Feering Falcons
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CLUB RULES / CONSTITUTION

Chairman: D Scott — chairman@feeringfalcons.com

Secretary: P Jenkins — secretary@feeringfalcons.com

Version Sept 2023

1. Name

The club shall be called Feering Falcons Youth Football Club (the “Club”) and shall be affiliated to the Essex County Football Association.

2. Objects

The objects of the Club shall be to provide facilities, promote the game of Association Football, to arrange matches and social activities for its members and community participation.

3. Status of Rules

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

4. Rules and Regulations

  1. The members of the Club 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 Club are carried out in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of The Football Association Limited (“The FA”), County Football Association to which the Club is affiliated (“Parent County Association”) and Competitions in which the Club participates, for the time being in force.
  2. No alteration to the Club Rules shall be effective without prior written approval by the Parent County Association. The FA and the Parent County Association reserve the right to approve any proposed changes to the Club Rules.
  3. The Club will also abide by The FA's Child Protection Policies and Procedures, Codes of Conduct and the Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discrimination Policy as shall be in place from time to time.

5. Club Membership

  1. Membership shall consist Playing Members, Parents of Playing Members and Club Committee Members who 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.
  2. Membership of the Club shall be open to anyone interested in the sport on application, regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs, except as a necessary consequence of the requirement to participate in youth football.
  3. The Members of the Club may refuse membership, or remove it, only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute.
  4. Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to the members in accordance with the Complaints Procedure in force.
  5. Membership shall become effective upon an applicant's name being entered in the Membership Register.
  6. The FA and Parent County Association shall be given access to the Membership Register on demand.

6. Annual Membership Fee

  1. An annual fee payable by each member shall be determined from time to time by the Club Committee. Any fee shall be payable in full upon a successful application for membership and annually by each member. Applications without the correct membership fees will not be accepted. Fees shall not be repayable.
  2. 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.
  3. The Club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non-discriminatory and fair basis. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating.

7. Resignation and Expulsion

  1. A member shall cease to be a member of the Club if, and from the date on which, he/she gives written notice to the Club Secretary of his/her resignation. Any such notice is to be accompanied by payment of all outstanding monies due to the Club. A member whose annual membership fee or further subscription is more than two (2) months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned unless agreed otherwise by the Club Committee.
  2. In the event of a member's resignation or expulsion, his or her name shall be removed from the Membership Register.

8. Club Committee

  1. The Club Committee shall consist of:

    1. Club Officers consisting of:

      • Chairperson
      • Vice Chairperson
      • Club Secretary
      • Treasurer
      • Welfare Officer
      • Disciplinary Secretary
      • Minutes Secretary
      • Fixtures Secretary
      • Club Development and Communications Officer
      • FA Accreditation Officer
      • Registration Secretary
      • Groundsperson
    2. All Team Managers
  2. The Club Committee shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting.
  3. Each Club Officer and Club Committee Member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the next Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) unless otherwise resolved at an Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”). One person may hold no more than two positions of Club Officer at any time. The Club Committee shall be responsible for the management of all the affairs of the Club. Decisions of the Club Committee shall be made by a simple majority of those attending the Club Committee meeting. The Chairperson of the Club Committee meeting shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie. Meetings of the Club Committee shall be chaired by the Chairperson or in their absence by either the Vice Chairperson or Club Secretary. The quorum for the transaction of business of the Club Committee shall be four.
  4. Decisions of Club Committee meetings shall be entered into the Minute Book of the Club.
  5. Any member of the Club Committee may call a meeting of the Club Committee by giving not less than seven days' notice to all members of the Club Committee. The Club Committee shall hold not less than four meetings a year.
  6. 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.
  7. The Club Committee shall have the power to appoint such sub-committees as may from time to time be deemed necessary and shall receive reports from such sub-committees at the Club Committee meetings.
  8. Save as provided for in the Rules and Regulations of The FA, the Parent County Association and any applicable Competition, the Club Committee shall have the power to decide all questions and disputes arising in any issue concerning the Club Rules.
  9. The position of a Club Officer shall be vacated if such person is subject to a decision of The FA 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.
  10. All members of the Club Committee are expected to attend each Club Committee meeting. Where attendance is not possible, the Club Committee member must elect someone to represent them in their absence.
  11. The Club Committee shall have the power to declare vacant any Club Committee seat should that Club Committee member, without satisfactory explanation, be absent from three consecutive Club Committee meetings.

9. Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings

  1. An AGM shall be held not later than 31st May each year to:

    • receive a report of the activities of the Club over the previous year;
    • receive a report of the Club's finances over the previous year;
    • elect the members of the Club Committee; and
    • consider any other business.
  2. Nominations for election of members as Club Officers or as members of the Club Committee shall be proposed and seconded by existing members of the Club.
  3. 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.
  4. An EGM may be called at any time by the Club 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 three members stating the purposes for which the Meeting is required and the resolutions proposed. Business at an EGM may be any business that may be transacted at an AGM.
  5. The Secretary shall issue notice of the date of a General Meeting (whether an AGM or an EGM) together with the resolutions to be proposed at least 14 days before the meeting.
  6. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be six.
  7. The Chairperson, or in their absence a member selected by the Club Committee, shall take the chair. Each member present shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a two-thirds majority.
  8. Any member aged under 18 years may not vote in a general meeting save that one of his or her parents/guardians may vote on his or her behalf.
  9. Minutes of General Meetings shall be entered into the Minute Book of the Club.

10. Club Teams

At its 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 report of the activities of the team.

11. Club Finances

  1. 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, the Club Secretary and the Treasurer. No sum shall be drawn from the Club Account except where authorised 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.
  2. All surplus income or profits are to be reinvested in the Club. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third-parties.
  3. The Club Committee shall have the power to authorise the payment of remuneration and expenses to any member of the Club (although a Club shall not remunerate a member for playing) and to any other person or persons for services rendered to the Club.
  4. No Team Manager shall incur a single item of expenditure greater than £15 without the prior approval of a club officer. All expenditure must be supported by receipts.
  5. The Club may provide sporting and related social facilities, sporting equipment, coaching, courses, insurance cover, medical treatment, away-match expenses, post match refreshments and other ordinary benefits of Community Amateur Sports Clubs as provided for in the Finance Act 2002.

  6. The Club may also in connection with the sports purposes of the Club:

    • sell and supply food, drink and related sports clothing and equipment;
    • employ members (although not for playing) and remunerate them for providing goods and services, on fair terms set by the Club Committee without the person concerned being present;
    • pay for reasonable hospitality for visiting teams and guests; and
    • indemnify the Club Committee and members acting properly in the course of the running of the Club against any liability incurred in the proper running of the Club (but only to the extent of its assets).
  7. The Club shall keep accounting records for recording the fact and nature of all payments and receipts so as to disclose, with reasonable accuracy, at any time, the financial position, including the assets and liabilities of the Club. The Club must retain its accounting records for a minimum of six years.
  8. The Club shall prepare an annual “Financial Statement”, in such format as shall be available from The FA from time to time. The Financial Statement shall be audited and shall be approved by members at general meeting. A copy of any Financial Statement shall, on demand, be forwarded to The FA.
  9. The Club Property, other than the Club Account, shall be vested in The Club Committee (“the Custodians”).
  10. Upon removal, resignation or death of a Custodian any Club Property vested in them shall vest automatically in the surviving Custodians.
  11. 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. Fines

  1. All fines (including any additional administration fees) incurred by members, including club officials, whilst representing the club are to be paid by that member not later than the due-date and not the club.
  2. Where fines have initially been settled by the club, then the member who incurred said fines must reimburse the club within 28 days.
  3. The Club Committee shall have the power to expel any member in the event of non-payment of fines by that member. An appeal against such a decision may be made to the Club Committee in accordance with the Complaints Procedure in force from time to time.

13. Dissolution

  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.
  2. 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.
  3. Upon dissolution of the Club, any remaining assets remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Club shall be given or transferred to another registered CASC, a registered charity, the Parent County Association or The FA for use by them in related community sports.

14. Pitch Marking

Team Managers are responsible for pitch marking upon the dates assigned to them in the pitch marking rotas, as may be agreed at club meetings and recorded in the Club minutes.

15. First Aid

At the time of application for membership, all parents/guardians of the applicant are to be made aware that the club requires their authority to apply first aid and treatment to a member in the event of injury.