1. Club Structure
1.1 The Club shall be known as Welwyn Garden City - Panshanger Football Club and will provide youth football training facilities and competition to children in the Welwyn Garden City area. Panshanger Whites and Panshanger Yellows shall affiliate as separate Clubs with the Herts F.A., Mid-Herts Rural Minors League and other such Leagues and Cup Competitions that they are entered into.
1.2 The Club shall be overseen by the Moneyhole Lane Committee and aims to provide as much youth football as possible for players in Welwyn Garden City and the surrounding area. The Moneyhole Lane Committee will be responsible for the overall financial and structural strength of the Club. The Moneyhole Lane Committee shall be comprised of all members of the Management Committee and a Financial Advisor.
1.3 The Moneyhole Lane Committee shall meet immediately prior to the Management Committee and shall require a minimum of 6 (six) members, including the Club Chairman or Vice Chairman and the Financial Advisor to be present for the meeting to be quorate.
1.4 All footballing aspects of the Club shall be administered by a Management Committee consisting of Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Whites Secretary, Yellows Secretary and other such co-opted members as the Committee consider to be necessary.
1.5 Normally the Management Committee shall meet monthly except in July and August and a minimum of 5 (five) members including the Chair or Vice Chair must be present for the meeting to be quorate. The Chair or Vice Chair shall have the casting vote if necessary.
1.6 The Committee shall meet with team managers on a regular basis and at least four times per year.
1.7 Committee members shall be elected annually at the AGM in June. There is no limitation, other than re-election, on the length of time one individual may occupy a Committee position.
1.8 All disputes/complaints that cannot be resolved informally shall be referred to the Committee. In their considerations the Committee will be guided by the Players, the Supporters and the Officials Codes of Conduct.
2. Membership
2.1 Initial membership is open to all regardless of footballing ability. If demand for membership exceeds facilities available then membership will be on a first come first served basis.
2.1 All players must register with the Club.
2.2 Players at under 8 and above must register with the Club and the League that the Club is playing in (normally the Mid-Herts Rural Minors League). The age of registration with the League may change in line with changes in League rules.
2.3 The Club will shall make registration facilities available at the appropriate time of year. This shall normally be in the period June to September.
2.4 Players joining mid season shall be required to register with the Club and League as appropriate.
2.5 No player shall train or play as a representative of the Club until registration has been completed.
2.6 No team shall register more than three players out of the Welwyn Garden City area without the express permission of the Management Committee. The area shall be described as addresses in WGC, Welwyn, Digswell, Tewin, Burnham Green and the Ayots.
2.7 All players must be registered in a team within their correct age group.
3. Subscriptions
3.1 The Club shall be non-profit making and annual subscriptions shall be set at a level deemed necessary to fund the Club and safeguard broad social inclusion.
3.2 Annual subscriptions will be set at the AGM in June taking into account guidance offered by the Treasurer.
3.3 Annual subscriptions must be paid at the time of registration. No player will be registered with the Club or the League until his subscriptions have been paid.
3.4 When the subscription has been paid no player will be expected to pay an additional weekly sum for playing in games/training.
3.5 Managers may on occasion collect regular weekly amounts from players when saving for particular events or equipment e.g. football tours, training tops etc. Such collections must have the signed consent of the Management Committee. Collections without this consent could lead to disciplinary action against the manager.
3.5 Players defaulting on payment for any reason may be excluded from the Club.
4 Refunds on Subscriptions
4.1 Once a player has registered, then the Club has entered into financial commitments on his/her behalf. Refunds will not be made to any player who subsequently leaves the Club of his/her own free will.
4.2 Refunds, at a level agreed by the Committee, will be made in the case of long-term illness or injury.
4.3 The Committee has the right to make refunds in cases of exceptional circumstances. Non- availability for training will not be considered to be exceptional circumstances.
4.4 The decision of the Committee in all matters relating to refunds is final.
5 Team Management
5.1 Each team shall be managed by a Team Manager (normally but not necessarily a parent of a player) approved by the Management Committee and registered with the League.
5.2 Each team manger will notify the Management Committee of any voluntary helpers.
5.3 All team managers will be required to submit a CRB (or equivalent) disclosure.
5.4 The Management Committee will decide on a case by case basis whether helpers also need to submit a CRB (or equivalent) disclosure.
5.5 The Club will normally offer all new managers FA Coaching Training at Level 1 and basic First Aid Training.
5.6 Managers will not be accepted until they have completed or arranged to complete this level of training.
5.7 Each team shall be given a weekly training session.
5.8 The final training timetable will be agreed with managers at the AGM.
5.9 Each team shall be provided with a pitch for its home matches.
5.10 Squads that are too young to be entered into League and Cup competitions will have training only. This training will normally be provided on Saturday morning and subscriptions will reflect this lower level of provision.
5.11 The Team Manager's decision on team selection will be final.
6 Transfers
6.1 No player may register with another club while still being registered with Panshanger or may register with Panshanger while still being registered with another club.
6.2 The Club does not encourage transfers between Yellows and Whites but if such a transfer is seen to be in the best interest of the player and the player, his parents and both managers agree, then a transfer may take place. All such transfers must go through the transfers' secretary. Parents may not approach the transfer secretary direct. All arrangements must be through the manager of the player concerned. All transfers must be approved by the Management Committee and any transfer requests arranged other than by the correct route will be rejected.
6.3 Inter Club transfers must comply with League regulations. The Club will not release the registration of a player who has outstanding subscriptions. All Club property must be returned before a registration will be released.
7 School Teams
7.1 Club activity will take place in the evenings, at weekends and in school holidays but the Club will recognise that if a playing member has a clash with a school extra-curricula activity then his/her priority will be with the school based event.
8 Sponsorship
8.1 Shirt sponsorship is acceptable within F.A. regulations. All sponsorship arrangements must go through the Vice Chair.
8.2 An agreed amount of sponsorship allows a team to carry a company logo on the front of their shirts. Monies received in this way will go into the general club funds and will not be seen as funding that particular team.
8.3 Company sponsorship of other kit such as training tops, kit bags etc. must be by the agreement of the management Committee.
9. Club Discipline
9.1 The Club will operate on the basis that it is good to win but it is better to participate. Winning at all costs is not acceptable.
9.2 All players, officials and supporter are expected to observe the Codes of Conduct displayed prominently around the Clubhouse. Persons breaking those codes may be subject to the disciplinary sanctions set out in those codes.
10. Constitution and Rules Changes
10.1 Constitution and rule changes may only take place at the AGM or a specially convened EGM.
10.2 Such change must be notified in writing to the Vice Chairman at least 10 days in advance of the meeting and be signed by 3 (three) voting members
10.3. Voting rights at the meeting will be
Management Committee members - 1(one) vote
Team Managers - 3 (three) votes on behalf of the whole team
10.4 If the Management Committee Member is unable to attend then he/she may ask another person to vote on his behalf but the person's name has to be notified in writing to the Vice Chairman at least 48 hours before the meeting and he/she has to identify him/herself at the start of the meeting.
10.5 Management Committee members not following these rules will not be able to vote at the meeting.
10.6 If a Team Manager is unable to attend then he/she may ask another person to vote on his behalf but the person's name has to be notified in writing to the Vice Chairman at least 48 hours before the meeting and he/she has to identify him/herself at the start of the meeting
10.7 Team Managers not following these rules will not be able to vote at the meeting
10.8 If the Vice Chairman is not able to attend the meeting then another member of the Management Committee nominated by the Management Committee will stand in for him/her in dealing with proxy votes.
11. Dissolution of the Club
11.1 The Club will be dissolved at an AGM or EGM if:
i) there are insufficient volunteers to continue in a safe and appropriate manner
ii) it becomes financially insolvent
iii) there is a decision at the AGM or an EGM under the conditions set out in the Club rules to dissolve the Club
11.2 In the event of dissolution the Club will use any net assets to repay any unspent grant from a grant making body, such as the Football Foundation, where this was a condition of the original grant.
11.3 In the event of dissolution, any net assets after the repayment of any unspent grant as referred to in 11.2 will be distributed to CASC registered youth football organisations in the Welwyn Garden City area.
