Berks County FC is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) - Charity Number 1159139. A separate CIO Constitution exists for the Charity and is available on request.

Under Section 18 of the CIO Constitution, Berks County FC delegates general every day running of football related matters to the ‘Club Committee’. As part of these duties, the Club Committee maintains and manages the Club Rules written under Section 26 of the CIO Constitution.

In all cases, the Charity (CIO) Constitution takes precedence. The Football Club Rules are designed to supplement this Constitution and adhere with Football Association requirements.

1. NAME

The Club shall be called Berks County Football Club (the “Club”).

2. OBJECTS

The objects of the Club are to –

i) advance the amateur sport of association football.

ii) promote community participation in healthy recreation by providing facilities for playing association football (facilities means land, buildings, equipment and organising football activities).

3. STATUS OF RULES

These Rules (the “Club Rules”) form a binding agreement between each member of the Club and supplement the Charity (CIO) Constitution.

4. RULES AND REGULATIONS

(a) The members of the Club shall so exercise their rights, powers and duties and shall, where appropriate, use their best endeavours to ensure that others conduct themselves so that the business and affairs of the Club are carried out in accordance with the Rules and Regulation of The Football Association Limited (“The FA”), County Football Association to which the Club is affiliated (“Parent County Association”) and Competitions in which the Club participates, for the time being in force.

(b) No alteration to the Club Rules shall be effective without written approval by the Parent County Association (Berks and Bucks FA). The FA and the Parent County Association reserve the right to approve any proposed changes to the Club Rules.

(c) The Club will also abide by The FA’s Safeguarding Children Policies and Procedures, Codes of Conduct and the Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discrimination Policy as shall be in place from time to time.

5. CLUB MEMBERSHIP

(a) The members of the Club from time to time shall be those persons listed in the register of members (the “Membership Register”) which shall be maintained online by the Membership Secretary.

(b) Any person who wishes to be a member must apply via the online membership system. Election to membership shall be at the discretion of the Trustees and granted in accordance with the anti-discrimination and equality policies which are in place from time to time. An appeal against refusal may be made to the Trustees in accordance with the Complaints Procedure in place from time to time. Membership shall become effective upon an applicant’s name being approved in the online Membership Register.

(c) In the event of a member’s resignation or expulsion, his or her name shall be removed from the online Membership Register.

(d) The FA and Parent County Association shall be given access to the online Membership Register on demand.

e) The Club shall provide all its services in a way that is fair and open to the whole community.

f) Membership shall be open to anyone interested in amateur football regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs.

g) Where the member of the Club is under 16 years of age then a parent/carer shall represent the member in terms of the Constitution and Club Rules.

6. ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE

(a) An annual fee payable by each member in a playing squad (or ‘pay as you go’ for non - squad members) shall be determined from time to time by the Trustees and set at a level that will not pose a significant obstacle to community participation. Any fee shall be payable on a successful application for membership and annually by each squad member. Fees shall not be repayable and an admin fee will be charged for in-season transfers between clubs.

(b) The Trustees shall have the authority to levy further subscriptions from the members as are reasonably necessary to fulfil the objects of the Club.

7. RESIGNATION AND EXPULSION

(a) A member shall cease to be a member of the Club if, and from the date on which, he/she gives notice to the Trustees of his / her resignation. A member whose annual membership fee or further subscription is more than six (6) months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned.

(b) The Trustees shall have the power to expel a member when, in its opinion, it would not be in the interests of the club for them to remain a member. An appeal against such a decision may be made to the Trustees in accordance with the Club Constitution in force from time to time.

(c) A member who resigns or is expelled shall not be entitled to claim any or any share of, any, of the income and assets of the Club (the “Club Property”).

8. FOOTBALL CLUB COMMITTEE

(a) The Football Club Committee (established by the Charity Trustees) shall consist of the following Club Officers: Chairperson(s), Vice Chairperson(s), Treasurer, Standards Manager, Secretary, and up to six (6) other Officers, all elected at the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”).

(b) Each Club Officer and Football Club Committee Member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the next AGM unless otherwise resolved at an Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”). One person may hold no more than two (2) positions of Club Officer at any time. The Football Club Committee shall be responsible for the management of all the affairs of the Club. Decisions of the Football Club Committee shall be made by a simple majority of those attending the Committee meeting. The Chairperson of the Football Club Committee meeting shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie. Meetings of the Club Committee shall be chaired by a Chairperson or in their absence, Vice Chairperson.

The quorum for the transaction of the business of the Club Committee shall be three (3) including one (1) Trustee.

(c) Decisions of the Football Club Committee shall be entered into the Minute Book of the Club to be maintained by the Club Secretary.

(d) Any member of the Football Club Committee may call a meeting of the Football Club Committee by giving not less than seven days’ notice to all members of the Football Club Committee. The Football Club Committee shall hold not less than four (4) meetings per year.

(e) An outgoing member of the Football Club Committee may be re-elected. Any vacancy on the Football Club Committee which arises between AGMs shall be filled by a member proposed by one (1) and seconded by another one (1) of the remaining Football Club Committee members and approved by simple majority of the remaining Football Club Committee members.

(f) Save as provided for in the Charity Constitution or Rules and Regulations of The FA, the Parent County Association and any applicable Competition, the Football Club Committee shall have the power to decide all questions and disputes arising in respect of any issue concerning the Football Club Rules.

(g) The position of a Club Officer shall be vacated if such a person is subject to a decision of The FA that such person be suspended from holding office or from taking part in any football activity relating to the administration or management of a football club.

9. ANNUAL AND EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS

a) As per the Charity Constitution, an AGM shall be held in each year to:

(i) receive a report of the activities of the Club over the previous year;

(ii) receive a report of the Club’s finances over the previous year;

(iii) elect Trustees and members of the Football Club Committee; and

(iv) consider any other business.

(b) Nominations for election of members of the Football Club Committee shall be made in writing by the proposer and seconder, both of whom must be existing members of the Club, to the Club Secretary not less than 21 days before the AGM. Notice of any resolution to be proposed at the AGM shall be given in writing to the Club Secretary not less than 21 days before the Meeting.

(c) An EGM may be called at any time by the Trustees and shall also be called within 21 days of the receipt by the Trustees of a requisition in writing, signed by not less than 10% of members, stating the purposes for which the Meeting is required and the resolutions proposed. Business at an EGM may be any business that may be transacted at an AGM.

(d) The Club Secretary shall send to each member at their last known postal or email address written notice of the date of a General Meeting (whether an AGM or an EGM) together with the resolutions to be proposed at least 14 days before the meeting.

(e) The quorum for a General Meeting shall be 5% of the membership or 3 persons whichever is the greater

(f) A Chairperson, or in their absence a member selected by the Trustees, shall take the chair.

Each member present shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairperson of that Meeting shall have a casting vote.

(g) The Club Secretary, or in their absence another member of the Club, shall enter the Minutes of Meetings into the Minute Book of the Club.

10. CLUB TEAMS

At its first meeting following each AGM , the Football Club Committee shall appoint a Club member to be responsible for each of the Club’s football teams. The appointed members shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the team. The appointed members shall present to the Football Club Committee at its last meeting prior to an AGM a written report of the activities of the team.

11. CLUB FINANCES

(a) A bank account shall be opened and maintained in the name of the Club (the “Club Account”).

Designated account signatories shall be the Club Chairperson(s), the Club Standards Manager and the Club Treasurer.

No payments greater than £500 shall be drawn from the Club Account except by written approval by the designated signatories. All monies payable to the Club shall be deposited in the Club Account.

(b) The Club Property shall be applied only in furtherance of the objects of the Club. The distribution of profits or proceedings arising from the sale of Club Property to members is prohibited.

(c) The Trustees shall have the power to authorise the payment of remuneration and expenses to any member of the Club (although a Club shall not remunerate a member for playing) and to any other person or persons for services rendered to the Club.

(d) The Club may provide sporting and related social facilities, sporting equipment, coaching, courses, insurance cover, medical treatment, away match expenses, post-match refreshments and other ordinary benefits of CIOs

(e) The Club may also in connection with the sports purposes of the Club:

(i) sell and supply food, drink and related sports clothing and equipment;

(ii) employ members (although not for playing) and remunerate them for providing goods and services, on fair terms set by the Trustees without the person concerned being present;

(iii) pay for reasonable hospitality for visiting teams and guests; and

(iv) indemnify the Club Committee and members acting properly in the course of the running of the Club against any liability incurred in the proper running of the Club (but only to the extent of its assets).

(f) The Club shall keep accounting records for recording the fact and nature of all payments and receipts so as to disclose, with reasonable accuracy, at any time, the financial position, including the assets and liabilities of the Club. The Club must retain its accounting records for a minimum of six (6) years.

(g) The Club shall prepare an annual “Financial Statement” which shall be verified by an independent, appropriately qualified accountant and shall be approved by members at a General Meeting. A copy of any Financial Statement shall, on demand, be forwarded to The FA.

12. DISSOLUTION

Please refer to CIO Constitution.