MINUTES OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (CONSTITUTION) MEETING OF THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE NORTHERN SENIOR LEAGUE HELD AT FRAMPTON COMMUNITY CENTRE ON
TUESDAY 10th MAY 2016
WITH Mr. W. PHILLIPS, (CHAIRMAN), PRESIDING.
MC55/1516 CHAIRMAN’s OPENING
The Chairman thanked the Committee for their efforts in running the League over another season which had been particularly difficult throughout.
MC56/1516 IN ATTENDANCE
D. Birt, J. Green, H. Hunt, Sandra Major, W. Phillips, D. Purser, D. Small, C. Starkey and J. Tapp.
MC57/1516 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from J. Lewis, N. Oram and R. Sansom.
MC58/1516 MINUTES OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING OF 18th April 2016.
The Chairman signed the Minutes as a true and correct record.
MC59/1516 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING OF 18th April 2016.
There were the following Matters Arising from the Minutes of the Management Committee Meeting of 18th April 2016.
(a) Abuse of Referees.
(i) Letter dated 26th April from Paul Hockey, Hon. Sec, FC Barometrics re abuse of Referees.
The issues in connection with the Sharpness v FC Barometrics match were well documented in the April Management Committee meeting Minutes.
An email dated 26th April 2016 from the FC Barometrics Club Secretary Mr Paul Hockey stated that he had been asked by his Chairman to pass on that their Manager from this season was stepping down and that this would mean a large number of their current players were likely to go with him.He further explained that as a Club Committee they had also decided that they will refuse to sign a number of these players on again next season due to their detrimental behaviour in an attempt to eradicate some of the disciplinary issues that they had had this season.
The Secretary commented that while Paul Hockey personally may be optimistic that FC Barometrics would improve their behaviour the Committee should be very sceptical that this will in fact happen. He said that the League had heard it all before from them with their behaviour worsening rather than improving and cited the email published in the December Minutes which he received date 16th November 2015 and reproduced below.
“I/We as a club appreciate the seriousness of the situation. I apologise for a lack of explicit reference to any positive actions taken by us as a club. I immediately shared your email with our manager and we asked for him to address his future conduct and also to reiterate this problem to our players. We have tried to eradicate this sort of behaviour by 'vetting' who we sign on this season and also tighten up in house bans/suspensions. This has largely been linked to non-payment of fines etc by our players but we are also imposing bans on persistent offenders and asked all players to sign a code of conduct at the start of the season - all of which we hope will lead to continued improvements in behaviour of all of our members, both sanctioning negative behaviour and reinforcing positives.
So please know that we do take these matters seriously and do take steps to address it.”
The Committee endorsed the Secretary’s comments and reiterated and were not at all
convinced by any of the statements from the Club.
They reconfirmed that once the disciplinary issues presently with the GFA had been
completed they would bring the FC Barometrics representatives before them to
discuss the issues involved and would decide on any necessary action to be taken
against the Club.
(b) Incorrect Fines
The following entry in the Minutes was incorrect as it was the 3rd Occasion and
So the fine should have been £8.
22nd March 2016, Div. 2, CHALFORD, (away to Lydney Town Res) reported. Late text received at 22-14.
2nd Occasion – FINED £4.
The following entry in the Minutes was incorrect as it was the 3rd Occasion and
So the fine should have been £8.
9th April 2016, Div 2, LYDNEY TOWN RES, (away to Woolaston). Late text, received at 17-22.
2nd Occasion – FINED £4.
The following entry in the Minutes was incorrect as it was the 2nd Occasion and
So the fine should have been £4.
16th April 2016, Div 1, CAM BULLDOGS, (away to Berkeley Town). No text received.
1st Occasion – FINED £2.
MC60/1516 CORRESPONDENCE
The Secretary informed the meeting that no correspondence had been received.
MC61/1516 BREACHES OF LEAGUE RULES
Rule 5(h). Failing to deal with the business of the League.
23rd April 2016, NEWENT TOWN, (home to Brockworth Albion), reported. Failed to contact Referee James Cox as required.
FINED £20.
23rd April 2016, Div. 2, WINCHCOMBE TOWN, (home to Leonard Stanley), changed their Club Linesman more than once during the match.
FINED £10.
7th May 2016, Div. 1, AVONVALE UTD, (away to Newent Town), failed to ask for the League’s agreement to the postponement of a fixture, (Item MC62/1516(iii)) of these Minutes refers.
FINED £10.
10th May 2016, CHARLTON ROVERS, HARROW HILL, LEONARD STANLEY, LYDBROOK ATH, SOUTHSIDE STAR and WHADDON UTD, failed to reply to the General Secretary’s emails regarding the production of the proposed fixtures for season 2016-17.
ALL ABOVE FINED £10.
Rule 10(d). Failing to contact the Match Referee.
19th April 2016, Div. 1, AVONVALE UTD, (home to Stonehouse Town), reported.
FINED £10.
23rd April 2016, Div. 1, TAVERNERS, (home to Charlton Rovers), reported.
FINED £10.
Rule 11. Entering of Results into Full Time.
11(a). Text Messages of Results.
27th April 2016, Div.1, CAM BULLDOGS, (home to Ruardean Hill Rangers). Failed to enter a Match Return in Full Time.
3rd Occasion – FINED £8.
30th April 2016, Div.2, BREDON, (away to Woolaston). Failed to enter a Match Return in Full Time.
1st Occasion – FINED £2.
11(b). Text Messages of Results.
23rd April 2016, Div 2, WINCHCOMBE TOWN, (home to Leonard Stanley). Late text, received at 17-42
7th Occasion – FINED £32.
23rd April 2016, Div 1, RUARDEAN HILL RANGERS, (away to FC Barometrics). Late text, received at 17-23
3rd Occasion – FINED £8.
23rd April 2016, Div 2, ABBEYMEAD ROVERS, (away to Chalford). No text received
10th Occasion – FINED £32.
23rd April 2016, Div 2, BREDON, (away to Lydney Town). No text received
2nd Occasion – FINED £4.
23rd April 2016, Div 1, NEWENT TOWN, (home to Brockworth Albion). No text received
5th Occasion – FINED £32.
23rd April 2016, Div 2, WOOLASTON, (home to Wotton Rovers). No text received
2nd Occasion – FINED £4.
26th April 2016, Div 1, WINCHCOMBE TOWN, (away to Lydney Town). Text contained an incorrect score. Reported “1-4” actual score was “4-1”.
8th Occasion – FINED £32.
26th April 2016, Div 2, WINCHCOMBE TOWN, (away to Lydney Town). Text contained an incorrect score. Reported “1-4” actual score was “4-1”.
9th Occasion – FINED £32.
28th April 2016, Div 2, CHALFORD, (away to Woolaston). Late text, received at
21-04.
3rd Occasion – FINED £8.
4th May 2016, Div 1, STONEHOUSE TOWN, (away to Sharpness). Late text, received at 21-12.
2nd Occasion – FINED £4.
4th May 2016, Div 2, LONGLEVENS, (away to Woolaston). Late text, received at 21-04.
5th Occasion – FINED £32.
3rd May 2016, Div 1, STONEHOUSE TOWN, (away to Sharpness). Late text, received at 21-13
2nd Occasion – FINED £4.
3rd May 2016, Div 2, LONGLEVENS, (away to Woolaston). Late text, received at 21-05
6th Occasion – FINED £32.
5th May 2016, Div 2, SMITHS ATHLETIC, (home to Whaddon United). Text contained an incorrect score. Reported “7-4” actual score was “4-7”.
3rd Occasion – FINED £8.
7th May 2016, Div 1, NEWENT TOWN, (home to Avonvale United). No text received.
6th Occasion – FINED £32.
MC62/1516 GENERAL SECRETARY
(a) Abuse of Referees
(i) Report from Referee George Evans regarding the conduct of the Winchcombe Town team in the Winchcombe Town v Leonard Stanley game on 23rd April 2016.
The Secretary received an email dated 24th April concerning the behaviour of Winchcombe Town FC which he said displayed the very worst of sportsmanship he had encountered this season and one of the worst in the numerous seasons he had officiated on the GNSL.
He stated that he had cautioned four of their players and another was dismissed for two cautionable offences, but there could quite easily have been another player dismissed for two cautions as well.
He complained that their manager Chris Jackson was, “ranting and raving on the touchline throughout the match, had a go at me after the match finished back near the changing rooms after questioning my performance during the half time break”.
Other complaints were lack of leadership form the Captain, dissent throughout the match, linesmen changing without authority, failure to hand back his touchline flag at the completion of the game, all of which showed disrespect to him as the official.
The Secretary sent the report to Winchcombe Town and asked for their comments/observations.
Sandra Major wrote to the Secretary apologising for the team’s behaviour and later sent a report from Chris Jackson who had been named by the referee.
Mr Jackson refuted Mr Evans report and that he was “ranting and raving” he said he was merely encouraging his players. He also took issue with the assertion that Winchcombe Town were the worst disciplined team in the League as they have had only one dismissal this season, also their opponents Leonard Stanley had not been concerned with any aspect of the game relating to the behaviour of the Winchcombe Town team.
The Committee noted both the Referee’s comments and those from Mr Jackson but decided that a formal warning should be given to Winchcombe Town as to their future conduct in the League and to their undisciplined behaviour towards our Referees.
(ii) Non-appearance of a Referee in a recent GNSL match.
One of the League’s Referees failed to turn up at a match recently, the Secretary gave
the Committee his name but in order to save any embarrassment for the
gentleman concerned it was decided that this would not be published.
The referee had accepted the appointment, had also received the normal Full Time
Notifications and the Club Secretary had, as normal, rung him a few days beforehand
to confirm it.
The Referee had also accepted a match with another League on the same evening,
claiming he thought the match in the GNSL was the following evening.
The Committee felt that there could be no excuse for failing to attend in view of the
notifications he had received and it was purely down to a lack of good housekeeping
on his part. They were very concerned that something such as this could occur with
such an experienced Referee.
However, as it was the first time that this had occurred they felt that although some
disciplinary measure should be taken it should not be too draconian and so it was
agreed that the Referee in question would not be given any Reg Davis Cup matches
in August this year.
(iii) Email from Jo Johnson, Hon. Sec, Avonvale Utd dated 5th May 2016 informing the League that they could not fulfil their fixture on Sat 7th May 2016.
The General Secretary received an email from Jo Johnson merely informing him that
they only had four players and would not be fulfilling the fixture at Newent Town on
7th May 2016 and would accept the loss of three points and a fine.
The Secretary informed her that if they did not fulfil their fixture at Newent Town
as scheduled then he would,invoke Rule 17(d) and would not include them in next
season’s constitution of the League.
The fixture was played at Newent Town on 7th May 2016 and as such the League’s
programme was completed.
However, this brought into question the lack of knowledge of the procedures and
protocols of the League insofaras it is not for a club secretary to give the General
Secretary a fait accompli. It has always been understood that the Club in question
must speak with the General Secretary and discuss the issues involved.
Member Clubs do not have the power to unilaterally postponed games only the
League through the General Secretary can do this.
The Chairman commented that as there is a large turnover of Secretary’s and with
new Clubs entering the League there appears to an ignorance of the rules and
regulations of the League and this is why he urges all Clubs at the AGM to study the
rules and ask the League for advice on any issue on which they are unsure.
The Committee agreed that in view of the unsatisfactory manner in which Avonvale
Utd had conducted this matter they would be fined £10 under Rule 5(h).
MC63/1516 ASSISTANT LEAGUE SECRETARY
Mr Birt reported that from his stand point it had been a very straight forward season.
MC64/1516 LEAGUE TREASURER
Mr Purser reported that the Season’s Accounts would be issued by the Secretary shortly with the AGM package of documents but that the League had made a profit of £1,624.01p over the season.
MC65/1516 RESULTS SECRETARY
No Minute.
MC66/1516 CONSTITUTION OF THE LEAGUE
Grounds Committee Co-Ordinator David Purser informed the meeting that the
Grounds and facilities of the Champions of the Cheltenham League, FC
Lakeside, the Champions of the Stroud and District League,
Stroud Harriers and the North Gloucestershire League, Mitcheldean had all been
inspected and found to be acceptable to the league.
The three teams referred to above will therefore be recommended to the AGM for
acceptance into the GNSL for season 2016-17.
He reported that Stonehouse Town had been recommended for acceptance into the Glos County League.
Ramblers had resigned from the League in mid-season and Longford were to be relegated to the Stroud and District League.
Hence the Constitution of the League for Season 2016-17 is as follows:-
Division 1
Club
Avonvale Utd
Berkeley Town
Bibury (Promoted)
Bredon (Promoted)
Brockworth Albion
Cam Bulldogs
Charlton Rovers
FC Barometrics
Harrow Hill
Leonard Stanley (Promoted)
Newent Town
Ruardean Hill Rangers