THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE NORTHERN SENIOR LEAGUE
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE NORTHERN SENIOR LEAGUE HELD AT FRAMPTON COMMUNITY CENTRE, FRAMPTON-ON-SEVERN,
ON TUESDAY 27th MAY 2014
WITH Mr. W. PHILLIPS, (CHAIRMAN), PRESIDING.
AGM1/14 CHAIRMAN’s OPENING
The Chairman welcomed all delegates to the meeting making particular mention of the League’s new member clubs, Avonvale Utd from the Stroud and District League, Charlton Rovers from the Cheltenham League and Woolaston from the North Gloucestershire League
Mr Phillips, however, asked that when delegates speak they stand, address the Chair and give their name and the club they represent.
He congratulated Cam Bulldogs who finished as Champions of the League. He also congratulated Cheltenham Civil Service who finished as Runners-Up and were accepted into the Gloucestershire County League.
The Chairman then congratulated FC Barometrics who finished as Champions of Division Two and to Moreton Rangers who finished as Runners-Up, both these clubs, along with Newent Town, were promoted to Division One.
He stated also that those clubs who had finished in the lowly positions in the Disciplinary Table must improve their record next season as the League are fully committed to the RESPECT programme and asked them to consider what more they could do to improve matters next season.
He started that over the last 6 or 7 seasons a substantial improvement had been achieved in both player and club conduct. In a minority of cases the management committee were still concerned that general conduct, and in particular treatment of referees, was not acceptable or required. He advised all clubs that supplying referees for a full fixture programme is a very difficult task for the General Secretary.'
Relegated from the League were Soudley along with Stroud FC who resigned from the League in mid-season.
The Chairman said he wished to take this opportunity to thank his fellow Officers and members of the Management Committee of the League for their efforts over the past season.
In conclusion he thanked all concerned for a very good season with only a small minority causing the League problems.
AGM2/14 PRESENTATIONS
Life Member Dave Bushell presented the Norman Trafford Sportsmanship Trophy to Stonehouse Town AFC who finished the season with the lowest number of disciplinary points, (11), against them.
Vice-Chairman Clive Starkey presented the Golden Jubillee Trophy to Star FC who finished the season with the highest average Sportsmanship mark of 8.48 awarded by the Leagues Referees.
Management Committee Member Nick Oram presented The John George Award for Club Secretary of the Year to Willy Brown of Bibury AFC.
Management Committee Member Haydn Hunt presented the Merit Shield to Moreton Rangers who scored the highest number of goals in the season with 105.
Chairman Bill Phillips presented the Linesman of the Year Award to Robert Partridge of Harrow Hill AFC and Liam O’Shaughnessy of FC Barometrics who finished the season with equal marks.
Life Member Colin Timbrell presented the Referee of the Year award to Terry Gladwin.
AGM3/14 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
There were no apologies for absence.
AGM4/14 CHANGES OF CLUB DELEGATES
Jason Bird for Ian Neville (Stonehouse Town) and Jason Harries for Michael Gorny
(Chalford).
AGM5/14 MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF 4th JUNE 2013.
Vice Chairman Clive Starkey proposed that the Minutes of the Meeting be accepted as a true and correct record with Jamie Thomas (Sharpness) seconding this and with the meetings approval the Chairman signed the Minutes accordingly.
AGM06/14 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF 4th JUNE 2013.
Management Committee Member Roger Sansom informed the meeting that the
Minutes showed himself as being the League President when in fact his term of office
had ended. The Minutes should have recorded that Clive Starkey was to be the new
President of the League.
The Secretary informed the meeting that this matter would be recorded in the Minutes
of the meeting.
AGM07/14 ADOPTION OF ANNUAL REPORT
Having been circulated its adoption was accepted. Proposed by Vice Chairman Clive Starkey and seconded by John Tapp (Smiths Ath).
AGM08/14 ADOPTION OF THE BALANCE SHEET AND STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS
The Treasurer drew the delegates attention to the debt of £66-92p which is owed by Real Whaddon who resigned from the League following the 2013 Annual General Meeting.
He informed the meeting that the league had made a profit of £609-53p over the season.
Mr Purser informed the delegates that there been a profit of £420 from the Reg Davis Memorial Cup competition and that £400 should be made available from it for John Tapp’s suggestion for a charitable donation to be made to the Cheltenham and District Sporting Association for the Disabled. The meeting agreed with this proposal.
AGM9/14 ELECTION OF CLUBS AND CONSTITUTION OF THE LEAGUE
Mr Green informed the delegates that the ground and facilities of Avonvale Utd, Charlton Rovers and Wollaston had all been inspected and found to be acceptable to the League and therefore recommended acceptance by the meeting. This was accepted by the delegates.
The Secretary explained that the League Management Committee’s recommendation was that the three top clubs in Division Two, FC Barometrics, Moreton Rangers and Newent Town be promoted to Division One and that Bredon and Dursley Town be relegated from Division One to Division Two.
With the above recommendations Soudley and Stroud FC who had resigned from the League in mid-season would be relegated from the League.
Consequently the Constitution of the League for Season 2014-15 would be as follows;-
Division 1
Club
Broadwell Amateurs
Brockworth Albion
Cam Bulldogs
FC Barometrics (Promoted)
Hardwicke
Harrow Hill
Lydbrook Ath
Minsterworth
Moreton Rangers (Promoted)
Newent Town (Promoted)
Ramblers
Ruardean Hill Rangers
Sharpness
Star F.C
Stonehouse Town
Taverners
Division 2
Club
Abbeymead Rovers
Avonvale Utd (Champions of the Stroud & District League)
Bibury
Bredon (Relegated)
Chalford
Charlton Rovers (Champions of the Cheltenham League)
Dursley Town (Relegated)
Leonard Stanley
Longford
Quedgeley Wanderers
Smiths Ath
Tuffley Rovers Res
Viney St Swithins
Winchcombe Town
Woolaston (Champions of the North Glos League)
Wotton Rovers
Promoted to the Glos County League – Cheltenham, Civil Service.
Relegated from the GNSL – Soudley and Stroud FC who resigned in mid-season.
Neil Spillar (Tuffley Rovers Res) proposed that the Constitution as suggested by the League Management Committee be accepted this being seconded by Paul Hockey (FC Barometrics) and approved by the meeting.
AGM10/14 ADOPTION OF STANDING ORDERS
The adoption was proposed by Vice Chairman Clive Starkey and seconded by Keith Sparrow (Quedgeley Wanderers) and approved by the meeting.
AGM11/14 VOTE OF THANKS TO RETIRING OFFICERS
The vote of thanks was given by Neil Spiller (Tuffley Rovers Reserves) who thanked all the Officers of the League for their hard work and dedication and noted that some of them had been giving their services to the league for a great number of years. He felt it was to their great credit that they were able to show the resilience, fortitude and commitment year after year, to offer their services in the running the League, which he remarked was run very efficiently.
In acknowledging the contribution of all Officers and Management Committee representatives, he specifically mentioned the help and assistance that he had received in his first year as a Club Secretary, thanking Dave Birt for the help he had given in guiding him through the registration process; Nick Oram with his first experience of the operation of the Full-Time Results Service, David Purser on the financial side and John Green for his general guidance as to how the league operates and, in particular, the time spent ensuring the league fixtures had officials week in, week out.
Neil confirmed that it was also an honour to be asked to give this Vote of Thanks in his first season with the League.
He noted that the meeting had been informed that Colin Timbrell was resigning from the Management Committee after 42 years; noting this as an amazing feat in itself, and quipped that this was longer than he himself had been alive!
He then asked the delegates to show their appreciation for the Management Committee, with a round of applause, which was duly given.
David Purser then thanked Neil for his kind words.
AGM12/14 ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR SEASON 2014-15
The following Officers and persons in other positions of responsibility were elected to serve for Season 2014-15.
PRESIDENT - Mr C. Starkey
PRESIDENT-ELECT - To be appointed
CHAIRMAN - Mr W. Phillips
VICE-CHAIRMAN - Mr C. Starkey
GENERAL SECRETARY - Mr J. Green
ASSISTANT SECRETARY - Mr D. Birt
TREASURER - Mr D. Purser
RESULTS SECRETARY - Mr N. Oram
OTHER POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY
DOORMAN/TELLER - Mr J. Lewis
GROUNDS INSPECTION COMMITTEE
CO-ORDINATOR - Mr D. Purser
COMPOSITION OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The General Secretary reminded the delegates of the discussions detailed in the March and May 2012 Management Committee Minutes whereby it had been agreed that three clubs each season would be compelled to volunteer one representative each to the Committee for a minimum of one season and that it would be decided by the drawing of lots at the Annual General Meeting. Excluded from the draw this year would be the new clubs together with Chalford, Smiths Ath and Tuffley Rovers Res who had previously supplied delegates to the Committee. At future AGM’s those clubs who had already participated would not be included as part of the draw process. Mr Phillips stressed however that should any new member wished to remain on the Committee then he would be free to do so.
He explained that there was now a vacancy on the Committee as a result of Mr Colin Timbrell resigning after 42 years on the Committee. The meeting then applauded Colin for his splendid contribution to the League over this long period in the traditional manner.
In view of this a ballot was held which was drawn by Life Member Colin Timbrell and resulted in Dursley Town AFC being required to nominate a Management Committee member to serve for at least a period of one year.
The composition of the League Management Committee would therefore be as follows:-
D. Birt, D. Bushell, Dursley Town nominee, J. Green, H. Hunt, J. Lewis, K. Mason, N. Oram, W. Phillips, D. Purser, R. Sansom, C. Starkey, G. Surman and J. Tapp.
Jamie Thomas proposed that the above Officers and Management Committee be elected for season 2014-15 with Mr J.M. Green and Mr D.R Purser being nominated as the league’s GFA Representatives, this was seconded by Keith Sparrow (Quedgeley Wanderers) and approved by the meeting.
AGM13/14 ALTERATIONS TO ‘REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTION TO THE GNSL’
The following amendment to Regulation 2 of the Requirements for Election to the GNSL regarding the use of a second pitch on a club’s ground the suggested revised
wording is as follows:-
Make Item 2 as is now into 2(a) then include a new 2(b) as follows:-
2(b). Second Pitch. Where a second pitch on a ground has been sanctioned
by the League it shall only be used when the main pitch is not available and
only with the permission of the General Secretary. The requirements of
2(a) above shall also apply.
AGM 14/14 REPORTING RESULTS
Mr N Oram, the Results Secretary, informed the meeting that the League had taken more significant strides, over the course of the season that had just finished, to become fully electronic. He highlighted the problems that had been experienced in the early rounds of the GFA County Cups, when the unilateral decision of the County FA to employ Full-Time’s SMS Result Reporting facility and to not tell anyone about it, had clashed with the League’s own use of the SMS facility and had led to chaos. Mr Oram assured the meeting that these problems had been quickly resolved once reported to the FA’s IT department and that it was very unlikely that an repetition would be experienced during the forthcoming season.
Mr Oram thanked club delegates for the part that each club had played in the successful implementation of electronic Match Reporting, which, he informed the meeting, had been adopted as standard practice with a bare minimum of issues. He also thanked club delegates, on both his own behalf and that of Mr Dave Birt, the Assistant Secretary, for the relatively smooth transition to online Registrations that had been experienced. Mr Oram concluded by assuring the meeting that the League would explore every avenue available to continue the League’s progress in becoming fully computer compliant over the course of the new season
AGM15/14 COMMENCEMENT AND CONCLUSION OF THE PLAYING SEASON
The Reg Davis Memorial Cup Competition
Round 1 – Sat 9th August 2014.
Round 2 – Wed 13th August 2014.
Round 3 – Wed 20th August 2014.
Semi-Finals – Sat 13th September 2014, with the matches being played on the ground of the first drawn.
Gloucestershire Northern Senior League
League fixtures commence on Sat 16th August 2014 with the season ending on 28th March 2014, the kick-off times being as follows:-
August, September and October – 3-00pm.
November, December and January – 2-00pm,
February, March, April and May – 3-00pm.
The General Secretary reminded the delegates that all registrations forms and transfers should be sent to the Assistant Secretary David Birt. He also reminded them that in accordance with Rule 8(b) each club must lodge at least 15 completed registration forms with him by 26th July 2014. Any club failing in this respect will be fined £15.
AGM16/14 LEAGUE AND FIXTURE FORMS
Mr Lewis informed the meeting that the following league forms had been received with the exception of the club listed below. The Chairman stated that this club would be fined £50 under Rule 9(a).
Agreement Forms
All Agreement Forms were received
Registration Forms
All Registration Forms were received.
Fixture Forms
All Fixture Forms were received with the exception of Dursley Town.
League Declaration and Sanction Forms.
All League Declaration and Sanction Forms were received.
Vice Chairman Clive Starkey proposed that that the above fine be accepted with
Life Member David Bushell seconding this acceptance, this was then accepted by the meeting.