1. Name
The name of the Club shall be Horsham Tigers Football Club (the “Club”).
2. Type of Organisation
The Club is a non-profit making voluntary organisation and will not under any circumstances distribute any surpluses to members. All surplus income will be reinvested in the Club.
3. Objectives
To provide facilities for and promote participation of the whole community in the sport of football, and to encourage the development of sportsmanship, team spirit, commitment and football skills.
4. Address
The Club address shall be that of the Club secretary.
5. Management Committee
The management of the Club shall be in the hands of a committee (the “Management Committee”), which shall include chairman, secretary, treasurer, club welfare officer and events organiser (collectively referred to as “Officers”) and team managers.
6. Membership
Membership of the Club shall be open to all persons irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, age, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs, sex or disability except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of football as a particular sport. The members of the Club shall be referred to as “the Members”.
Those Members of the Club who wish to participate in and are eligible for inclusion in any football teams operated by the Club in accordance with the rules of the football league with which the Club is then affiliated shall be referred to as the player Members (“Player Members”).
The Club may refuse membership or expel from membership only for good and sufficient cause, such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or sport into disrepute. Appeal against such a decision may be made to the Management Committee and decided by a majority vote.
7. Meetings
AGM
There will be an annual general meeting (“AGM”), normally held in the month of June to conduct the following business:
Adopt the minutes of the previous AGM and attend to any matters arising.
Receive reports from chairman, team managers and treasurer (including statement of accounts)
Agree all amendments made to the Constitution and Rules during the previous year.
Formally review the Constitution and Rules, to ensure that they remain appropriate and fit for purpose.
Election of Officers and team managers, where such posts have become vacant or where the Management Committee wishes to create new roles.
Removal of posts where they are no longer required.
Attend to any other business pertinent to an AGM.
The AGM must be attended by a minimum of two Officers or team managers and a minimum of two Members to be quorate. For the avoidance of doubt, an Officer or team manager who is also a parent or guardian of a Player Member can count in either category, but not both, for the purposes of making up a quorum. Voting is restricted to Officers, team managers, Members and one parent / guardian per Player Member.
The Management Committee shall appoint such sub-committees as it feels necessary.
Management Committee meetings shall be held as often as necessary during the season but at not less than two monthly intervals. Such meetings will manage the general running of the Club’s affairs and in normal circumstances must be attended by at least two Officers and two team managers.
8. Teams
The Club shall provide for a sufficient number of teams to satisfy its objectives. Each team must consist of not more than 20 or less than 12 Player Members. Player Members must register with the secretary on the form provided and pay the registration fee (to be fixed annually) before they will be permitted to play for that team.
Each team will be under the control of an elected team manager who will be totally responsible for the running, training and transport of that team. The manager will be accountable to the Management Committee for the team, and will work within the Constitution and Rules and any other Club policy guidelines set out from time to time.
Team managers may from time to time be supported by one or more assistants and / or team coaches (collectively referred to as “Coaching Staff”).
9. Subscriptions
Subscription rates shall be set by the Management Committee from time to time and published on the Club’s website.
Subscriptions must be paid before any Player Member can represent the Club. There may also be training and / or match fees for each game, which will also be set by the Management Committee.
The Management Committee may, at its absolute discretion, waive some or all of the subscription in cases of exceptional financial hardship. Such decisions will be taken at full Management Committee meetings and any waivers granted will be for the forthcoming season only.
10. Equipment
All equipment and strip will be provided by the Club from central funds or by sponsorship arrangements. Boots and shin pads must be provided by the Player Members for their own use.
11. Discipline
In order to fulfil the Club’s commitment to promoting sportsmanship, Members, Player Members, Officers, team managers, Coaching Staff and supporters should abide by the Club’s Code of Conduct. The Management Committee has produced separate Codes of Conduct for Player Members, parents and team managers. Coaching Staff should use the team manager code of conduct.
In normal circumstances, the team manager will be responsible for seeing that conduct is acceptable. Any occurrence of bad behaviour by any Player Member at a match will automatically result in the offending Player Member being taken off the field of play. The incident shall be reported to the Club chairman, who, with one other Officer, will decide if further measures are to be taken. Serious breaches of discipline may result in suspension from further matches or even expulsion from the Club.
12. Alterations to Rules
Alterations or additions to the Rules may be made by the Management Committee at any time, provided that such alterations or additions are in the overall best interests of the Club.
Any such amendments must be agreed by the Members at the next Annual General Meeting.
Any additions or amendments to Rules must be notified to all members as soon as possible after their ratification, usually by publication on the Club’s website.
13. Copies of Rules
Each Officer, team manager, Coaching Staff, Player Member and other Member is bound by these rules and may obtain a copy of them on request.
14. Affiliation
The Club shall be affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association.
15. Bank Account(s)
The bank account(s) shall be in the name of the Club and the treasurer or other designated member of the Management Committee shall sign all cheques. The Management Committee shall approve this designated member.
16. Official Documents
Any official documents, such as required by the Sussex County Football Association, shall be kept for a reasonable period of time and shall be open to inspection at all reasonable times. This shall deem to include minutes of Management Committee meetings and accounts.
Documents will be retained for a minimum of three years, unless relevant regulations require a longer retention period.
17. Child Protection
The Club takes its responsibilities towards child protection very seriously and shall appoint a Child Welfare Officer (normally expected to be an Officer or team manager). The Child Welfare Officer shall develop and maintain the Club’s child welfare policy.
All Officers, team managers and Coaching Staff shall be required to undertake Criminal Records Bureau checks via the Football Association, to verify that they are fit and proper to be in contact with children.
18. Application of Assets on Dissolution
In the event of the dissolution of the Club, any net assets (after settlement of legitimate expenditure arising before the date of dissolution but not yet paid, and the repayment of any unspent grants received where this was a condition of the relevant grant-making body) may only be applied for approved sporting or charitable purposes which meet at least one of the criteria below:
a) the purposes of the sport’s governing body for use in related community sport
b) the purposes of a Community Amateur Sports Club (as defined by HM Revenue & Customs)
c) the purposes of a charity.
The Management Committee will decide on the exact application of net assets to approved purposes which meet the above criteria.
19. Limitations of Liability
Under no circumstances shall the Club, members of its Management Committee or its Officers and Coaching Staff be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages that result from the activities undertaken by the Club. Football is a contact sport and the Player Members take part in training exercises and competitive matches entirely at their own risk.