NOMENCLATURE AND CONSTITUTION

 

1.            TITLE.

a)       This Competition shall be designated the Medway Youth League and known as the Medway News Youth League, hereinafter referred to as ‘The MNYL.’ and shall consist of Clubs who shall be Full Member Clubs and Clubs who shall be Associate Member Clubs. (44 Member Clubs is the maximum allowable).

b)      All such Member Clubs must be affiliated to the Kent County Football Association Limited and their names and particulars shall be returned annually by the appointed date on the Form “D” to the Kent County Football Association. Member clubs shall provide any such information as may be required by the league for this purpose.

c)       This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Kent County Football Association and the constituent teams of Member Clubs may be grouped in divisions, each not exceeding 14 in number and shall be divided into the divisions that the Committee deem appropriate for the well being of the competition.

(i)        Member clubs can not enter more than 2 teams in any age group from under 8 to under 16.

(ii)      Member clubs entering teams at under 8 to under 10 age groups will be required to register enough players to provide two 6 “A” side teams.

(iii)     Priority of membership will be given to teams who played in the league in the previous season.

d)      Member Clubs shall not enter any of their teams in any other Competitions (with the exception of FA. and County FA. Competitions) except with the written consent of the Management Committee of the Competition.

e)       The competition will provide 11-a-side football for players who have attained the age of 10 and Mini-Soccer for players who have attained the age of 6 years but not the age of 10 years, as at midnight on 31st August in a playing season.

f)        Each member club must have an adult Secretary.

g)       Each member club shall be supplied with one copy of the League Constitution for their Secretary and additional copies for each team entered into the League.

h)       No application for membership of the league will be permitted from any club which has any players under financial contract without full Management Committee approval.

i)         Each member club shall pay a membership fee, per team entered or registration fees as decided by the Management Committee, to which clubs will receive notification by the AGM.

j)         Any team that does not pay the membership fee, if notified at the AGM, by 1st August may not, if the Management Committee so desires, enter the competition.

k)       The League membership fee , if notified at the AGM, shall not be returnable in any circumstances after acceptance to the League.

l)         Membership of the League shall be open to all amateur Youth Football Clubs whose grounds are within a radius of 20 miles of The Brook Theatre, Chatham, subject to a maximum of 36 teams at under 8 to under 18.

m)    Mobile numbers for contact with clubs / fixture secretaries will not be accepted.

 

 

2.            ENTRY FEE, SUBSCRIPTION, DEPOSIT

a)       Applications by existing Member Clubs for admission to this Competition must be made prior to the 1st June of each season in writing to the League Secretary. Application for membership of the league with regard to clubs that were not member clubs the previous season, should be made in writing to the League Secretary prior to 1st May of each season.

At the discretion of a majority of the accredited voting members present applications, of which due notice has been given, may be received at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.

b)      The Annual Subscription shall, if notified at the AGM, be payable on or before the 1st August in each year.

c)       A Club shall not participate in this Competition until all monies due have been paid.

d)      Clubs must advise annually to the Secretary in writing by 1st August of its Kent County Football Association affiliation number for the forthcoming Season. Clubs must advise the Secretary in writing or on the prescribed form, of details of its Headquarters, Officers and any other information required by the Competition.

3.            OFFICERS

a)       The Officers of the Competition shall be known as The Management Committee to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. (N.B. Auditors are not Officers).

4.            MANAGEMENT, NOMINATION, ELECTION

The Management Committee shall comprise the following members whose duties are described where necessary:-

Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer.

Registration/Fixture Secretaries:-                 To maintain a register of players, check result cards, and manage fixtures.

Public Relations Officer:-                            To control and manage all matters relating to the media.

League Promotions Officer:-                       Responsible for sales and marketing of the League

Result Secretary:-                                       To receive and circulate match results and update result line.

Webmaster :-                                             To maintain the League Website and compile and circulate League tables and fixtures.

Referee Secretary:-                                     To allocate matches to Referees available to the League.

League Welfare Officer                               To liaise with KCFA Welfare Officer and to play an active

                                                                  role in creating awareness of poor practise and abuse to League officials/referees and to member clubs.

Match Observers:-                                     During a playing season the League Committee may appoint  person(s), as deemed necessary, to act as match observers. The appointed person(s) will have the same authority as a Committee Member. but would not attend meetings or have any voting rights.

a)       The Competition shall be governed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of The Football Association by a Management Committee comprised of Officers and Committee members who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.  All participants shall abide by The Football Association Regulations for Safeguarding Children as determined by The Association from time to time.

b)      Retiring Officers shall be eligible to become candidates for re-election without nomination. All other candidates for election as Officers or Members of the Management Committee shall be nominated to the Secretary in writing, signed by the Secretaries of two Member Clubs, not later than 1st May in each year.  Names of the candidates for election shall be circulated with the notice of the Annual General Meeting. In the event of  there being no nomination in accordance with the foregoing for any office, nominations may be received at the Annual General Meeting.

c)       The Management Committee shall meet at least once a month to deal with business as it arises. On receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds of the Members of the Management Committee the Secretary shall convene a meeting of the Committee.

d)      Except where otherwise mentioned all communications shall be addressed by mail, email or fax to the Secretary who shall conduct the correspondence of the Competition and keep a record of its proceedings.

e)       All communications received from Clubs must be conducted through their nominated Officers.

f)        No person who manages a team in an age group can be appointed to act as league Fixture / Registration Secretary for that same age group.

g)       To ensure the continuity of the League from one year to another, the Chairman and Vice Chairman can only be proposed and elected from person(s) who have at some time previously served on the Management Committee.

h)       A maximum of two persons per club may be elected to the Management Committee as may any adult not involved with member clubs committees, but shall there be more than one Management Committee member per club then only one member, nominated by the Management Committee will hold a Management Committee vote.

i)         Any member of the Management Committee not attending for two consecutive meetings, shall, unless they send an explanation deemed acceptable to the Management Committee, cease to be a Committee Member. If a Committee member is absent from a meeting and requires business to be discussed all relevant information must be given to another Committee member prior to that meeting.

j)         Management Committee Members shall declare any interest they have with member clubs and this will be recorded as a listing in the MNYL handbook.

k)       All league correspondence must be replied to by member clubs as and when requested.

l)         In the event of any dispute involving a club with whom a Management Committee Member is associated with, then those Management Committee Members involved shall leave the meeting whilst such matters are discussed and decisions taken.

m)    All complaints by one team against another must be lodged in writing to the League Secretary within seven days of the event giving rise to the complaint, other wise paragraph 5d applies.

5.            POWERS OF MANAGEMENT

a)       The Management Committee appoint  sub-committees and delegate such of their powers as they deem necessary.  The decisions of all sub-committees shall be reported to the Management Committee for ratification.

b)      Subject to the permission of the Kent County Football Association Limited having been obtained, the Management Committee may order a match or matches to be played each season, the proceeds to be devoted to the funds of the Competition and, if necessary, may call upon each Club (including any Club which may have withdrawn during the season) to contribute equally such sums as may be necessary to meet any deficiency at the end of the season. (See Rule 6(e).

c)       Each Member of the Management Committee shall have the right to attend and vote at all Management Committee Meetings and have one vote thereat, but no Member shall be allowed to vote on any matters directly appertaining to such Member or to the Club so represented. (This shall apply to the procedure of any sub-committee). In the event of the voting being equal on any matter, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

d)      The Management Committee shall have powers to apply, act upon and enforce the Rules of the Competition and shall also have jurisdiction over all matters affecting the Competition, including any not provided for in the Rules. Except where these Rules provide for the imposition of a set penalty any Club, Official or Player alleged to be in breach of a Competition Rule must be formally charged in writing and given the opportunity to present their case before the Management Committee. All breaches of the Laws of the Game, Rules and Regulations of The Football Association shall be dealt with in accordance with F.A. Rules.

e)       All decisions of the Management Committee shall be binding subject to the right of appeal to the Board of Appeal in accordance with Rule 16. Decisions of the Management Committee must be notified by mail, email or fax to those concerned within Fourteen days.

f)        Five Members of the Management Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business of the Management Committee and Three Members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by any sub-committee of the Competition.

g)       The Management Committee, as it may deem necessary, shall have power to fill in an acting capacity, any vacancies that may occur amongst their number.

h)       A Club having failed to comply with an order or instruction of the Management Committee, or failing to satisfactorily attend to the business and/or the correspondence of the Competition, shall be liable to be fined or otherwise penalised at the discretion of the Management Committee.

i)         All fines and charges shall be paid within 14 days of the date of the sending of the written notification. Clubs, Officials or individuals committing a breach of this Rule will incur such penalties as the Management Committee may impose.

j)         Circulation of minutes by mail, email or fax shall be regarded as written communication in respect of items contained therein.

k)       The Management Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy that may occur in the membership of the Competition between the Annual General or Special General Meeting called to decide the constitution and the commencement of the Competition season.

l)          No participant under the age of 18 can be fined.

6.            ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

a)       The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than June each year.  At this meeting the following business shall be transacted provided that at least Two thirds of the Membership are present and entitled to vote:-

(i)                 To receive and confirm the Minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting.

(ii)                To consider any business arising there from.

(iii)              To receive and adopt the Annual Report, Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts.

(iv)              Election of Clubs to fill vacancies (as recommended by the Management Committee).

(v)               Constitution of the Competition for ensuing season.

(vi)              Election of Officers and Management Committee.

(vii)            Appointment of Auditors.

(viii)  Alteration of Rules, if any (of which notice has been given, rule 20b).

(ix)              Fix the date for the commencement and conclusion of playing season.

(x)               Other business of which due notice shall have been given and accepted as being relevant to an Annual General Meeting.

b)      A copy of the duly audited Balance Sheet, Statement of Accounts and Agenda shall be forwarded to each Club at least fourteen days prior to the meeting, and to the Kent County Football Association Limited.

 

c)       A signed copy of the duly audited Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be sent to the Kent County Football Association Limited within fourteen days of its adoption by the Annual General Meeting.

d)      Each Full Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to an Annual General Meeting. Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only. Not less than 28 days’ notice shall be given of any Meeting.

e)       Clubs who have withdrawn their Membership of the Competition during the season being concluded or who are not continuing Membership shall be entitled to attend but shall vote only on matters relating to the season being concluded.

f)        All voting shall be conducted by a show of voting cards unless a ballot be demanded by at least 20 of the delegates qualified to vote or the Chairman so decides.

g)       No individual shall be entitled to vote on behalf of more than one Full Member Club.

h)       Any continuing Member Club failing to be represented at the Annual General Meeting without satisfactory reason being given shall be fined.

i)         Officers and  Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at an Annual General Meeting.

7.            AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED

a)        The Chairman and the Secretary of each Club shall complete and sign the Club Application form which shall be deposited with the Competition.

b)        Any alteration of the Chairman and/or Secretary on the Club Application form must be notified to the Kent County Football Association Limited and to the Secretary of the Competition

8.            QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS

The qualification dates for the competition shall be as follows:

Mini-Soccer

To play in a KO cup game or a game where points are awarded, or results collected, a player must have achieved the age of eight on or before 31st August.

Under 8         Players      aged 6 and under 8       midnight 31st August of each current season.

Under 9         Players      aged 8 and under 9       midnight 31st August of each current season.

Under 10       Players      aged 8 and under 10     midnight 31st August of each current season.

Youth Football

Under 11       Players      aged 10 and under 11   midnight 31st August of each current season.

Under 12       Boys          aged 10 and under 12   midnight 31st August of each current season.

Under 13       Boys          aged 11 and under 13   midnight 31st August of each current season.

Under 14       Boys          aged 12 and under 14   midnight 31st August of each current season.

Under 15       Boys          aged 13 and under 15  midnight 31st August of each current season.

Under 16       Boys          aged 14 and under 16  midnight 31st August of each current season.

Under 18       Boys          aged 15 and under 18  midnight 31st August of each current season.

In accordance with the foregoing qualifications a player under the age of 15 as at midnight on 31st

August in the playing season must not play in a match where any other player is older or younger

by 2 years or more.

(The above qualification dates are subject to the provisions contained in FA Rule C.4(a)(v)).

a)       Contract players, as defined in Football Association Rules, are not permitted in this Competition.

(i)      No player registered with a F.A. Premier League or Football League Academy will be permitted to play in this competition.

(ii)    A Player registered with a Centre of Excellence may not play in this Competition.

 

 

 

 

b)      A registered youth playing member of a Club is one who, being in all other respects eligible, has:-

(i)        Signed a fully and correctly completed Competition registration form in ink, countersigned by his / her parent or guardian and by Officers of the Club, and who has been registered with the appropriate Registrations Secretary.

(ii)      A separate document, for club use only, must incorporate any known serious medical conditions of the player and emergency contact details of the players parents or guardians. These details must be available at matches and training events the player attends within the management of the club or competition.

(iii)     Each team must register its players on the appropriate registration form. Two current identical passport type photos of the player seeking registration must accompany the respective form, together with confirmation that the club have seen proof of the player’s date of birth.

c)       At the start of the season member clubs must forward their teams completed registration forms, to the correct Registration/Fixture Secretary by midnight 31st July, or the team will not be included in the League and will be deemed to have withdrawn.

(i)        U8, 9, & 10 age groups a minimum of 12 registration forms are required.

(ii)      U11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 & 18 age groups minimum of 11 registration forms are required.