• Name

  The Club is called Nunnery Wood Colts Football Club and is affiliated to the Worcestershire County Football Association. The Club is subdivided into individual teams.

• Objectives and Aims

  The objective of the Club is to provide quality football training and Association Football for its members and such social and recreational activities as may be deemed desirable by the committee. The aim is to develop youth football in the City of Worcester and surrounding areas.

• Status of Rules

  The Club rules form a binding agreement between each member of the Club.

• Rules and Regulations

  • The Club shall have the status of an Affiliated Member Club of the Football Association by virtue of its affiliation to the Football Association. The Rules and Regulations of the Football Association Limited 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.

  • No alteration to the Club Rules shall be effective without prior written approval by the parent Association.

  • 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.

• Club Membership

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

  • Any person who wishes to be a member must apply on the Membership Application Form and deliver it to the Club. Election to membership shall be at the sole discretion of the Club Committee. Membership shall become effective upon an applicant's name being entered into the Membership Register.

  • In the event of a member's resignation or expulsion, his or her name shall be removed from the Membership Register.

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

• Annual Membership Fee

  • An annual fee payable by each member shall be determined from time to time by the Club Committee. Any fees shall be payable on a successful application for membership and annually by each member. Fees shall not be repayable.

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

• Resignation and Expulsion

  • A member shall cease to be a member of the Club if, and from the date of which, he/she gives notice to the Club 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.

  • The Club 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 appeals procedures.

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

• Club Committee

  • A General Committee consisting of the Elected Officers and two representatives from each team (i.e. Team Manager and Team Secretary) control the Club. The Elected Officers can also be a Team Manager or Team Secretary.

  • The General Committee is elected at the Annual General Meeting, following a ballot of members.

  • The General Committee meets once per month and the proceedings at such meetings shall be duly recorded. A minimum of three Officers and three Committee Members are required to hold a General Committee Meeting.

  • Any Member of the Club Committee may call a meeting of the Club Committee by giving not less than 7 day's notice to all Members of the Club Committee.

  • An outgoing Member of the Club Committee may be re-elected. Any vacancy on the Club Committee, which arises between Annual General Meetings, shall be filled by a Member proposed by one and seconded by another of the remaining Club Committee Members and approved by a simple majority of the remaining Club Committee Members.

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

• Annual and Special General Meetings

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

    • receive a report of the Club's activities over the previous year.
    • receive a report of the Club's finances over the previous year
    • elect the members of the Club Committee
    • consider any other business

  • Nominations for the election of members as Club Officers or as Members of the Club Committee shall be made in writing by the proposer and seconder, both of whom must be existing Members of the Club, to the Club Secretary not less than 21 days before the AGM. Notice of any resolution to be proposed at the AGM shall be given in writing to the Club Secretary not less than 21 days before the meeting.

  • A Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called at any time by the Committee and shall be called within 21 days of the receipt by the Club 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.

  • The Secretary shall send to the 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.

• Club Teams

  At its first meeting following the AGM, the Club Committee shall appoint a Club Member to be responsible for each of the Club's football teams. The appointed Members shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the team. The appointed members shall present to the Club Committee at its last meeting prior to an AGM, a written report on the activities of the team.

• Codes of Conduct

  All Team officials, coaches, players and parents / spectators shall be issued with and abide by the appropriate Code of Conduct for the Club. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct shall be dealt with by the Committee who retain the right to expel any individual, and associated person, from the Club.

• Club Complaints Procedure

  • Member to discuss complaint with Team Manager on first instance or Club Committee if appropriate.

  • Team Manager to advise Club Committee of Complaint.

  • If complaint not dealt with appropriately / to member satisfaction by Team Manager, the complaint to then be taken to Club Committee via club Secretary.

  • If complaint is not dealt with appropriately / to member satisfaction by Club Committee – it can then be taken forward to WFA ( if this is felt a necessity).

  • Member must inform the Club Committee that this course of action is being followed and copy Club Secretary with any correspondence.

  • The Club Committee will support the WFA to fully resolve the complaint.

• Club Disciplinary Procedure

• In the event of a reported or alleged breach of the clubs codes of conduct, the committee will action an investigation to establish the facts and determine an appropriate course of action.

• The hearing will be chaired by the Club Chairman (or Club Secretary) and will be include a minimum of 3 committee members. The member may be supported by a maximum of three members.

• In the case that the alleged incident either involves or potentially impacts upon a committee member, then that individual will not participate in the supervision of the hearing or be party to determining the proposed outcome

• Format of procedure

  • A formal, oral warning in the case of a minor offence.
  • A written warning for subsequent minor offences or a more serious offence.
  • A final written warning for further misconduct. The warning should make it clear that dismissal may follow failure to comply.
  • Dismissal with appropriate notice will follow if there is insufficient improvement.

• Misconduct

Conduct, which is sufficiently serious that it requires disciplinary action. In order to warrant dismissal, misconduct must be extremely serious, or repeated on more than one occasion.

• Gross misconduct

This is the term used for serious misconduct, which may lead to instant dismissal (that is, summary dismissal). Acts that constitute gross misconduct are those resulting in a serious breach of the Club’s Constitution / Codes of Conduct.

They might include the following:-

• Breach of Club / FA Codes of Conduct
• Theft, fraud or deliberate falsification of records.
• Physical violence.
• Serious bullying or harassment.
• Serious insubordination.
• Serious incapability brought about by alcohol or illegal drugs

The committee should provide the offender with examples of what they consider to be gross misconduct.

• Types of warning

• First warning Oral:

  In the case of a minor infringement the member may be given a formal oral warning. Members should be told of the reasons of the warning, that it is the first step in the disciplinary process and that they have the right of appeal.

• Written:

  If the infringement is regarded as more serious, the member may be given a formal written warning, giving the details of the complaint, the improvement required, the timescale allowed for this and the right of appeal. The warning should also state that a final written warning might be considered if the desired change doesn't occur.

• Final written warning:

  Where there is failure to improve the behaviour, or an infringement which is considered sufficiently serious, the member may be given a final written warning. This should include details of the offence, that failure to improve may result in dismissal and the right of appeal.

• Dismissal or other sanction:

  If the behaviour remains unchanged then the sanction imposed may include, disciplinary suspension, demotion or dismissal.

The committee reserve the right to issue an instant dismissal to an individual in a case deemed to represent gross misconduct.

The decision to dismiss must be taken by the appointed Club Committee and the member should be informed as soon as is reasonably practicable and how to make an appeal. The decision to dismiss must be confirmed in writing including particulars of reasons for dismissal.

• Recording

Nunnery Wood Colts FC will record all written warnings. Any disciplinary action taken should be disregarded after a specified period of time. The normal practice is that severity of the action taken will take different periods of time before they are disregarded.

• Warnings for minor offences may be valid for up to six months.
• Final warnings may remain in force for 12 months or more.

Once the time limits have been passed, warnings should be disregarded in any further disciplinary proceedings. These records should be kept confidential and retained in accordance of the disciplinary procedure and the Data Protection Act 1998, which requires the release of certain data to individuals on their request.

• Appeals

The opportunity to appeal against a disciplinary decision is essential to natural justice. Appeals should be dealt with as promptly as possible. The time limit usually set for lodging appeals is five working days. Individuals should be informed of arrangements for appeal hearings and also of their right to be accompanied. The individual should be informed of the result of the hearing as soon as possible and this should be confirmed in writing.

• Club Finances

  • A bank account shall be opened and maintained in the name of the Club (the Club Account). Designated account signatories shall be the Club Chairperson, Club Vice Chairperson, Club Secretary and the Club Treasurer. No sum shall be drawn from the Club Account except by cheque signed by two of the four designates signatories. All monies payable to the Club shall be received by the Treasurer and deposited in the Club Account.

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

  • The Club Committee shall have the 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.

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

  • The Club Property, other than the Club Account, shall be vested in no less than two and no more than four custodians, one of whom shall be the Treasurer, who shall Club Property deal with the as directed by decisions of the Club Committee and entry in the Minute Book shall be conclusive evidence of such a decision.

  • 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.

  • 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 Club 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.

  • 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.

  • Each team within the Club is responsible for its own funding by way of subscriptions, fundraising and sponsorship. Each team shall operate its own individual bank account and all monies raised and assets purchased by an individual team shall remain the property of that team. Any assets purchased by a team (or the Club), shall remain the property of the team (or the Club) and not the sponsor or the individual who introduced the sponsor to the team (or Club).

  • Each team shall keep a proper record of accounts, in a format agreed by the Committee, and these accounts shall be submitted to the Club Treasurer annually at the Annual General Meeting and be available for immediate inspection at any given time.

• Dissolution

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

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

  • 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 shall be disposed of in such other manner as the members of the Club with the consent of the Parent Association, shall determine.

Mark Wilcox, Club Vice-Chairman, updated 7th August 2008.

Mark Smith, Club Secretary, 4th March 2005.