Constitution

1.      Name, Affiliation & General Rules

The club shall be called “Whitley Junior Football Club” and shall be affiliated to the Birmingham County Football Association. The Club shall, unless decided otherwise by the management Committee, compete in the Coventry Minor League. Therefore, the rules of the county Association and the Coventry Minor League shall be deemed incorporated into the club rules.

Club rules shall also incorporate child protection policy and procedure (section 7), both player and Management codes of conduct (sections 8 & 9) and the equal opportunities and anti-discrimination Policy (section 11)

2.      Objects

The objective of the club shall be to provide association football for its members and such social and recreational activity as may be deemed desirable by the management committee.

3.      Management Committee

The officers of the committee shall consist of the following: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, who shall be elected at the annual general meeting (section 4).  The child protection officer shall support the officers of the committee but as a suitably qualified Individual will not be required to stand for election. This position will be appointed by the officers of the committee.

A general committee consisting of the officers of the club and team managers and assistant managers shall control the club. The team managers shall be interviewed and appointment by at least two members of the committee and will maintain their positions till they resign or they are expelled.  Expulsion is only possible by agreement of the general committee following a breech of the management codes of conduct.

The general committee shall meet once a month and the proceedings at such meeting shall be duly recorded in a minute book.  At these meetings the chairman and 4 other committee members shall for a quorum.

Should an officer of the committee have to leave during his/her term of office the general Committee shall appoint a replacement till the next annual general meeting.

The general committee shall have the final say in any disciplinary procedure.  There is no right of appeal.

4.      Annual General Meeting

The AGM shall be held on an agreed date after the close of the current season.  The secretary shall give 21 days clear notice of such a meeting to all members and their parents.

The meeting will receive a report on a club’s finances over the previous year. The secretary will also submit a report detailing the activities of the club over the previous year.

The meeting will also elect the officers of the committee by ballot and transact any other business.

Any new candidates for election as officers of the committee shall be nominated in writing to the club secretary 21 days before the meeting.

Notice of any resolution to be proposed to the AGM shall be given in writing to the secretary not less than 21 days before the meeting

5.      Membership

The membership of the club shall consist of all player (and parents / guardians) and any non-playing persons that the general committee shall deem suitable.

A membership register shall be kept and maintained by the secretary (parent / guardians shall not be entered on the register).  In the event of non-payment of playing subscriptions, fines or administration fees by any member that membership shall be deemed to have been terminated.  Any Member wishing to resign shall give notice in writing to the secretary and such notice shall be accompanied by all club dues at that date.

In the event of a members 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.

6.      Finance

A bank account shall be maintained in the name of the club (the club account). Designated account signatories shall be the Club chairman, the club secretary and the treasurer. No sum shall be drawn from the club account except by a cheque signed by two of the designated signatories. All monies payable to the club shall be received by the treasurer and deposited in the club account.

The general committee shall have the power to authorise 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.

Income to the club shall come from an annual membership fee, weekly subscriptions from playing members and any other fund raising activates that the general committee deem suitable.

The sum for the annual membership fee shall be determined annually by the general committee and must be paid in no later than the first fixture of the coming season. Failure to pay this fee will lead to automatic withdrawal of membership.

Weekly playing subscriptions shall be determined by the general committee. Any playing member failing to pay subscription will be made accountable to the general committee and membership may be withdrawn.

All property and kit purchased by, or in the name of Whitley Junior Football Club, shall automatically become the club’s property and as such cannot be sold or transferred to a third party unless permission is granted by the general committee.

7.      Child Protection Policy

Whitley Junior Football Club insists that all of the management, and any other adults representing the club, operate within the guidelines laid down by the F.A. Child Protection Policy.

The Key Principles of this policy are as follows:-

• The Childs Welfare is, and must always be the paramount consideration.
   

• All children and you people have a right to be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender, disability, culture, language, racial origin, religious beliefs or sexual identity.
   

• All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.

Our Child Protection Officer, as a suitably qualified individual, will act independently when investigating any allegations and will only report the findings of the investigation to the officer of the committee.

The Child Protection Officer shall at all times in accordance with the F.A Child Protection Policy and will, whenever necessary, act in association with parents / carers and external specialists e.g. Social Services Departments.

The club management committee will at all times act on the recommendations and advise if the child protection officer. Failure to do so will require the child protection officer to report the management Committee to the F.A Child Protection Officer.

8.      Managers Code of Conduct

 General

1.  Managers must respect the rights, dignity and worth of each and every person and treat all equally within the context of the sport.

2.   Managers must ensure the well-being and safety of each player above all other consideration, including the development of performance.

3.   Mangers must adhere to all guidelines laid down by the governing bodies.

4.   Managers must develop an appropriate working relationship with each player based on trust and mutual respect.

5.   Managers must encourage players to accept responsibility for their own behavior and performance.

6.   Managers must not exert undue influence to obtain personal benefit or reward.

7.   Managers should clarify with players (and Parents) exactly what is expected of them and what they are entitled to expect from their manager.

8.   Managers must ensure that the activities they undertake are appropriate for the age, maturity, experience and ability of their players.

9.   Managers must always promote the “sporting ethic” and never condone violations of the Laws of the Game or Codes of Conduct.

10. Manager must co-operate fully with outside specialists (e.g. doctors) in the best interests of the player

11. Managers must consistently display high standards of behavior and appearance

12. Managers must never use or tolerate inappropriate Language.

 Managers Responsibilities to the Club

 1.   Managers must undertake to attend the general committee meetings. If the manager cannot attend every effort should be made to send a representative. Persistent failure to attend could lead to a dismissal.

2.   Managers must collect subscriptions on a regular basis and pay them to the treasurer.

3.   Managers must also submit a report of income / expenditure each month.

4.   The manager shall be the sole source of communication between the team and the general committee. He/she is responsible for the distribution of any correspondence from the club to its members.

5.   The Manager must maintain a members list and ensure that the secretary is kept informed of any changes. He /she must ensure that all medical consent forms are filled in and carry them at all times.

6.   The Maintenance and upkeep of all the clubs facilities is the responsibility of the managers.

7.   Managers must act in the best interests of the club at all times. Any manager found to acting on behalf of a third party would be dismissed.

 For Further Details See Club Management Policy

9.      Players Code of Conduct

General Behaviour

1.   A player should make every effort to develop their own sporting abilities in terms of skill, technique, tactics and stamina.

2.   Players should give maximum effort and strive for the best possible performance during a game, even if the desired result has been achieved.

3.   Players must avoid all kinds of gamesmanship and time wasting.

4.   Players must accept success and failure, victory and defeat, In a sporting manner.

5.   Player must avoid the use of any drug at all times.

6.   Each player should treat the opposition with due respect, irrespective of the result of the game.

7.   A player should safeguard the physical fitness of opponents, avoid violence and rough play, and help injured opponents were appropriate.

8.   Players should accept the decision of match officials without protest.

9.   All players should avoid words or actions that may mislead match officials.

10.  Players must at all times abide by the instructions of their managers and team officials, provided they do not contradict the sprit of this code.

11.  Players must show due respect towards oppositions team officials.

Players must accord due respect to all spectators and therefore must not reply to comments / abuse from the touchline. Abusive spectators should be dealt with by the referee / appropriate management.

 Players Responsibility to the Club 

 1.   Players must pay their subscriptions to the manager on the day of the game or at a pre-arranged date with the manager concerned.

2.   Players must wear shin pads to all games and training sessions . Players not wearing shin pads will not be allowed to take part.

3.   Players/Parents are responsible for the kit issued to them and will be charged for the replacement  of lost or damaged kit.

4.   Players are responsible for the payment of fines / admission fees. These must be paid within three weeks of notification by the club secretary.

5.   Any player caught stealing property from the club or other player will be automatically dismissed.

6.   Any player caught behaving in such a manner as to bring the good name of the club into question will be brought before the committee and be subject to disciplinary action.

7.   All players and spectators must abide by the equal opportunities procedure. Anyone being abusive or racist will be subject to disciplinary action.

8.   Players and other members of the club will abide by the disciplinary decisions made by the committee.

9.   If a player leaves the club all kit must be returned and subs paid before he/she can join another club.

10.Parents Code of Conduct

 Parents have a great influence in children’s enjoyment and success in football. First and foremost playing football must be fun. No matter how good a child becomes it is important that parents give positive encouragement. This encouragement will contribute to:

•  Children enjoying football

•  A sense of personal achievement

•  Self-esteem

•  Improving skills and techniques

The Parents attitudes and expectations will have a direct bearing on how a child’s attitude towards:

• Other players

• Officials

• Managers

• Spectators

It is essential that the parents of players adhere to the general principles laid out in the general section of the managers’ code of conduct.

 Parents should:

•  Always be positive and encouraging towards all the children, not just their own.

•  Applaud all good football / sporting behavior by the opposition as well as your own team

•  Avoid coaching your team during the game

•  Not shout and scream during the game

•  Respect the referees decision

•  Give attention to all players in the team, not just the most talented

•  Encourage everyone to participate in football

It should also be noted that the drinking of alcohol on the touchline is strictly forbidden.

If these broad guidelines are followed the good name of Whitley Junior Football Club will be maintained and the club will continue to flourish.

11.Equal Opportunities

Whitley Junior Football Club is committed to a policy of equal treatment to all members and requires members whatever level or authority, to abide and adhere to this general principle and the requirements of the codes of practice issued by the equal opportunities commission and the commission for racial equality.

All members are expected to abide by the requirements of the race relations act 1976, sex discrimination act 1986 and the disabilities act 1985. Specifically discrimination is prohibited by:

• Treating any individual on grounds of gender, colour, marital status, race, nationality or ethnic or natural origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability  less favourably than others.
   

• Expecting an individual solely on the grounds stated above to comply with the requirements for any reason what so ever related to their membership, which are different from the requirements for others.
   

• Imposing on an individual requirements which are in effect more onerous on that individual than they are for others. For example, this would include applying a condition which makes it more difficult for a member of a particular race or sex to comply than others not of that race or sex.
   

• Victimisation of an individual
   

• Harassment of an individual
   

• Any other act or omission of an act, which has the effect of disadvantaging a member against another, or others, purely on the grounds of the above. Thus, in all the clubs recruitment, selection, promotion, and training process, as well as disciplinary matters, it is essential that merit, experience, skills and temperament are considered as objectively as possible.

Whitley Junior Football Clubs will immediately  investigate any claim of discrimination against the club on the above grounds, and where found proven the club will cease that practice immediately  and take steps to ensure it does not happen again.

Where the claim is against another member of the club an investigation shall take place and any offending member shall be subject to the clubs disciplinary procedure.

The club commits its self to the disabled person whenever possible and will treat such members, in aspects of their recruitment and membership, in exactly the same manner as other members. The difficulties of their disability permitting, assistance will be given, where ever possible, to ensure that disabled members are helped to gain access.

Attempts will be made to provide appropriate training to such members who request it.

12.Anti Discrimination Policy

Whitley Junior Football Club is responsible fro setting standards and values that apply throughout the club at every level. Football belongs to and should be enjoyed by everyone, equally.  Our commitment is to confront and eliminate discrimination whether by reason of sex  (see Note), sexual orientation, race, nationality ,ethnic origin, colour, religion or disability.

Equality of opportunity at the club means that in our activities we will not discriminate or in any way treat anyone less favourably, on the grounds of sex (see note), sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or disability.

This Includes:

• The advertisement for volunteers

• The selection of candidates for volunteers

• Courses

• External caching and education activities and awards

• Football development activities

• Selection of teams

• Appointments to honorary positions

Whitley Junior Football Club will not tolerate sexual or racially base harassment or other discriminatory behaviour, whether physical or verbal, and will work to ensure that such behaviour is met with appropriate action in whatever context it occurs.

The club is committed to the development of the programme of ongoing training and awareness raising events and activities, in order to promote the eradication of discrimination within its own organisation. And within football as a whole.

NOTE:

It is not possible to have a mixed sex team after the under 11 level.

This is a current Football Association rule and is beyond the control of Whitley Junior Football Club.

13.Disciplinary and Complaints Procedure

In the event that any member feels that he or she has suffered discrimination in any way, or that the club polices, rules or codes of conduct have been broke that a member should follow the following procedure.

1.   The matter should at first be reported to the team manager for initial discussion and, hopefully, satisfactory resolution.

2.   Should the complaint not feel satisfied he/she should report the matter in writing to the club secretary, or another officer of the committee.

 The report should include:

• Details of what, when and where the occurrence took place

• Any witness statements and names.

• Names of any others who have been treated in a similar way.

• Details of any former complaints made about this incident, date, when and to whom made.

• A preference for the solution to the incident

 3.   An appointed officer of the committee will investigate the complaint and the management committee will sit for any hearings that are requested.

 4.   The clubs management committee will have the power to:

• Warn as to future conduct

• Suspend from membership

• Remove from membership

 Any person found to have broken the clubs polices or codes of conduct

 After the completion of the above there is no right of appeal.

14.Club Management Policy

1.   Managers are responsible for the behaviour of players during games and training.

2.   Managers are to keep both parents and players under control during matches.

3.   It is the responsibility of the manager to check that the area used for training is safe to train in. Managers will not allow any player to train or play in any game without shin pads

4.   If there are any major problems during a game managers must contact the club secretary the same day as the incident.

5.   No manager shall play any player who they know has been suspended by either the league or by Whitley Junior Football Club. Any manager found to be breaking this rule shall be subject to disciplinary action.

6.   No manager shall play a player who they know to be unregistered or overage. Any manager found to be breaking this rule will be subject to disciplinary action.

7.   All paperwork issued by Whitley Junior Football Club to the managers for distribution to their members must be handed out.

8.   A full list of players names, addresses and telephone numbers must be given to the club secretary and must be kept up to date with any changes.

9.   A medical consent form shall be kept for every player and taken to both games and training.

10.  Managers must collect subscriptions for both games and training. All receipts must be paid in at a monthly meeting and presented with a complete accounts form.

11.  Managers are to make sure that the changing rooms are clean tidy after training / matches, that the goals are correctly stored and that the water and light are turned off.

12.  All training aids are returned to their allotted storage area and locked away,

13.  Whitley Junior Football Club kit colours are claret and sky blue.

14.  The Buying of kit and equipment can only be done with permission of the club.

15.  On match days managers should remember the following:

• Fill in any team sheets required

• Pay any referees fees and pitch fees as required

• Phone into the league any result as required

• Use water sprays on injured players (DO NOT USE A SPONGE)

• First Aid Kit

15.  Disclaimers

Any injury to a player how so-ever caused whilst they are representing Whitley Junior Football Club is incurred at the individual’s  own risk and any injury or accident insurance, if so requested, shall be the responsibility of the player or his or hers guardian

The Club, whilst welcoming patron, cannot be held liable for the loss or damage to any valuables or property, or for injury or accident that may occur whilst using the clubs facilities and grounds. All the clubs facilities and grounds are used at the individuals own risk.

16.   Club Colours

 All first chose kit for the club shall be claret and sky blue. Club colours can only be changed by approval of the general committee.

17. Constitution

No alterations to this constitution and its attachments may be made except at the annual general meeting or at an extraordinary general meeting convened for such a purpose. Any change will only be made if supported by a simple majority of those present and voting at such a meeting. Notice of a proposed change of this constitution must be given in writing to the secretary at least one month prior to such a meeting.