Club Constitution

SCHALKE ROVERS – CLUB CONSTITUTION

1. The Club

The name of the Club shall be Schalke Rovers Football Club (hereinafter known as ‘The Club’).

(a) The Club shall be affiliated to the United Churches Football League (UCFL).

(b) The Club shall also be affiliated to the Amateur Football League (AFL) for Over 35’s team(s).

2. The Aims

The aims of the Club are to be to a successful Club by:

(a) Winning silverware.

(b) Playing at the best level possible

(d) Being an efficiently managed operation, both on and off the pitch.

3. Membership

A member of the Club shall be deemed to be a registered player who has paid their membership fees in full.

4. Officials

The following Officials shall be elected by the players:

(a) Chairman Elected by officials to be responsible for setting overall Club policy. Should also have casting vote where there is a tie. The position of Chairman should be a two-year position and his election should occur on the first meeting after the AGM.

(b) Secretary Elected to oversee the general day-to-day running of The Club including liaison with the Treasurer. To be the link between the Club and the UCFL.

(c) Over 35s Secretary. Elected to oversee the general day-to- day running of the Over 35s including liaison with the Treasurer. To be the link between the club and the AFL.

(d) Treasurer Elected to deal with all matters relating to Club finance to submit a statement of account to the Committee at regular intervals as requested. The treasurer shall advise on the sound financial management of the Club.

(e) Fundraiser(s) Elected to organise and co-ordinate fundraisers for the benefit if the team. Fundraiser(s) include lottery and scratch cards. Fundraisers shall be represented by a maximum of two members.

(f) Club Development Officer. Elected to develop player recruitment, to develop coaching supports and contacts and to engage in team/club bonding The club development officer will act as a resource to assist managers in developing their squads.

No one shall hold more than one of these positions at any one time. All officials shall be members of the Club. The number of Officials in the Club is limited to 7.

5. The Committee

The Committee shall consist of the Officers listed in (4) & also the following that shall not have voting rights:

Manager(s) Appointed by the Officers of the Club for periods of one season at a time. The manager will be responsible for the running of the team and will have final decisions on team selection. The manager will oversee the Club training and fitness policy.

The Operation of the Committee

The Committee shall meet periodically at least five times a year. Meetings will be held at least once every three months. Accurate minutes will be kept of all meetings and will be circulated to Members by the Secretary. A quorum of the Committee shall be 4 members.
The Committee shall be responsible for overseeing the management of all the affairs of the Club including:

- Finances through cash and a Club bank account

- The football team ensuring regular communication with the manager.

- Maintaining a relationship with the UCFL.

- Fundraising initiatives.

- Club discipline and other issues.

6. The AGM

An AGM will be held to discuss and form future Club policy. The AGM will be held between May 1^st and 31^st of each year.
Members will be informed of date and venue of the AGM at least 7 days beforehand. They will also be presented with a draft agenda.
The purpose of the AGM will be to:

- Review the Club’s development over the past twelve months, on and off the pitch.

- Elect Officials to the Club.

- Agree changes to the Constitution of the Club where necessary.

- Agree policies for the future development of the Club.

4. Members will be entitled to submit items on the agenda of the AGM, however to do so they must provide notice of the issue to one of the Officials at least 3 days before the AGM.

5. The Election of Officials shall be agreed at the AGM. The Chairman shall conduct the election process (should it be necessary).

6. The Chairman shall be responsible for ensuring that proper minutes are kept of the AGM.

7. Responsibilities of Players:

The Committee will decide on the final details of the following:

Players should arrive at the pitch a minimum of thirty minutes before kick off of any match. The manager may set an earlier time, this time may depend on whether we are home or away. It will be the players’ duty to arrive on time; failure to do so may result in a suspension unless there are extenuating circumstances. Players who are persistently late may receive longer suspensions.

Any player who is unable to attend a match must let the manager know a minimum of 48 hours before kick off. The basic principle will be to phone the manager/s as soon as a player is aware of his unavailability. Failure to do so may result in suspension unless there are extenuating circumstances.

No guarantee will be given to any player that they will be in the team on any week. Factors that will determine team selection will include: availability, commitment, form, whether they have outstanding debts to the Club and loyalty. In light of this, all players should endeavour to meet a high standard in respect of all these factors. Players should never expect to just turn up and play.

Players will be expected to help out before and after matches e.g.: putting up and taking down flags and nets etc.

Players will be responsible for any fines they may pick up during a game. The Club will not pay for those fines. The player should ensure that the fines are paid on time. Failure to do so may result in expulsion from the team. The Club may decide to appeal against a fine if it feels it is necessary.

The Club will expect and encourage fair play from players at all times, to both referees and opponents.

All players are expected to behave, at all times, in a respectful manner to their fellow teammates and Club officials. Failure to do so will constitute a serious breach of Club discipline, and will be dealt with appropriately.

Players will provide their own boots and shin pads. They will also respect and look after Club property when they use it.

All players will be expected to attend Club training. This is very important for various reasons e.g.: fitness, team bonding/morale, and tactics. Players unavailable for training should let the manager/s know in advance. Any player who misses too much training should bear in mind that it could affect team selection.

All players should read the Club Constitution and should not sign on if they are not prepared to abide by the Club rules.

Players will generally be contacted about matches in advance however should a player be unavailable for selection for longer than a three-week period it will be their responsibility to contact the manager regarding their availability.

Any queries regarding team selection and/or Club Policy should not be discussed just before, or during, a match. The manager/s should be approached when Club business has been completed after a game or during the week.

Where issues of serious breaches of discipline or conflict within the Club occurs. The Chairman (and/or his officials where necessary) shall convene a special meeting. Procedures shall be adopted as appropriate.

8 Financing the Club:

Annual subscriptions will be charged every season. The amount will be decided at the AGM. This fee will go towards the running costs of the Club e.g.: footballs, kit, league fees, equipment and any other costs as needed.

Sponsorship will be continuously sought to purchase new equipment and assist with meeting running costs.

Fundraising events, including the use of scratch cards, lotteries, quizzes will be utilised, where viable, to raise funds for the Club.

9 Miscellaneous

The Club has to have basic public liability insurance. This, however, is not comprehensive and will not provide security in the event of Club member’s personal injury during the course of a match. We advise that any player concerned about being well covered in the event of such injuries, should take out their own personal cover.

Please note that the UCFL also operates an injured players fund which is available to players injured during the course of league and cup matches. All players wishing to avail of this fund should ensure that such injuries are reported immediately following the match in which the injury occurred.