London Titans FC – Constitution – 16 July 2010

December 22nd, 2009

London Titans Football Club Constitution

Preamble

This Constitution was adopted by a Meeting of those on the Initial List held on 9 June 2007 (“Founding Meeting”).  All decisions taken by that Meeting are deemed to have been made in accordance with this Constitution.

The football club (hereinafter known as “the Club”) shall be known as The London Titans Football Club.

The London Titans Football Club will be a gay-friendly football club. It will provide an opportunity for anyone to play football in a supportive, sociable environment, will arrange competitive and friendly matches against other teams and will offer training to allow people to reach their potential in the sport.

Definitions

“Season” means the period between one Annual General Meeting and the next.

“Members” means any person who is either a Full Member or a Social Member of the Club.

“Full Members’ Subscription” means the subscription as determined according to Article B.1 and paid by Full Members who fulfil the criteria in Article A.1.

“Social Members’ Subscription” means the subscription as determined according to Article B.1 and paid by Social Members who fulfil the criteria in Article A.2.

“Initial List” refers to the list drawn up by the Committee at the start of every Season detailing Full Members in the previous Season and who are expected to play in the forthcoming Season. They will remain on this list until they fulfil the criteria set out in Article A.1 (b).  The Initial List for the purposes of the Founding Meeting means the initial list of founding members of the Club attached hereto.

“Initial Committee” means those members of the Committee appointed at the Founding Meeting.

“Membership Form” refers to the form which Members sign when they join the Club agreeing to abide by the Club rules and accepting personal responsibility for their actions.

“Committee” has the meaning set out in Article D.1.

“General Meetings” means meetings of the Members to discuss matters of relevance and importance. These include an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).

“GFSN” refers to the Gay Football Supporters’ Network.

References to the singular include the plural and vice versa and any words importing one gender include all other genders.

 

A) Membership

1. “Full Members” will be persons who in any current Season meet the following criteria:

a) are listed on the “Initial List”, or
b) have attended at least six training sessions in the current Season, and in either case
c) have paid the Full Members’ Subscription, and
d) have signed a Membership Form

2. “Social Members” will be persons who in any current Season meet the following criteria:

a) have paid the Social Members’ Subscription, and
b) have signed a Membership Form

For the avoidance of doubt, persons will no longer be Members once their subscription expires.

3. Full Members will be entitled to:

a) Vote in General Meetings
b) Stand for election to the Committee
c) Put down motions for determination by a General Meeting
d) Receive information on the Club and its activities and attend them subject to fulfilling any criteria applicable to the activity
e) Call a General Meeting in accordance with the terms laid out in Article H
f) Attend Club matches and social events subject to fulfilling any criteria applicable to the event
g) Gain access to the Members’ section of the website

4. Social Members will be entitled to:

a) Receive information on the Club and its activities and attend them subject to fulfilling any criteria applicable to the activity
b) Attend Club matches and social events subject to fulfilling any criteria applicable to the event
c) Attend (but not vote at) General Meetings
d) Gain access to the Members’ section of the website

Data Protection Act

5. All data held centrally about members will be held under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Equality

6. While it is recognised that the majority of Members will be gay or bisexual, the Club does not discriminate on the grounds of sexuality. It will also not discriminate against people on the basis of gender, age, race, ethnic or national origin, colour, marital status, religious belief, social background or medical status, but without prejudice to team selection by the manager of that team under whatever selection criteria applies for that team, subject to those criteria not breaching anti-discrimination legislation..

 

B) Finance

  1. Membership Subscriptions shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting for the next Season, following a recommendation from the Committee.
  2. The financial year will run from 1st June to 31st May in each year.
  3. Club funds shall be held in a current account (and deposit account where appropriate) as determined by the Committee in the name of the Club. Any interest earned on bank deposits will be credited into the relevant bank account for the benefit of Members.
  4. Cheques or other written instructions to make payments from the bank account of amounts up to and including £200 may be made by an authorised signatory. In the case of amounts more than this two signatories will be required. These will be members of the Committee and must include the Treasurer and one other of the Secretary, Manager or another specified member nominated and agreed by the Committee.
  5. The Treasurer shall keep up-to-date accounts for the Club. He will present the accounts to the Club at the Annual General Meeting and to the Committee as required by the Committee.
  6. The books presented to the AGM shall be audited by someone who is not a Member and who has appropriate and relevant experience or qualification in accounting.

 

C) Participation

  1. The Club shall be (but not exclusively) a member of the GFSN League for so long as Full Members require and shall compete against other teams according to the annual GFSN timetable.

 

 

D) The Committee and its Positions

  1. The Club shall be managed by a committee referred to below (”the Committee”) which will oversee its general running and make decisions in the best interests of the Club and all of its Members.
  2. The Committee shall consist of the following positions: Chairman, Manager, Treasurer, Secretary, Coach, GFSN Rep, Membership and Recruitment Rep, Sponsorship Rep and Social Secretary. They shall only be capable of being filled by people who are Full Members and their functions and responsibilities shall be as follows:

Chairman                
The Chairman shall chair all Committee and General Meetings, and shall represent the Club externally. He will be involved with the general running of the Club. He shall have the casting vote in the event of a tie. In his absence the role of chair will be fulfilled by another Committee member as agreed by the Committee.

Club Manager
The Club Manager shall chair the Footballing Sub-Committee.  He shall ordinarily be the manager of the GFSN team but need not be.

Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be responsible for the accounts and finances or the Club and keep such bank accounts as required by the Committee to present an audited set of accounts at the AGM. He shall present the Club accounts at Committee meetings. He shall be a signatory on Club accounts.

Secretary
The Secretary shall be responsible for the administration of the Club and its matches, and for communication to Members. He will take Minutes at Committee and General Meetings. He shall be a signatory on Club accounts.

Sponsorship Rep
The Sponsorship Rep shall be responsible for attempting to secure and maintain sponsorship for the Club.

Communications Representative
The Communications Representative shall be responsible for internal and external communications.  He shall be responsible for ensuring that appropriate, regular and timely communication with members is maintained and that the website, including forum, are up to date and used as a key external and internal communication tool.  In addition he shall be responsible for external media relations and communications including any listings or entries the Club has in directories and events guides, online or otherwise.

Membership and Recruitment Rep
The Membership and Recruitment Rep shall be responsible for recruiting new Members, ensuring that Members have met the applicable membership criteria and maintaining up-to-date membership records. 

Social Secretary
The Social Secretary shall organise social events for the Members and Club fundraising events.

  1. All members of the Committee shall be elected in accordance with the process defined in Article F.
  2. The Committee shall from time to time at its absolute discretion appoint Members to take responsibility for specific aspects of the running of the Club. These members will not have voting rights on the Committee (unless they are also members of the Committee), though they will be accountable to the Committee.  These aspects shall include the management of all teams and coaching staff for the teams and the Club as a whole.
  3. The Committee shall meet approximately once a month. Any other Committee meetings shall be held as necessary with at least two days’ notice from the Secretary and may be communicated in accordance with Article J. All members of the Committee shall have a single vote at meetings. All votes shall be by show of hands. The Chairman shall have the power to exercise a casting vote in the event of a tied vote.
  4. The quorum for Committee meetings shall be a majority of the entire Committee. Absent members may forward votes on agenda points in advance via the Secretary.
  5. A report of the content of the meetings should be available to Members in accordance with Article J within a week of each Committee Meeting.
  6. There will be a Disciplinary Sub-Committee comprising of the Club Manager and two other members of the Committee nominated by the Committee. This will meet when the Committee considers a Member may have broken the Rules of the Club. These Rules will be determined and reviewed from time to time by the Committee and will apply when persons become Members. Members involved may attend the meeting of the Sub-Committee and give an account of their actions but shall be required to leave before a decision is made. Sanctions may be imposed and can include removal of Membership. There will be a right to appeal to the Committee in full, within 48 hours of the decision being communicated, by writing to the Secretary.
  7. There will be a Footballing Sub-Committee comprising of the Club Manager and all other regular 11-a-side teams’ managers and coaches as determined by the Committee.  This Sub-Committee shall be chaired by the Club Manager and shall meet approximately once a month to discuss team performance, individual player performance and improvement, and coaching and training matters.  The Footballing Sub-Committee shall have responsibility for ensuring that coaching and training is organised to help Members reach their potential and for communication to individual players about performance and selection matters.  The Club Manager shall report the discussions of the Footballing Sub-Committee to the Club Committee.  The Club Committee shall retain responsibility for setting policy in relation to selection, coaching and training and for directing the Footballing Sub-Committee where necessary.

 

E) Terms of Office

  1. Members with elected positions on the Committee shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting to serve a term of one full Season.
  2. Members of the current Committee shall be eligible for nomination for any position in the following Season.
  3. Members of the Committee may resign at any stage during the period of office by expressing their wish in writing to the Chairman or, in the case of the Chairman, to the Secretary. A replacement may nominate himself to serve for the remainder of the Season and may be accepted by the Committee without the need for such a nomination to be ratified by Full Members. In the case of more than one person wishing to stand as a replacement, the procedures outlined in Article F shall be followed.

 

F) Election of Committee

  1. The Initial Committee will serve as the Committee for the first Season following the Founding Meeting
  2. The Initial Committee is appointed by those on the Initial List, at the Meeting referred to in the Preamble.
  3. Any Full Member is entitled to stand for an elected position in the Committee.
  4. The Secretary shall be responsible for advertising elections for Committee positions to Full Members not fewer than two weeks before the Annual General Meeting and shall hold in confidence all nominations. Nominations will close one week before the AGM and these shall be communicated to Members with the agenda for the AGM.
  5. Nominations for elected positions on the Committee shall be proposed by one and seconded by another Full Member and sent in writing to the Secretary.
  6. In the case of no or only one candidate being nominated for any post, the Secretary will communicate to all Full Members that nominations have been re-opened for that post. Additional nominations will be accepted in the manner laid out in Article F.5 up until 48 hours before the AGM. Additional nominations will be communicated to Full Members at least 24 hours before the AGM. If no more than one nomination is received the candidate will be deemed to have secured the position. If no nominations at all have been received, the procedure laid out in Article F.13 will be followed.
  7. Voting in the case of two or more nominations for a position will be by secret ballot. This will be overseen by two Electoral Officers, both of whom shall be a Full Member not holding a position on the current Committee and not nominated for election at that AGM. Each Full Member will have one vote for each position.
  8. Candidates for contested positions will be offered the opportunity to speak at the AGM prior to voting in order to outline to Members their experience and reasons for standing.
  9. In the case of two or more candidates being nominated for a position, a simple majority of votes will be required for election. In the event that this does not occur, the two candidates with the highest number of votes will be entered into a second round of voting.
  10.  In the case of a tie in a vote, the current Chairman shall have the casting vote where this is required to determine the successful candidate(s), except where the current Chairman is one of the candidates in the tied vote. In this case, the Secretary shall have the casting vote. In the case that the Secretary is also one of the candidates in the tied vote, the Committee shall nominate a member of the Committee who is not a candidate to hold the casting vote.
  11. The results of voting will be announced immediately after the vote at the AGM.
  12. In any case where a candidate feels there has been unfair practice during the election process, that candidate may appeal in writing to any Committee member within 48 hours. The members of the Committee excluding any Committee member who is a subject of the appeal will investigate and where they feel the election has been prejudiced they can re-order an election for that position to be held.
  13. In the event that no nominations are received for a position, the Committee shall allocate the responsibilities of that position to other Committee members. In the event that a Full Member wishes to fill the vacant position during the course of the Season, he may nominate himself in accordance with the procedure outlined in Article E.3.

 

G) Removal of Committee Members

  1. In cases where it is considered than an officer of the Committee is not adequately performing his duties the following procedure shall be adopted. A written motion of no confidence in the Committee member concerned, signed by at least 10 Full Members, must be submitted to the Secretary. In the case of the Secretary being the subject of the Motion the Motion may be submitted to the Chairman. On receipt of a motion of no confidence, an Extraordinary General Meeting will be called.
  2. The Committee member concerned may attend the meeting and give an account of his or her actions but shall be required to leave before a vote is taken. The vote shall be taken by a show of hands and shall require a two-thirds majority to be carried.
  3. In the event of a no confidence motion being carried by the Extraordinary General Meeting, that officer shall be deemed to have resigned and a replacement shall be elected with the procedure appropriate to a resignation.

 

H) General Meetings

  1. All Members are entitled to attend General Meetings, though only Full Members will have voting rights, in accordance with Article A.
  2. An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year in June or July.
  3. At least three weeks’ written notice of the time and venue of an Annual General Meeting shall be communicated by the Secretary to Members.
  4. Any Member may submit a motion for debate at the Annual General Meeting by informing the Secretary of the motion in writing at least one week in advance.
  5. Other General Meetings may be called by the Committee when necessary. The Secretary shall give at least 72 hours’ written notice of such meetings.
  6. Full Members may call Extraordinary General Meetings with a written request from at least 10 Full Members to be communicated to the Secretary by each of those Members individually. Extraordinary General Meetings will take place within a week of the Secretary receiving the tenth request. The Secretary shall give at least 72 hours’ written notice of such meetings to Members.
  7. A quorum of 50% of registered Members shall be required for the Meeting to take place.
  8. Full Members may communicate proxy votes in writing to the Secretary (who shall act as their proxy) up to four hours before the General Meeting. These votes will be held in confidence until the vote at the General Meeting when they will be available for inspection.
  9. Voting at General Meetings (save for matters referred to in Article I) will require a simple majority of votes cast to pass. Voting will be by a show of hands and will include proxy votes.

 

I) The Constitution

  1. Changes to the Constitution may only be effected at General Meetings.
  2. A two-thirds majority of votes cast will be needed to pass an amendment.
  3. The Chairman shall have the (non-legally binding) power to adjudicate in all matters regarding the interpretation of the Constitution.

 

J) Communication

  1. Any reference in this Constitution to notices or communication to Members or the Committee as a whole being “written” or “in writing” shall include email or a posting to the Forum section of the Club website but not SMS messages or online instant messenger communication.Any reference in this Constitution to notices or communication from Members being “written” or “in writing” shall include email but not a posting to the Forum section of the Club website, SMS messages or online instant messenger communication
  2. Notices for Members outside of those referred to in this Constitution will be communicated to Members in any or all of the following ways (save where specifically required otherwise):
    a) Email
    b) Telephone (including SMS messages)
    c) In writing
    d) In person
    e) By posting onto the Club website