by the Chairperson or, in their absence, a Club Officer nominated by the Chairperson..

8.7 The quorum for the transaction of business of the Management Committee shall be four (4).

8.8 Any member of the Management Committee can call a Committee meeting by giving not less than seven (7) days notice (unless agreed by all members). The Management Committee shall hold no less than six (6) meetings per year (the year being July 1st – June 30th).

8.9 Save as provided for in the rules and regulations of the Football Association and the County Association to which the Club is affiliated, the Management Committee shall have the power to decide all questions and disputes arising in respect of any issue concerning the Club rules.

9. Annual and Special General Meeting

9.1 An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held in each year to:

9.1.1 - receive a report of the activities of the Club over the previous year
9.1.2 - receive a report of the Club’s finances over the previous year
9.1.3 - elect the members of the Management Committee
9.1.4 - consider any other business.

 

9.2 A Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called at any time by the Management Committee and shall be called within 21 days of the receipt by the Club General Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than five members stating the purposes for which the Meeting is required and the resolutions proposed. Business at an SGM may be any business that may be transacted at an AGM.

9.3 The Secretary shall send to each member at their last known address written notice of the date of a General Meeting together with the resolutions to be proposed at least 14 days before the Meeting.

9.4 The quorum for a General Meeting shall be five (5) persons.

9.5 The Chairperson, or in their absence a member selected by the Management Committee, shall take the chair. Each eligible voting member present shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority. In the event of an equality of votes the Chairperson of the Meeting shall have a casting vote.

9.6 Eligible voting members shall be deemed to be all Club Officers, any Player Member who has reached the age of fifteen (15) and above on the date of the meeting and all Non-Player Members.

9.7 The Club General Secretary, or in their absence a member of the Management Committee, or a nominee, shall enter Minutes of General Meetings into the Minute File of the Club.

10. Club Teams

10.1 The Management Committee shall advertise any available Team Management position, as it arises, both internally and externally to the Club.

10.2 These positions shall be open to all who have reached a minimum age of sixteen (16).

10.3 All candidates applying shall be granted an interview with the Management Committee. The Management Committee will review all candidates and decide by a simple majority on the appointment of Team Manager.

10.4 All applicants shall be informed of the Management Committees decision by the General Secretary, no later than forty eight (48) hours after the interviews and confirmed in writing.

10.5 The outgoing Team Manager (if relevant) will return all club kit and equipment, plus advise the location of any kit / equipment distributed by said Manager, to a member of the Management Committee, within two (2) weeks of notification of appointment. The newly appointed Team Manager will liaise with a nominated Management Committee member with regard to the handover of responsibilities. This must be completed within a four (4) week window from the notification of appointment.

10.6 The appointed members shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the team to which they are assigned and shall advise the Management Committee of any issues arising.
11. Club Finances

11.1 A bank account shall be opened and maintained in the name of the Club (the Club Account). Designated account signatories shall be three Club Officers, to be appointed by the Management Committee. No sum shall be drawn from the Club Account except by cheque signed by two of the three designated signatories. All monies payable to the Club shall be received by the Treasurer and deposited in the Club Account.

11.2 The income and assets of the Club (the Club Property) shall be applied only in furtherance of the objects of the Club.

11.3 The Management Committee shall have power to authorise the payment of remuneration and expenses to any member of the Club and to any other person or persons for services rendered to the Club.

11.4 The Club shall prepare an annual Financial Statement in such form as shall be published by The Football Association from time to time.

11.5 The Club Property, other than the Club Account, shall be vested in not less than two and no more than four custodians, one of whom shall be the Treasurer (the Custodians), who shall deal with the Club Property as directed by decisions of the Management Committee and entry in the Minute File shall be conclusive evidence of such a decision.

11.6 The Custodians shall be appointed by the Club in a General Meeting and shall hold office until death or resignation unless removed by a resolution passed at a General Meeting. It is recommended that four custodians be appointed and that these four be the named positions on the Management Committee, Chairperson, Club General Secretary, Treasurer & Senior Welfare Officer.

11.7 On their removal or resignation a Custodian shall execute a Conveyance in such form as is published by The Football Association from time to time to a newly elected Custodian or the existing Custodians as directed by the Management Committee. On the death of a Custodian, any Club Property vested in them shall vest automatically in the surviving Custodians. If there is only one surviving Custodian, a Special General Meeting shall be convened as soon as possible to appoint another Custodian.

11.8 The Custodians shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the Club Property for all expenses and other liabilities reasonably incurred by them in carrying out their duties.

12. Dissolution

12.1 A resolution to dissolve the Club shall only be proposed at a General Meeting and shall be carried by a majority of at least three-quarters of the members present.

12.2 The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution and the members of the Management Committee shall be responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Club.

12.3 Any surplus assets remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Club shall be transferred to the parent Association who shall determine how the assets shall be utilised for the benefit of the game. Alternatively, such assets may be disposed of in such other manner as the members of the Club with the consent of the parent Association shall determine.

Appendix One (1)

Rothwell Town Ladies Football Club

Football Association Rule 12 - Provisions Relating to Clubs

2. (a) General Provisions

A Club shall include the following provisions in its Articles of Association (where a corporate body) or Club Rules (where an unincorporated association).

(i) The members and the directors of the Company shall so exercise their rights, powers and duties and shall where appropriate use their best endeavours to ensure that others conduct themselves so that the business and affairs of the Company are carried out in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of The Football Association Limited for the time being in force.

(ii) No proposed alteration to the provisions set out herein shall be effective unless the proposed alteration has been approved in writing by The Football Association 14 days or more before the day on which the alteration is proposed to take place.

(iii) The office of a (Officer or Official) shall be vacated if such person is subject to a decision of The Football Association that such person be suspended from holding office or from taking part in any football activity relating to the administration or management of a Football Club.