CLUB RULES

1.Club Definition

The name of the club shall be and shall remain Stockton Football and Cricket Club (hereafter referred to as Stockton FC-CC) and will be located at The Town Piece, Napton Road, Stockton, Warwickshire, CV47 8JU.

The club will run as a non-profit making organisation organised on an amateur basis with no member or third party benefiting financially from the club, whose objective will be to utilise all income in the provision, maintenance and improvement of the club ground known as The Town Piece and the adjacent field, and the sporting facilities of the club that are open and available to the whole community.

The purposes of the Club are to provide facilities and to promote participation in the amateur sports of Football, Cricket, Netball, Baseball, Petanque and other eligible sports from time to time, associated bar sports such as darts and community participation in the same, within Stockton village and the wider area.

The club shall seek to operate as a registered Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) under the definition provided by HMRC.

2.Governance

The Club is for the benefit of its members, Stockton Village and its environment, and no benefit shall accrue to any company or third parties who from time to time may contribute towards Stockton FC-CC.

The Club shall be governed by its members comprising of (a) committee members (b) Playing members (c) non-playing members (d) Directors.

A committee will be formed by members to manage the affairs of the Club for a period of 1 year. This committee will consist of an executive committee of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Controller, and Social Secretary together with a maximum of 3 member representatives for each section (Football, Cricket, Netball, Baseball, Golf, Petanque, Darts) and up to 5 non-playing (Social) members. Each sport representative will be proposed by their sections and elected at a committee meeting. Executive Committee members are to be elected at the AGM and non-playing members should be proposed by a committee member and elected at a committee meeting. If a full committee is not elected at the AGM, or if there is a resignation, then the committee shall have the power to co-opt other members to fill the vacancies. Retiring members shall be eligible for re-election. The committee may refuse membership of a new applicant or remove it only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the club into disrepute. Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to the members.

Committee members will not receive any renumeration or benefit in money for their role on the committee.

Elected committee members must complete a Fit and Proper Test Declaration, failure to pass this test will result in immediate disqualification as a committee member.

Management of the Club will be overseen by five Directors with responsibility to monitor the activities of the Club and ensure compliance with the Club’s rules. Directors must be members of the Club and will typically be elected committee members. Each Director will hold office for three years with the option of re-election, to be confirmed at an AGM. No Director shall be appointed to any salaried office, and no remuneration or any benefit in money or money’s worth shall be paid to a Director.

3.Role of the Committee

The committee shall have the power to make such bye laws and regulations as they think fit from time to time. The committee shall oversee all financial and ancillary activities undertaken by the club and may from time to time requisition a subcommittee for management of development projects and/or management of specific sport sections. Should the committee believe that projects or the running of sections are not being undertaken in a timely and proper fashion, the committee has the power to recall said subcommittee and manage the project itself. The committee shall meet monthly to oversee Club affairs (as 5 c)) and any vacancies occurring between AGM may be temporarily filled by eligible members.

The committee will have due regard to the law on disability discrimination and child protection and will nominate child protection officers from the membership body of each sport section as required.

The Club committee shall have the sole control of all matters concerning the purchase, supply and consumption of intoxicating liquor at the Club. The secretary shall submit applications and information as required to the Licencing Authority, including particulars required by law.

4.Administration of Membership

All candidates elected to committee roles must be proposed and seconded by members for confirmation at the AGM. The committee may accept or refuse any application for committee membership (in compliance with rule 4 section (d)) with the reason being transmitted to the applicant.

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. However, limitation of any membership according to available facilities is allowable on a non-discriminatory basis.
The Club may have different classes of membership and subscriptions on a non-discriminatory and fair basis. The Club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating and review this annually.
The Club committee may refuse membership of a new applicant or remove it only for good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the club into disrepute. Appeal against refusal or removal may be made to the members.

The annual subscriptions for membership shall be set at the AGM and for non-playing (social) members shall take effect from the 1^st of January the following year. The subscriptions for social membership will be due on the 1^st of January and are to be paid to an officer of the club. If a membership card is issued, then any officer of the Club may demand to inspect this receipt to verify membership. A list of members will be kept by the Treasurer. Any member two months in arrears with their subscriptions will cease to be a member but may be re-instated at the discretion of the committee if nominated and seconded in the usual way, provided that any arrears of annual subscription and match fees are paid at the time of re-instatement.

Playing members will be required to pay annual membership to be set at an AGM or General Meeting which will be due for payment at the start of their sports playing season. Failure to pay annual membership or pay match fees will result in the player being ineligible to play until such time as the arrears are cleared.

Records should be kept of playing members participation.

Any member desiring to resign shall inform the secretary. Resigning members are not eligible for a full or partial refund of their membership after 14 days from the date of payment, any prepaid match fees may be refunded at their coaches’ discretion

The committee may remove membership only for a good cause such as conduct or character likely to bring the club or sport into disrepute. Nonpayment of membership will result in automatic resignation. Appeal against removal may be made to the committee.

Any member of any Club playing at the Club Premises shall be deemed to be an honorary member of the Club during the time they are on the premises on the day of the game only. Before each game the fixture should be noted in the Club calendar by the coach or administrator of the home team giving the name of the visiting club. For the purpose of this rule only, the members of another club shall include people playing darts, pool, dominoes, cribbage or any other generally accepted Club game, always providing that such visiting clubs are bona fide members of any acceptable League, or competition. Honorary members will not be allowed to introduce visitors, will not be eligible to vote or have any additional benefits that other members may be eligible for.

5.Meetings

AGM - The AGM of the Club shall be held annually 12 months after the previous one (or the nearest suitable date and within four months of the end of the accounting period). The Treasurer shall present a statement of the financial affairs of the Club and full accounts (i.e. trading, profit and loss account and balance sheet) for the accounting year just ended, to the AGM. Such accounts to have been certified as correct and showing a true and fair view of the affairs of the Club, by the auditors. The Auditor or Auditors shall be appointed annually at the AGM. The Executive committee members will be elected at the AGM, having been nominated and seconded.
The Club in an AGM shall be empowered to borrow or raise money in such manner and on such security as the members shall decide by majority present voting. The committee shall execute all deeds and other documents which may be required for this purpose.
Members paying subscriptions and whose names appear on the list kept by the Treasurer are entitled to attend an AGM, each member having one vote. Members unable to attend may appoint the Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary or other committee member to vote by proxy on their behalf, such proxy votes being in written from clearly stating members wishes.
Should there be a vote in an AGM then there should be a quorum of 10% of voting members present or by proxy votes.
There should be notes / minutes taken by the Secretary (or another committee member if they are unavailable). These notes/minutes should be available at the next meeting and be kept for 7 years after.
At least 14 days notice must be given to members of an AGM.
General Meeting - The committee may summon a general meeting giving at least seven days notice to committee members if on receipt of a written application signed by at least fifteen members or deemed necessary by the committee. A General meeting should be conducted in the same manner as an AGM, as per 5. a) i. – iv.

Committee Meeting - The committee shall meet monthly to oversee Club affairs. The meeting should be Chaired by the Chair (or an Executive committee member if they are unavailable). There should be notes / minutes taken by the Secretary (or another committee member if they are unavailable). These notes/minutes should be distributed to all committee members before the next meeting and be kept for 7 years after.

Voting at the monthly committee meetings will be in the form of a single vote per member, and where there is an equality of votes on any issue the Chairman is invested with an extra casting vote. A quorum of 5 committee members including at least 3 executive committee members is required for a meeting and/or vote to be valid.

6.Rules

No rule of the Club shall be altered or repealed, and no new rule shall be made, save by a majority vote of members present at a AGM or general meeting. Seven days clear notice in writing shall be given to the secretary of the intention to propose, alter or repeal any rule. The proposal of alteration, giving the exact wording of the proposed alteration shall be exhibited on the Club notice board for seven clear days prior to the meeting. The time and place of the meeting shall be determined by the committee.

7.The Clubhouse

The Clubhouse may open at the discretion of the committee. The permitted hours for the sale of intoxicants shall be laid down in the licencing agreement. All members and staff will abide by all and any current legislation regarding premises licences, gaming licences and any other licence deemed necessary by the committee.

Outside of the permitted licencing hours, access to the clubhouse, toilet facilities and changing rooms may be provided should there be a necessary need for it, for example for training or an organised match, as long as the activity has been noted in the clubs calendar within good time, and the sale of intoxicants is not permitted.

Food and drink sold in the Clubhouse should be a social benefit which arises incidentally from the sporting purpose of the club, for example pre or post-match refreshments, pre or post training refreshments, refreshments for spectators, officials etc. before, during or after matches, refreshments for volunteers after preparation works associated with sport participation or a social event designed to encourage participation in the clubs sports or for fund raising for the clubs sports.

A visitor may be admitted to the clubhouse under the following circumstances:

If introduced by and accompanied by a member.

If they are part of an opposing team’s entourage or spectating a sporting event.

If they are attending a function (either private hire or Club organised event).

Visitors will be charged a higher price per drink in lieu of an entrance fee as determined by the committee. No visitor shall be admitted after the closing time of a licence premises. All children under the age of 18 will be classed as visitors and should be accompanied by, and viewed as the responsibility of, an adult member at all times (this can include a team coach).

All surplus income and profits are to be reinvested in the club. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third parties.

8.Rules for Eligible Sports

a) All players must play their sport on an amateur basis without any payment for playing. Should a coach wish to play a player that requires payment then they must request written consent from the Committee before hand and conditions may be applied.

b) Sports can arrange competitions with prizes where the nature of the competition is to promote the sport. It should be in keeping with amateur participation, with reasonable participation fees and the prizes are of nominal costs (not sufficient to attract professionals).

c) All sports / teams should be registered with and abide by the rules of their governing body.

d) Discrimination is not permitted except as a necessary consequence of a requirement of a particular sport, governing body rules, or competition rules. Limitation of participation according to available facilities is allowable on a non-discriminatory basis. If a sport has a waiting list, then it should admit members from this list in chronological order and not select members based on sporting ability. Participation in a sport should not be restricted to those who have already achieved a certain level of ability, whenever possible sports should have multiple teams / training sessions to allow for participation at all levels of age or ability.

9.Dissolution

In the event of the dissolution of the Stockton FC-CC, grant funds will be returned to the Grant aiding body allocating the funding.

The liability of members is limited. Every full voting member of the Company undertakes that if the Company is dissolved while they are a member or within twelve months after they cease to be a member, to contribute such sum (not exceeding £10) as may be demanded of them towards the payment of the debts and liabilities of the Company incurred before they cease to be a member, and of the costs charges and expenses of winding up, and the adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves.

The members may vote to wind up the Club if not less than three quarters of those present and voting support that proposal at a properly convened general meeting. The Committee will then be responsible for the orderly winding up of the Club’s affairs. After settling all liabilities of the Club, the Committee shall dispose of the net assets remaining to one or more of the following:

To another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered charity and/or
To another Club with similar sports purposes which is a registered CASC and/or
To any Club sport governing body for use by them for related community sports.

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